It has been one of those weeks where you get to the end of it and think, "What the heck did I do this week?"
Technically, a whole lot - it has all just blended together.
The majority of the week has been spent writing and working on my thesis.
Which I am just not going to get into here.
I have a thesis blog for that.
My supervisor sporadically reads it.
So do the people who monitor my visa.
It's a thing.
The exception was Tuesday evening where, after realising that I missed dinner (work stuff) I was hungry and left for the wilds of Tesco.
On the way there I discovered that Tuesday was the day of the Full Moon Market in Durham Market Square.
A crappy meal from Tesco turned into an Armenian chicken wrap thing and the best dougnuts I have ever had.
Like ever, ever.
(Please forgive the photos in this post - they are quick snaps from my phone without my lovely lenses that make everything glorious and actually more realistic somehow...except the fisheye lens. That one is just funky.)
The rest of the week was just a lot of back-and-forth between my bed, my desk, and the library.
At least in going to the library I am getting to see the fall leaves on my commute.
The following are from my early morning runs this week.
I love this new tradition. You know, running away from all of my problems and celebrating my birthday alone. To be completely, totally, 100% honest, I didn't really think about my birthday on the day. I definitely thought about it before the trip but it really did feel like just another day. Probably because it is.
The trip I took to "celebrate" my birthday (or run away from grad school for a week) was UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE!!! I love Portugal. I love Lagos, Portugal. I LOVE kayaking and one day, when I have the time, I know I will love paddleboarding. I wanted to do it so badly but there just wasn't the time (or the budget to be honest). So, the following is a story/photo summary of September 25th - 30th, 2017.
I should note, before I begin, that this a photo summary. If I get on top of things like I am trying to, I will post just picture posts of countries I visit at a later date. You know, after they are backed up and organized.
I take so many photos.
September 25th
Train from Durham to Newcastle and Metro from Newcastle to Newcastle Airport.
Public transportation, I love you.
It was also raining.
Thank you England for reminding me why I was taking a sunny break.
Flight from Newcastle to Faro.
My favorite part of the flight was eating (no picture) and this couple holding hands during take-off.
Awww...for cuteness.
I arrived pretty late at night and it was gloriously warm.
September 26th
Early morning Faro.
I didn't really sleep in because the chick in my room snored louder than my Dad and brothers combined.
It was so incredible I couldn't actually be mad - just a wee bit sleep deprived.
I love the use of seashells for ashtrays by the way.
Train from Faro to Lagos.
Last view of Durham vs. the first view of Lagos and my first view of lunch.
OH MY GOODNESS! LUNCH!
My first thought when I arrived was, "Oh look, there is a fast food place."
My next thought was, "My foodie friend Oh Susana is going to be so mad if I go to Portugal and get fast food."
Ergo, I sat down in a restaurant.
It was a good life choice.
The rest of the day was spent wandering around Lagos and getting acquainted with my new iphone lens attachments (Happy Birthday to myself).
After the rough night in Faro, having my own room was glorious.
After two years in college housing in England, having my own bathroom literally brought me to tears.
I also watched tv, on a tv, for the first time in 2 years.
It was America Ninja Warrior.
It was also awesome.
September 27th
That one day where I got older but not wiser.
Well, maybe a little wiser, I wore sunscreen and didn't get burned.
Thank you Greg for reminding me.
The morning was spent kayaking around the coast of Lagos.
This was incredible. If I had much monies I would do this all the days of my life.
I really like kayaking.
I really, really, really want to try paddleboarding.
As the only solo traveller in my group, I got to go with the guide.
AKA I was in the front of the group and got the best video.
At first, I was sad because I wanted my own kayak but it turned out to be a really great thing in the end.
After the kayaking excursion of awesomeness, I ate lunch at the same restaurant from yesterday and then went home to change and go to some beaches (yes, plural).
I got some sun, walked through some caves and natural tunnels, did some swimming in the ocean (not as cold as people said it would be), and hunted for seashells. I got SO many seashells.
They are beautiful, I love them all though I could only bring about half home.
I was pretty wiped out by the end of the day so I got some gelato (mint and strawberry was actually a spot on mix) and went home for the night.
September 28th.
Good thing sleeping in for me is 6:30 because it meant that I was rested AND I was able to check out the awesome sunrise while overlooking the Praia Dona Anna from the cliffs.
After watching the sunrise I headed toward the tip of Lagos, the Ponta da Piedade.
I checked out the lighthouse but spent most of the time hiking around the top of the cliffs, randomly seeing dolphins, and then heading down toward the water before the tourist buses started to come in.
(I want to paddleboard so much!!!)
I spent a good 30 minutes here shooting a timelapse from my gopro.
Unfortunately, I didn't think about the lovely morning sunlight reflecting off the water and burning my legs.
That was truly unpleasant 6 or so hours later.
At that point, it was definitely time for breakfast.
For future reference, eat breakfast before you hike.
I was super shaky.
Then again, it could have been the heights.
Heights really do scare me.
In the afternoon I went to the Praia Dona Ana again for some sunbathing and swimming.
It was really, really nice.
It was a hot day but with cool water and a breeze it was perfection.
I also ate dinner on the beach before heading home.
Lessons from today? Eat breakfast and wear sunscreen before you hike next to the ocean.
That reflective sunlight will light your legs on fire and breakfast is so dang important.
September 29th
Super sad day. It was the day I left Lagos.
I spent a bit of the morning walking about before getting my final souvenirs (I got my Portugal ring) and eating a final breakfast.
(Sorry for all the food pictures but it was so dang delicious and I want to remember it FOREVER!)
After a sad goodbye to my bathroom and hot shower I took the train back from Lagos to Faro.
I spent the afternoon in Faro wandering around.
I love wandering and getting lost, you always find the most awesome things.
Then it was dinner and off to bed.
Another quick note/self-memo: Don't judge others by your first impression of their stuff.
I got into my hostel dorm room and saw that there were three (girls) in the room.
I figured this out, not by them actually being there, but by the clothing hung around to dry.
You know, the string bikinis and lacey knickers.
So, I assumed I was bunking with some 20-somethings on their last holiday for the summer.
This is not an undue assumption as I had been running into these kinds of groups my whole trip.
Well, of my three assumptions, I got two right.
They were women, they were on holiday, but they were in their 60's rather than their 20's.
Also, with three of them, they snored in surround sound.
They were very nice but I am glad I never saw them in the string bikinis or lacey underwear.
September 30th
I left for my bus to the airport at 6am and was through all the fun of air and train travel and back in Durham for lunch.
It was a glorious break.
Now the madness of my actual life can continue.
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p.s. because technology is awesome, an app on my phone created this 1 minute video of all my photos/videos on my phone from my trip.
Many of them are already in the post but, here they are again. :)
Presently EVERYTHING in my life is scheduled. Nearly to the minute actually. Even blogging. Unfortunately, I have not kept to my schedule these past few weeks and therefore, there has been no posts. Before that, things were just too mad.
I took an entire day this week to backup my photos for the last...eh...8 months? I always do an initial back-up of everything when I get home from an adventure or a Thursday Take-Off but I have a multiple back-up process that hadn't been done. I am regretting that now that I had to take an entire day to do it. I will do better in the future. Unfortunately, I have decided not to follow my usual MO (modus operandi) ;) and do a massive, picture heavy post. This week's post is about...this week.
Shocker.
This week has had the normal ups and downs. I got called to be a primary teacher. It is still too early to tell how I feel about that. Research/writing continues...well sorta. I still run away from home on Thursdays...well I walk. Also, I can still wolf down an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream without breaking a sweat...or my conscience. I have proved that at least twice this week.
Also, I think (after a two-week hiatus) that we have hot water again at St. John's. On Thursday, after my excursion, I was so sick of washing my hair in the sink with warm water from my kettle, I decided I was going to bite that freezing bullet and take a full shower - hair and all. The cold water on my body doesn't bother me but the freezing water on my head HURTS SO BAD! But, I had had enough. So I took that freezing shower. Surprisingly, it felt pretty warm there near the end. Probably because some lukewarm water did come through the pipes right in time for my last rinse. I AM SO HAPPY! No more washing my hair in the sink. No more washing clothes by hand. DOBBY IS FREE!!!
Here are some pics from this Thursday's Take-Off: my Hadrian's Wall walk-about.
WARNING. They were shot in manual and currently unedited. I will edit them, when/if I ever put them into a book like I plan. I am working on my manual camera skills and you know, sometimes it is hard to get that dang shutter speed and aperture balance exactly where you want it. Such is life and such is the beauty of Photoshop. Thank you levels tool.
I started my walk at Housesteads Roman Fort. The fun story for this day was that I had actually been here before in 2011 with my lovely BYU graduate gals for a research trip. I just didn't know it was Housesteads when we came in 2011. Don't judge me for not knowing where I was, I had been in the field for nearly 8 weeks at that point either digging or driving around various countries for 12+ hours a day with the same, small group of women. It is a miracle I didn't jump off that wall. (Granted it was only like 5 feet tall.)
2011 Allison
2017 Allison...is too MATURE to take a photo of herself on a wall.
Also, I didn't think of it while I was there or I would have.
While I was waiting for a bus to Housesteads, I saw a little blurb for "Hadrian's Wall Walks" that looked interesting. Hey, and there was a 7.5 mile circuit (around 4 hours) that began and ended at Housesteads! Hey, I've been working out! I can totally do that.
So, I saw the sign, and I began my wanderings ON Hadrian's Wall. Because at the Housesteads portion of the walk, you are on the wall.
GAH! AWESOME!
After a short jaunt on the wall, you are barred from continuing and have to then walk next to the wall to preserve the archaeology.
I am an archaeologist and am therefore down with those instructions.
Also, surprisingly, the coming ups and downs of this view did not deter me in the least.
Maybe it should have but I was enthusiastic.
The walk was BEAUTIFUL.
I loved the blue sky, the MARVELOUS breeze, the green day, and the stupendous views (which I tried to catch with the panorama setting on my phone).
I even loved the terrain of the crags.
Crags are beautiful and despite my fear of heights, I enjoyed walking along the edges of them.
What can I say, I like to give my mother something to worry about.
Another fun bit was running into or through or round-about the famous Sycamore Gap.
As I walked down the wall towards the tree I pictured passing a younger Morgan Freeman walking up the wall.
You know, from the Robin Hood movie?
The one I only watched long enough to see the Sycamore Gap?
And then turned off because the only movie I could ever stomach a young Kevin Spacey was Silverado.
Seriously.
After the Sycamore Gap I followed the wall for an hour or so longer.
Honestly, I liked the section closer to Housesteads the best from today but it was a nice little journey.
For my last "crag of the day" I had to stop at a rock about 1/4 of the way down to let some other hikers up. It was pretty narrow and they had the harder journey so I thought, "Hey Aliswan, how about you take up this nice prime resting spot with your big bum and let these poor folks hike up this steep bit without stopping."
I am generous like that.
Don't let anyone tell you differently.
While these lovely folks passed, I hung out with the Heather.
The flower, not the person.
All in all, it was an awesome day. I didn't go the full circuit because, well, I didn't really care about Vindolanda and the blisters from my high heels on Sunday started to smart a bit there at the end. That is what I get for wearing heals for the first time in 2 years.
So, I cut the circuit short and made my way back to Housesteads via bus rather than on foot.
Finally, I should say I brought 3 cameras.
1. My DSLR to practice my manual skills.
2. My phone, which I realized has a panorama setting.
3. My GoPro, which I strapped to my camera bag chest strapped to film a timelapse of my hike with.
It is bouncy but if you don't get motion sick here it is:
(Seriously, if you get motion sick, don't watch it.)
