Adventures of the epic kind

They were like day and night standing there side by side waiting for the coach to roll in. She, all snowy skin, pointed, elfin features and brilliant white blond dreads piled high on her head. A uniform of white completed her unearthly look. On contrast he stood beside her a figure of black and red, his dark hair cropped short feathering dark skin and eyes. His thin lips curled into a smile as he stood with a self assured elegance.

It wasn't just their appearance that invited onlookers to be curious but also the baggage they wished to stow. An assortment of different sized hula hoops made of a light wood adorned their packs along with plastic sticks of red and black with tassels at each end. Devils sticks, how fitting. Only one could guess whose toy was whose. The bus rolled in pulling me out of my trance stopping just short of me and my partner Adam.

'Are you ready to go to sweet ol' Pari?,' Adam said shooting a grin at me before he bounded onto the step.

We never did find a hostel to stay whilst in Paris or a couch surfing host for that matter. Yet I wasn't one to worry, heck we'd sleep on the grass in front of the Eiffel Tower if all else failed. Besides the tickets were too good to refuse. 5 euros for tickets from Shannon, Ireland to the city of love! Good old Ryanair!

We settled into a seat mid way down the bus watching as the passengers filed on. My heart skipped a beat as I watched the couple enter the bus and choose the seat right in front of us! It took great concentration to calm the butterflies in my stomach as I watched as she fed him grapes. To my surprise we were invited into their world as her grapes took a detour and she began making a puppet show for us. Seems this ballet of fruit was just the invitation I was waiting for to appease my aching curiosity.

Turns out they were a circus duo and they were taking the bus to Cork to catch another one to a little juggling festival in Clonakilty. They shared stories of performers from all over Europe who would be teaching all sorts of work shops and adding colour and life to the festivities.

'How about you come along?,' he asked with an Irish twang, 'we're all sharing a house and there'd be plenty of room!'

Having just finished my studies in Physical Theatre it was hard for me to contain my excitement. So with only two hours to go to catch our flight to the city of love we decided an adventure with a throng of circus folk was much more enticing and happily tore up our Ryanair tickets!