Hi everyone! It's Sydney. Welcome to our first post!
Yesterday was my last day of work (what a bittersweet day!), so now Ian and and I are both officially unemployed with zero income. The official countdown to Europe has begun! T minus 19 days and counting!!
Next up this weekend we've got San Diego's local CRSSD Fest, our last music adventure. We'll be grooving all weekend to some amazing dj's and bands, which as everyone knows is one of our favorite things to do (and it's how we met!). Ian will be shaking his hips in the festival with a few of his friends (hi, guys!) and I'll be with some of my friends (hi, guys!) on the outside for our annual #freecrssdchella - it's my stubborn native San Diegan/cheap tradition of dancing outside in the streets for free. Who doesn't like good live music set against a beautiful background on a perfect fall night in downtown San Diego?!
After dancing til we can't dance no mo, we'll be hitting Sequoia National Park for about six days for our last bit of all American gorgeousness with a few friends. We're looking forward to enjoying some beautiful fall forest colors and soaking in the crisp mountain air... mmm!
Once we're back from Sequoia we're in the now-we're-really-serious-this-time-about-spending-no-more-money-until-we-leave (I-mean-it-this- time!) (except-on-burritos-because-let's-be-real) zone for about 6 days and then bam! EUROPE, BABY!
First up: London, UK 20/19/17 - 27/10/17
The first leg of our trip takes us to jolly ol' England for Sydney’s first time across the pond, and Ian’s second. We’ll be staying with Ian’s brother Johan just outside of central London. The queen, fish and chips, men in funny fur hats… what a great start to our adventure! Our primary goal will be staying dry in gloomy, gray October, soaking in as much history and culture as possible, and taking advantage of Johan’s hospitality :)
Here’s a taste of what we’re hoping for during our week in England:
-London, of course!
-Bath’s Roman ruins and baths. There’s also a great bookstore!
-Stepping back in time to Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon
-Wandering through the halls of Oxford
-Seeing where The Canterbury Tales got their name
-Stonehenge!
-The Jurassic Coast, where we can see a near complete record of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (185 million years) in layers of sedimentary rock
Part two: Scotland, UK! 28/10/17 - 1/12/17
We’ll depart London and head to northeastern Scotland where we’ll stay with a Workaway couple on their farm for a little over a month. We’ll work for about five hours/day around their farm with the donkeys, chickens, and whatnot in exchange for room and board. While in Scotland, we’d like to:
-Wander through Aberdeen and Inverness
-Spot Nessie in Loch Ness!
-Drink whiskey and tour castles in the in the Highlands
-Explore Britain's highest, coldest and snowiest plateau in Cairmgorms National Park
-Celebrate Samhaim, the Gaelic harvest festival believed to be the basis for Halloween
Country #3: France 1/12/17 - 23/12/17
Loire Valley
We'll start in the gorgeous Loire Valley region of France for two nights of chateaus, vineyards, gastronomy, and French splendor. High on our list are:
-The magnificent Chateau du Chambord
-The city of Tours in the heart of the valley, known for its "perfectly spoken French"
Paris
Next, we'll be just outside of Paris for two weeks with another Workaway family doing light housework. There is SO much we want to see, do, and eat in this short amount of time!
-Feasting our eyes out at The Louvre and Versailles
-The cathedrals of Chartres, Reims, and Sainte-Chappelle
-St. Denis, where Sydney's name originates from!
-Reflecting on the beaches of Normandy in Northwestern France
-The monastery-island of Mont Saint Michel
