Saturday, January 17, 2009

Happy 800th Anniversary, Cambridge!

Now that is OLD. Makes my upcoming milestone birthday seem like fiddlesticks in comparison!

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In honor of the anniversary, I thought I'd share some photos that I took from a fairly recent trip there (2006), and also point out some interesting facts.

Established in 1209 A.D., Cambridge is the 2nd oldest university in the English-speaking world (after Oxford). Affiliates of Cambridge have won a total of 83 Noble laureate prizes, a record. Notable alums include everyone from Lord Mountbatton to Sacha Baron-Cohen (Ali G), Jane Goodall to Nick Hornby, and Desiderius Erasmus to Hugh Laurie.

It was where Charles Darwin developed his theory of natural selection, where they discovered DNA, and developed in vitro fertilization (IVF).

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What I loved about the university was how everyone there bikes to/from class, and how every public place (pubs, cafes, restaurants) is full of people studying and conversing. Another thing I learned is that in Cambridge, the punters (as seen in the picture below) push the flat boats from the back end, whereas their colleagues over at Oxford pull the boats from the front end. It is hotly debated which way is better!

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On a different trip, I got to attend the famous Boat Race Day in London, which is a crew race between Oxford and Cambridge that's held every spring. While I can't actually remember who won (there was drinking starting very early in the day!), it was quite a spectacle on the Thames!

And, yes...my brain is full of useless and random information, which is why they probably didn't accept me at Cambridge. Humph!

Adventure on,

Kristen

Thursday, January 15, 2009

1/52

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This picture was taken at the Bonneville Salt Flats near the Utah-Nevada border. The faint black line in the background that cuts the photo in half is actually Hwy I-80. Flat and barren, this view during the day is white. I waited for a few hours until sunset, when the colors really came out.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

52 (photos)

A new idea for my blog is the "52 (photos)" project, where I will post one photograph for each week of the year.

I will hand pick random photos from my travels, accompanied with a description, or maybe a quiz, or perhaps even some poetry. Who knows? It will be whatever that picture inspires.

I realize I'm already off to a late start (hey, you can't teach an old dog new tricks!), so I will be squeezing in 2 photos for this first segment of 2009. I hope you enjoy.

Happy new year!!!

Wishing you many adventures in 2009,

Kristen

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Back in Seattle - Brief Update


It's been a while since I've last posted. My apologies!

Last time I checked in, I was journeying on a USA Road Trip that brought me from Seattle to Las Vegas (and all around the south/west).

My two-month journey continued when I took a flight from Los Angeles to Dublin, Ireland, where I lived for just over a month with my sister. From there I took short side trips to Madrid, Spain, and then to Gent, Belgium.

Lots of Guinness, tapas, Belgian beer and chocolate!

Was back in Seattle briefly for two weeks, before heading out to Chicago to visit my family/friends for the holidays.

During my trip to my hometown, I thoroughly enjoyed eating deep dish pizza, touring the Irish pubs (made it to at least 8 or 9 of them!), and catching up with everyone.

In addition to Christmas and New Year's Eve festivities (where all 4 Gill kids attended the same party...talk about the stars being aligned!), I also got to be with my grandpa for his 93rd birthday!

Another tradition (for the past 15+ years ) is to meet with my friends to do our new year's resolutions. This year's theme (given to us by one friend's daughter) is "Let's Go!" Hey, I'm always up for "Go-ing!"

So, now that I'm back in Seattle, I shall update you on all my latest adventures, as well as share a few new ideas for my blog this year.

Wishing you all the best in 2009!

Adventure on, my friends, and "Let's Go!"

Kristen
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Monday, January 5, 2009

Brazil Highlights

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Highlights from my 2007 trip to Brazil. I need to go back to this country. Love it!