So much stuff!!!

Ok...so it has been a very exciting last three days. We have seen so many things in so short of time that the lines are starting to blur between days. Luckily I have my handy dandy notebook and Stuarts insane receipt collecting skills and memory to help keep things straight. First things first I must say that we are WORKING our London Passes. What is a London Pass you might ask? Well, the London Pass is a card that can get you into attractions, museums, cruises, and all sorts of things around London. It also comes with a lot of great discount options as well. So we can get free coffee some places and 2 for 1 meals elsewhere, oh not to mention free movie tickets! We have been everywhere from the very fortified Tower of London to the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. The amount of culture and development in this city is mind boggling. With every street and alley there is a bit of history to be learned. Even if it is something as simple as how some offside food market used small dock it is still very interesting. Compared to Dublin as we stated earlier the people are much nicer here in London despite its hustle and bustle atmosphere. The best way I can compare the two is using a ninja and samurai analogy...besides I can get away with it while Stuart is sleeping hehe. Dublin life is like a ninja. In, out, no time for chit chat, very quick movements and then you're done. London has a very calculated and flowing feel to it while still being swift but not agitated. (Unless of course buses aren't running properly at stations and then you have drivers stepping out to yell at one another) On another note traveling with someone as mindful as Stuart (Amanda Small for those unaware) has been very helpful financially. She always seems to find the best deals even if she herself cannot make sense of them and I have to pick them apart lol, she is innately drawn to them and it is very nice. One savings though led us on a 2 hour train to train to bus bus bus to get something to eat. This was great because she remembered the place where we could get a sandwich, side, and drink for around 3 bucks, but it was still a really long journey. When the gloves come off with my companion though there is no stopping her. In other news... West Minster Abbey is probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen inside and out. Unfortunately they are very strict in their no recording equipment inside, so we only have pictures of the outside but it was a sight to be remembered. We got to go into a section of Kensington Palace which was a treat of art and history with a touch of mystery added to make the history more enjoyable. Boat cruises, bridges, being on top of bridges, and watching bridges fold up. OH! Stuart would kill me if I forgot to mention the London Bridge Experience. So the London Bridge Experience and the London Tombs are England's scariest attractions on record. While the LBE is more of a spooky walk from room to room being educated and horrified at the different stories of London the London Tombs is where all the scariness is present. While the actors are trying to lay a thick layer of creepiness on you before you go into the tombs it is kind of hard when you are stuck in a room full of blank faced Germans that hardly speak English and two Americans, but they did a good job. Chainsaws, animated figures hidden doors and people in shadows we definitely jumped and screamed a few times. Well this is kind of a rough update and I'm sorry for the lack of communication. We have been getting up incredibly early in the morning and then don't get near to home till later and then have to climb a hill before we have to crawl up the stairs into our beds. We are going to the London Zoo tomorrow so I put Stuart to bed early so she can be well rested for tomorrow. I should probably follow suite and say goodnight to you all.

With worn plates and tired eggs
Nibbler and Samwise

Nice People!!!

So we made it on time to our flight, *gets smacked across head* Ok! So maybe we were 2 hours early for our flight after check in... so sue me. We ran into my Arch Nemesis Skye Plumb at the air port that was very exciting to see a friendly face!  Anyways we made it to London with general ease at the Gatwick airport. One thing we quickly came to terms with is that London is zoned off into different sections and within those sections are essentially different cities. It is a little more complex then the old north, south, east, and west that we are used to. Talking to a very helpful information lady we were quickly on our way to Croydon London via train. Arriving there we  talked to another information lady who was extremely helpful in assisting us in finding our hotel. We were honestly starting to get worried about our hotel as the last 4 people that we had talked to as to inquiries about it did not know it existed. But alas she found it. We bought a one day travel pass which allowed us to take trains, buses, subways etc all day long as may times as we liked. This was of course to prevent certain people from messing up to bad, not having any coins left, and being on the wrong end of town...Well besides that, we made our way via bus to our road of desire and starting walking up the side street to our hotel. When you are awake for 36 hours running around like mad people in Dublin the very last thing you want to do is walk uphill on a cobblestone street  in London. We unfortunately were way too early for check in, however the lady was nice enough to put us up in a different room. Getting situated we decided to head into the heart of London to acquire our London Passes. After some running around in Picadilly Circus and running into some very helpful people that were practically begging to help us, we found them and simply wandered for a bit more. Heading home to rest we ran into a little more bus trouble but nothing too severe and eventually made it home. We are now about to start our destruction of London! 

Wish us luck!

With the love!

  The Destroyer & The Corrupter

Stuart & Matt

So ya...Buses...

So there are a few things that we are working on of the Euro transportation type variety...ummm ya.

We are fine, tired, safe and warm so no worries as you can see here below...
So 2 1/2 hours later on a15 minute trip...

We are really tired and we are staying up for our flight to London which is in about 2 hours...

More updates to come as we fly...

With the love of a thousand buses...

Snippet and Gimli

Airplanes & Buses & Dublin Oh My!

After a grueling 20+ hours of airports and luggage and customs we finally landed in Dublin! We went and got our money exchanged...(which is always depressing with exchange rates) and set off to our hotel. After getting there and taking 5 minutes to figure out how to turn on the lights, we got set up, then flipped the lights off and crashed for a few hours. This of course was not enough but it was a good amount to build a little energy before launching into the city. Quickly talking to the lady at the front desk we set off to find our first bus (or as Stuart likes to call them DOUBLEDECKERBUSES). That is to express the speed and ferocity in her saying of the word hehe. We rode the bus till we felt we were towards the center of the city and hopped off. Deciding on a direction that we hoped we would remember later we dived right in. Immediately we were met with such a variety of cultures and accents bustling about as if the world would end if they didn't stop moving. Jumping into the flow of a river of people we found ourselves crossing streets, alleys, and I tell you that you definitely have to keep you eyes open when doing so. We are told growing up to look both ways for safety and that we should never trust any driver till they are completely stopped etc etc etc. In Europe all cars have the right away and you are destroying the synergy of the town if you hold anybody up for even just a few seconds. Needless to say we have been extra careful in crossing the streets and been very mindful of our surroundings. Wandering the streets of Dublin we found ourselves covering the place in gigantic circles while venturing off side streets and walkways (no worries we didn't go down dark allies). Being offered everything from fruit to hair extensions, and the occasional scalped tickets we slowly started to figure out the city. Being polite, however curt at the same time was very helpful. As we continued our aimless and colorful journey we ran into one dilemma...we didn't know what time it was. Of all the things we didn't pack a way to tell time was one of them. Going into promising stores we casually asked if there was somewhere to buy a watch. We found one electronic store that simply put cameras in every item they sold...I repressed the gadgeteer within myself and moved on. I then got the strangest looks when we walked into what appeared to be a "convenience store" and asked for a watch. Essentially, there are mini food stores everywhere that are simply food and drink, not miscellaneous random items as well, even people from Kenya were looking at us weird given our request. There are specific shops for randomness however. Finding at last a promising jewelry shop that sold watches we found a wonderful man and woman that helped us find something reasonable. They were very inquisitive as to our grand journey, and offered some great advice for when we come back through. They asked us to stop by on our way back and to tell them of our travels and to get more advice. Running up and down and all around we figured we should try and figure out how the bus system worked, so we stopped into a tourist information center. Locking what information we could handle into our overfull and overloaded brains we wandered a little more, grabbed some food and headed back to our hotel. After some regrouping and planning for the next day we passed out.

With lots of love from our exhausted selves.
Till next time
Amanda & Matthew

T Minus 10...9...

Here we are...all systems go, cleared for take off, initiative role is 20, S-foils closed and destination is locked, punch it Chewie!!! 

At the 9 hour countdown everything is ready. Brains are buzzing and nerves are jumping but all is swell. Looks of disbelief have been exchanged between the two of us all day. Both of us can hardly believe the time has come. From sitting in a coffee shop dreaming and scheming to finally being at the first step of our journey is very surreal. The last week for both of us has been, to say the least...interesting. Between weddings, theatre workshops, work and drama we somehow managed to pull everything together (at least we hope so) on this day. Our love and gratitude goes out to our families and friends who have been supporting us all this time. We know "see ya laters" are hard, especially when we are going to be time-zones away, but thank you all for the blessings, prayers and understanding that has been sent our way. To our teary eyed moms and grinning dads, we promise that we will be safe, travel swiftly, and bop anyone in the nose that gets in our way. 

Wish us luck, happy travels, and safe landings.

See ya in Dublin!

Wesley and Stuart

The Final Countdown

It is amazing how fast time can fly and yet still feel as though it will never pass. Our days are numbered and the numbers are few. Soon we will be embarking on a journey that will shake the very foundations of our persons. We will be witnesses to cultures, relics, and wonders that until now we have only seen pictures and heard stories of. My name is Matthew Rogers and I will be traveling abroad in eight days with my dear friend Amanda Small. Until recently the thought of ever seeing the Emerald Isle with my own eyes was only a lost boy's dream. And for her, stepping into the streets of Paris with a silhouette of the Eiffel Tower was a distant hope. Well, we are taking hold of our fantasies and ripping them from their everlasting states of longing and making them realities.On May 23 we will be on a plane headed for Dublin, Ireland, and there our journey begins. Resting in Dublin we will make our way to London where we will delve into the heart of England. Our next jump is to Italy where we will see my lovely friend Janeva Plumb be married. Taking our leave as the newlyweds depart on their own adventure we will make several stops around Italy taking in culture that truly dates man. Moving back through France we will put up our feet in Paris and bathe in the romantic atmosphere and surrounding countryside. Where does our journey go from there? Well, that is still a mystery. Eventually we will make our way back to Ireland where we will kiss the Blarney Stone and nourish our Celtic roots before heading back home. We invite you follow us on this Blog while we make this journey across Europe. We will try and keep this as up to date as possible. Please keep us in your prayers, and share in our tears and laughter as we take these new steps in our lives. 

With all of our love.

Matthew Rogers

Amanda Small