100 Ultimate Wishes

In honor of my blog’s 100th post, here’s a list I once kept secretly, that I now wish to share with the world!

When reading through you’ll discover it may just be another Bucket List, but this is in fact an excerpt from my real one that I keep hidden away in my Laptop’s files. :]
It ranges from places and events, to things I’ll need to try at least once, all of which I wish to complete before my time on this lovely planet is up. For convenience, they’re organized into where in the world they’d be done; by country.
So enjoy flicking through my secret list, it’s now yours too, and if you’re open to helping me complete anything on here, I’d love to know what you know; send me an email (ryanaubersonwalsh[@]hotmail.com). :]

View the list below :]

Oh the joys of Google Maps

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’m proud to let you know I’ve created a new feature. :}
An interactive map that allows you to see where i’ve been and link to the related post. :]

So go on then, give it a whirl.
The map will be featured permanently on the [the stats] page. ;]

View Larger Map

Have fun. :]

Ryan
x

Time to gamble… in Monte Carlo

This was the break from Italian food we all deserved.
WAIT! I know what you’re thinking… who could ever tire of pasta, pizza and a ton of mozzarella? Well, I can. After one and a half weeks gorging on stomach-expanding Carbonara’s and Capricosa’s, a break from our temporary diet was blissful…. and we all know how delicious French food can be. :] Think fresh bread, croissants and Beef Bourguignon.

So… this little chapter started when we arrived in Nice, France and spent two nights enjoying the city… my new favourite in France. However, the true gem was discovered on a day trip on the first day there: the Principality of Monaco. With a spotless city, gorgeous buildings and a view to die for, it quickly became my personal favourite. And with the world’s highest GDP per capita at $151,630, I think you’d understand me when I say they’ve clearly got the money to keep things looking pretty. ;]

Strangely though, because it’s the densely populated country in the world, the layout of the city is rather… chaotic, yet charming. Nestled between the Mediterranean and sheer drops, the mountain backdrop means that architecture is scaterred, with high-rises all over the joint, and highways jutting in and out from historic buildings… such as the highway overpass that crosses over a church! Bizarre! Yet fascinating. :]

That evening we headed into Old town Nice and dined like the french with a three course meal, entrée, main and dessert! Fantastique is all I can say. :]
The next morning we were on the move again… and for some details about that story… stay tuned. :p

Love,
a very nostalgic Ryan!
x

Je rêve de Paris [#3]

Today’s song: Ladyhawke - Paris Is Burning

That’d translate to “I dream of Paris”, kudos to a few french-speaking exchange students for that… (Mind you, I think they may have settled with Google Translate) :]

And yes, it’s true, I really am dreaming of Paris. The art, culture, café’s, sites and croissants. I want all of it…. the latter in my belly. :] I know that it’s one of those destinations that conjures up a billion clichés, but I’d truly love to see the city of lights, even if it’s rumored to be 10 times smellier and dirtier than tourist guides depict.

I’d like to see the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, ride a moped down the Champs-Élysées, drink a real coffee and so on… I’d like to see the real Paris. The one Picasso fell in love with, and the one whose culture Duchamp changed in the early 20th Century. And with a flick through google images, here’s a few reasons why:

But there’s something important I’m getting at… I want to know certain things… Why on earth is a giant metal structure so beautiful, and why do people want to look at a painting of a woman named Lisa? Paris is an odd one people…. But even the oddest things can be beautiful. :] <3

I’ll see you one day in the future mon amour.
Ryan :]
x

[#1] [#2]

This stings.

Dearest Kidlings,

I’m off on a fairly decent trip of London, Italy, a bit of Southern France and Croatia beginning tomorrow. That means, I won’t be posting anything for a while. So bear with me, and who knows, perhaps a post will magically appear. :]

Enjoy your holidays for those who have them, and if not, stay beautiful, every day’s a holiday if you make it worth it. ;]

Peace and love,
Ryan

¡Viva la France!

Two weeks in a leaky boat… well not very leaky, and not really every waking hour in the boat. Just the odd day or two. :] But of course that makes absolutely no sense… so to explain what I mean, I’ll have to take you back to the beginning. Way back to the year of 1893.

It was a mild summer’s day and Mister I’mpullingyourleg couldn’t help but smile as his pet doves flew gracefully in the breeze…. Yeah that’s all hogwash. Perhaps also a little too far back. So we’ll start at the beginning of the real story. The non-fiction gem that morphed into a great love for my new host family.

When the school holidays began, I didn’t really think to what I was getting myself into. All I knew was, my host mum, dad and brother were taking me to Southern France (Provence to be precise) on a road trip with our infamous* campervan Willy.

We started off heading to Switzerland, an easy trip, only 6 or so hours to take a route via the Alps, particularly for the splendid views. Here’s a few shots I took when we arrived. (Note the rabbit hole… a sign of adventure in a wonder-ful-land to be had!)