withgrace

one of the most serene, quiet places in paris. an entire city of monuments housing the dead. there is something very magical about this place.

this is one of my favourite places. there’s something really interesting about that seaside village. it feels very much like home- worn in all the right places. nice, comfortable hotels and pubs, with windchimes hanging everywhere, and bits of seashells on the ground.

lovely little city, though the older part of town is much more coveted in my eyes. there are a few lovely little pubs (i like drouthy neebours quite a bit for some reason) and some nice charity shops and secondhand places for cds and books. the castle is a good tourist visit; i prefer it to edinburgh castle. the cemetery is one of the most beautiful places- very quiet and calm as cemeteries should be.

the train station is shite, mostly because they lock the toilets up to prevent vandalism, which leads to unhappiness.

beautiful area- inchmahome priorie is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. fairy hill (or doon hill) is an enchanting little place to leave wishes for the fairies.

lovely city. ireland is like a mystical, ethereal island sometimes, particularly with the weather patterns. the sky there is always amazing. there are some wonderful places to eat in the city- the winding stair being a favourite of mine. there’s also the film festival and the james joyce museum among other things. you should probably bring an umbrella. the city’s dirty and the nights are full of drunks, but i find it a bit poetic.

i applaud their attempts at incorporating learning into everything, and they seem to truly succeed. there is a lot of imagination involved in everything, and it shows. a lot of beautiful stories are brought spectacularly to life.

it’s worth visiting because everything is worth visiting, and it has the sea. and it is really suited to most americans. but having the mind of a foreigner, and being vegetarian and much more interested in being alone and at peace with the sea, i found myself yearning for somewhere very different. most of the highway is lined with steakhouses and other large corporations that have fought for space at this tourist destination, and nearly every inch of the opposite side is covered with hotels. but a nice experience can come of a visit if it’s done right. there’s a campsite or two along the coastal highway as it’s called. the hotels are very expensive for the services being provided, so taking a tent is preferrable. there’s a lovely italian restaurant along the coastal highway as well, called ‘the olive tree’. it’s a bit pricey, but it’s some surprisingly good pasta. the boardwalk can be nice, in a funfair sort of way. there are some kite shops and sweet shops to duck into, to avoid the snarky t-shirts and cheap junk. overall, a decent experience.

fayette county is one of the more strikingly american counties i have visited. interesting accents! fayette city is a small, cramped town full of peeling, old buildings.

i say it’s worth visiting because i think nearly everywhere is worth visiting. the americana factor is nice. but it’s not exactly selling hundreds of postcards.

the lake is beautiful in the summer, and wonderful for beach lounging and watersports. the city has its share of alternative stores- an abundance of hippy shops and tattoo parlours, but in general it is a small, average city lined with abandoned mills and stores.

certainly not a wonderful tourist destination, but i decided to visit anyway, because i enjoy cities in general. some of the downtown areas have some beautiful graffiti and murals. i worked on a habitat for humanity house for one day while i was there, and it seems the area has a lot of charities at work. there are a surprising number of more alternative places around- particularly a restaurant called ‘neato burrito’ and a nice vintage clothes shop called ‘checkered past’.