GO Skis!!!!

Agruably the best week in my trip so far. I've never been skiing before so I was very excited with Cath & Suz invited me on their little trip! With all these people I pretty much hadn't met before. On my first little trip by myself, I finished work at 6pm, grabbed John's ski stuff, got on the 1am bus to Dublin slept on the counter for 4 hours and boarded a flight to Geneva! Where we were picked up and chauffeured to our Chalet in Meribel. The chalet is completely catered for: cooking, cleaning, rides to/from ski slopes and big drunken nights out!

Meet the crew! It was even Lisa's birthday (one to my left) to the right is Gareth (Gaz), just when I thought I got away from them.

On the chair lift with our ski instructor, we had 4 hours and then just went for it. So many stacks and my knees were killing me. One of the crashes was so full on that I even broke my skis!

The 1st day there was hardly an snow, which was fine because I was still on the begginer slopes. Then it absolutely dumped over night 1m!! Gaz was so happy. This is our chalet post snow

This is Lisa and I in the happy pose.... this photo she accidentally framed and was going to give to her boyfriend thinking it was him! Luckily she discovered before it was too late! Hope Neil never finds this site... hehe!

Posing infront of mountains. This is VERY high up.

Having a coffee at the summit, just dandy. It goes cold in about 10 seconds. Little birds accompany the whole treat.

Mountain top glory.

Neil... What a push over!

It's So amazing being above the clouds.

Name writing in the snow

Australia Day on the slopes! I really wanted to get a flag and tie it to my back while I went down the slopes.

Partying with Scooby Doo!

We didn't have Aussie Day tattoos so we ended up sticking Fosters labels to our faces. It took us ages to get to this party at Le Tania, then back to Meribel...made all the worse by the endless cold. Partied mental after, it's so bad being on the slopes hung over.

Many- a big nights here (called Dick's tea bar)

Most amazing Ski shot!

The most amazing pool shot, jumped the table on the last shot and right onto this glass. Just as Mike said "I bet you that's going to hit....."

Great snow ball splatter shot!

My first snow man, I called him Adam. He even has leaves over his private bits!

The Toffee apple, best drink to down.

From a great night at a joint where a beatles melody band played, they even did MUSE! Me and Karolina, great great shot!

Neil and I, just being idiots.

A night out where you play for your drinks, guess the right cup and you get the whole round for free! I managed to know which cup was the one to chose. So pretty much got plastered for free.

Our chalet girls - in black, so so hot! Everyone was going for the one on the left (Tilly)

By the end, I was skiing red lines! What a celebration, I didn't even break a bone. Unlike gaz on his second trip, where he fractured his collar bone!

I even skied home drunk from mid-slopes, with my boots not properly strapped in!!! There is a pub half way between the slopes where people crowd surf and get pushed into the ceiling! I have footage, it's SO funny. I was extremely buggered by the end, walking, getting up was all painful. On the way home, I even saw a sing pointing to a town called.... Pussy!!! Imagine, saying to a girl 'would you like to come home with me, I live in Pussy.' Or the road sign 'you're in Pussy' Just great. I am addicted to skiing now. Will go whenever someone asks from now on. Loved it.

The Great Irish Depression and Gods of Rock

The next few months were a bit of a non-event for me. In fact the endless raining, cold and work really started to get to me. Compounded by the fact that most of our new found friends left Galway city as they had been posted to rural hospitals. So coupled with my vitamin D deficiency from lack of sun and another horrible 6 weeks of work with NO day off.... I was going out of my head. I even worked christmas day, boxing day (they call it St Stephen's) and half of new years eve! All in Rheumatology, what a downer. Joint's! blah! Who needs them.

Graz and I with our little white optical christmas tree, I got a scarf, hip flask, cookies and alcohol!





Michelle invites us over for a christmas party! She is my uber uber rich, about to pop a baby out ex-renal reg come Consultant. She can drink (cos she's preggers), but she even hired a 'waitress' to pour our drinks!

Our sad pathetic christmas party at hospital, all sober as dobers (it would be very irresponsible of us) there is concerningly half a bottle of whiskey hidden in one of the cupboards. Still got paid a lot to do nothing (48hours straight)

Our new years outing, which was very very dissappointing. apparently, NYE is very much a non event in Ireland. Jack came up which was great!

One of my great meals that I cooked, here pictured is Baked Crispy Duck!! I also to steamed salmons, ginger/shallot chickens and wicked roasts!

Morphing the el cheapo G-tar

During my months of deep depression, I always managed to find a hobby. So I set about converting my boring €80 strat copy sunburst into something a bit more funky. I have never painted a guitar before, so this was all trial and error. I think it pissed Graz off a little as the house smelt like paint for a while. It took me ages to do!

Before: This is my boring original, as you might be able to see I've strapped my fuzz factory to it. Like Matt Bellamy used to do. It's sounds andplay pretty feckin good considering that it was only €80.

After: The end result, which I am very proud of!

This is me being a poser. I dont even have the lead plugged in...haha

This is my tribute to Rock god's, of which I really only know one. His name is Colin Newton (you though I had left you out didn't you!) and his band is the mighty Kerberus!! One look at his hair and you know he was meant to play the axe. I can't find a link to their sight, but I will post it soon! They have a few albums out already, and are about to take the world by storm. It is rumoured they may headline big day out next year! Pictured with him is his fiance! Jen.... everyone I know is getting married!

Italia - Dirty Cheating Bastards

Still unforgiven for the penalty that robbed Australia of what should have been our world cup victory, we went to the country in an attempt to claim it back, or at least steal something back. Our first few days were spent seeing the ENORMOUS amount of site Roma had to offer. I wont bore you with it except for some pictures that conjure up funny memories.

The rediculous line to get into the Sistine Chapel, it goes for 3 streets!! The funniest thing though was when a tourist for some reason vomited all of last nights noodles onto the person in front. So disgusting, the guy infront took about 10 minutes before he realised that he had a massive patch of hurl on his back.

Hanging outside St Peter's Basilica, chillin out with some holy types. We even got to go above and underneath the basilica - where many popes, including the late John Paul II.

Outside were these monkeys... honestly how can they protect the Basilica when you can't even really take these guys seriously.

While we were meeting famous people, who happened to be inside the Basilica? The Wallabies!! We even wish rathbone good luck angainst the I-ties.

Best traffick light ever. Stop... get ready...get stoned.

We met this legend multiple times, tight leather shorts, roman style.... just great!

Fanatical day out

Sight seeing took a bit of a back seat as we joined the fanatics for the Wallabies vs Italia match.

Our group - some hotties too!

Our tour guide: aptly nicknamed useless.

This photo taken just after a chicky ditched him, poor guy

At the game, wallabies won, but played attrociously. Beer prices were extortion and warm.... grrr. You ordered and they threw the cans at you! To there credit they do have a good anthem, very fire up. As opposed to our pansy one.

The post game banter, arguably the best part of the day. A massive crowd of blue chanting at the aussies, they had heaps of awesome chants. Including the music man... what can I play? I can play the clitorii! We have video of it, funniest thing ever. We on the other hand we had nothing... we even resorted to pulling out the Home and away theme song! What a disgrace.

Post game line outs! Lots of fun! HEAVE!!!!

Post game partying! With big gay Al.

Graz scores.....hmmm

After the cultural exlposion that was Rome, we headed to Florence where we discovered that Michelangelo's David's right hand was really a bit disproportionately big. 2 out of 3 aint bad. Also ate a rabbit.

Best tagliatelle so far, right outside carousel

Precursor to the smart car, the dumb one... are they kidding?

The most expensive gelate ever, this was €15 and it wasn't even that good

Good friend of Dave Manner's... small world

Because Gareth and I were traveling together I thought we would have a romantic interlude in Verona and do as Romeo and Juliet do. I personally think that this is the best city in Italy, it has everything Italy needs to offer and is not so touristy.

Me getting jiggy with Juliet's breast

Gareth going nuts at Verona's own Coliseum, where Massive Attack, Bjork and Pearl Jam played.

I ate horse, best restraunt called Trattoria All'Isolo (i think)

Best waiters there too, asked for a wine, pointed out a cheapo that was better than al the expensive ones.. and it was SO good.

Venice, what can I say. Just another touristy junk pile, floating on shitty water. The hospital was cool though, located in a gothic 'church'. Bought a venice mask. Ate the worst italian meal (run by Asians... bloody asians) where we watched a Japanese guy really struggle with each bite of his meal. Also encountered a huge rat... to which a woman nearby screamed and ran the other direction on her little stillettos. Graz finally found a present for his little Irish girl, Sinead which he would later very much regret (a teddy bear... ergh, but he didn't listen). Went out to the 3 colours bars. And left Italy in a very dodgy airport.

Look at the shitty water. We unfortunatley didn't meet any girls to do gondola ride with.

Fat Fucks! What happens when you super size their rice. I really don't think they can fly.