Sam & Dean's Adventures

Sam is J and Dean is I. We're going on a trip and what better way to tell you all about it then blog - it's more an experiment in survival on meagre savings then a holiday so don't all swoon with jealousy just now.

Find that inner hero inside and pledge a can of food or a box of soup to us - when we're lost in the mountains of Romania, we'll appreciate it. And think of you kindly.

Here's what the current itinerary looks like. (FYI there will be a proper Sam & Dean's Adventures blog with commentary by yours truly and the beautiful J who will be hereon referred to as Moose.)

Beginning in London, Moose will be there after her role play as an appreciative *cough* wedding guest at two weddings in the South of Africa and I will be joining her on the 20th or so of January next year. From there we will begin our parade of havoc, I mean trip like so:

Paris, France: 4 days of debauchery and and experimentation in surviving only each other for the first 4 days. The lovely Em will also be joining us, perhaps.

Then its onto Versailles, Bordeaux and Pampolona for a day each on our way to Madrid.

Madrid, Spain: 3- 4 days. Then onto Lisbon.

Lisbon, Portugal: 2 days. Then onto Valencia via Seville or Granada (not quite decided which yet).

Valencia, Spain: 2 days. Then onto Barcelona.

Barcelona, Spain: 3 days.

En route to Venice we'll stop at Marseilles and Milan for a day or 2 each.

Venice, Italy: 4 days. Carnivale is on and we shall party, right Moose? =)

From Venice we're leaving our favored mode of trains as transport, for ferries! I love boats, Moose gets seasick, so it will make for an... interesting trip.

We're spending 2 weeks in Greece, one week exploring the islands and one week working our way up through Delphi and Mt Olympus towards our next stop.


Sofia, Bulgaria: a day or however long it takes us to revive after an 8 hour train ride. Then onto *imagine Dracula's accent* Transylvania!

Well, not quite.

Bucharest, Romania: 3 days. Here we aim to explore Dracula's castle, climb a few mountains (necessary to get places) and shower regularly.

Budapest, Hungary: A river divides Buda from Pest. Bahaha, the child in Moose and I loved this to no end. We want to explore both Buda and his Pest, tehehehe. 4 days.

Vienna, Austria: 3 days. I think there are buildings we want to see and coffee Sam wants to drink.


Salzburg, Austria: 1 day. Layover.

Munich, Germany: 3 days. All jokes made about this visit will see us quartered and hung.

Prague, Czech: 2 days. They party here.

Berlin, Germany: 3 days. See Munich comment.

Copenhagen, Denmark: 4 days. Castles, scenery, Princess Mary and her offspring.

Stockholm, Sweden: 4 days. More of the above, but fashion as well. And Chabi! My old friend.

Oslo, Norway: 3 days. More of the above, but at a higher price.

From here our aim is to get to Brussels, how we do this is.. a decision in progress. There was talk of a ferry, train and walking, but perhaps we'll have a better plan soon.

From Brussels its onto London for 8 weeks of filling the coffers with hard-earned temp work. Or selling a kidney, whichever seems like a better idea at the time will do.

Stockholm, Sweden.

Bookshot

Beastly, Alex Finn

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

I liked it. Aside from Beauty & the Beast being my favourite Disney film, this book has plenty to recommend itself. The dialogue is realistic, the characters are (okay, fantastical) real through their flaws and the setting is just creepy enough to be old school, but modern enough to appeal to today's audience.

We begin in a high school and move to an abandoned building housing misfits. The Beast is physically beastly, and the beauty is beautiful on the inside. It's a clear role reversal from the Disney film. Departing from animated cutlery we have a foreign housekeeper / cook and a blind tutor / friend.

The ending seemed a little rushed, but I enjoyed the happy part of it. Best parts are the Beast's attempts to befriend the Beauty. Painful parts are her reactions to him in the initial parts.

Film: Ya'll know how I feel about books to films (well, maybe not, but you will soon), generally I try to view them as separate stories, to save myself from disappointment. So no, I haven't seen the film yet, it's on my to-watch list.

Well worth a read for all romantics or fans of Beauty & the Beast.


4stars

Today, we will.

I've been neglecting you blog. My sincere apologies for this. Every time I've attempted to get my fingers onto you, something or someone distracts me. So far as excuses go, this is an atrocious one. *hangs head in shame*

Today I will most certainly:
Catch up on reviews
Spend time with J planning the European Extravaganza (no, no name has been decided upon yet)
And head over to your sister to add a Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara post (fully intend to subject unsuspecting friends to this film. We must make a pact!)

Right, so as I await J's arrival, these are my promises, all of which will be kept!

Hopefully.