First Weekend of the New Year

In the spirit of starting as we mean to continue, we kicked off the first weekend of 2012 with a sunrise hike up the highest mountain in Wicklow (a relative term.)

Our group of 12 or so spent the night beforehand at the Mountain Ventures hostel in Donard (luvley, v clean and cosy, per below.)  There might have been a few drinks before bedtime.

Aaron, our intrepid guide and a member of the Wicklow Mountain Rescue, managed to rouse us and get us collectively out the door by 5 a.m., boots, headlamps 'n all.

Tough going to start, but zen was achieved...

And the sun -- always the shy starlet 'round these parts -- eventually made her appearance.

I rocked the earflap hat for FUNCTION (rather than festival-hipster-cred) for the first time in my life -- holy God, the cold.

 

 But with views like this, who's counting?

 

I just can't help wondering...where are the hobbits?

 

 

Should old acquaintance be forgot

Happy New Year from the London Eye!

And the (late night, awesomely free) London Underground. 

Oh, and to the belligerently drunk guy on the train, who rained abuse on us for seven, long stops, for our lack of knowledge around the science of energy drinks...LET IT GO, man, just LET IT GO!