Europe 2013: Day Six

Day Six: Crossing the Irish Sea

Day Six started out EXTREMELY EARLY!  We had to leave The Generator by 5:45am to get down to the docks and prepare to load onto the "ferry" boat to cross over into the United Kingdom.  Thankfully, we decided to skip the morning shower that day since it was such as early departure and when we got onto the bus we were very happy we did.  Apparently in hostels the warm water is not turned on until after 6am in order to reduce energy cost and keep the hostel cost efficient.  Great plan, not so great for 30 or so people in our group who tried to get showers at 5am!  I still completely recommend the Generator and look at those rooms, they were so cute!  

We arrived down by the docks around 7am and quickly went through baggage check and goto comfortable on board.  I really wish I had snapped some pictures on board, because this was no ordinary "ferry" boat rather a miniature cruise ship.  I travelled on one very similar to this the last time I was in Europe and they have areas for short journey passengers and private rooms with beds and showers for those who will be on the ship for a little longer.  I was so sleepy and still feeling very nauseated, so I grabbed some chairs, stretched out and took a solid two hour nap.  When I awoke, I bought Sea Bands (designed to help with motion sickness) and perched myself next to the window just in time to see out arrival into Wales.  We had to go through customs and get our passport checked, load the coach, and we were off to the Lake District of England with an overnight stop planned for Manchester.   

We had a long drive that day, but we did take the time to stop at Beaumaris Castle, built by Edward I (aka Edward Longshanks) in the 13th Century.  This was the largest of a series of castles built by the king throughout Wales in an effort to conquer the area.  Beaumaris is not used today as a residency of the royal family, because of its Medieval structure which is not fit for people to live in.  However, it is a historical site and museum that is worth a visit.  It was honestly one of my favorite places that we visited, because I think it really captures the feeling of Medieval Europe and the mind set that so many of the monarchs had during this time period.  Luxury was not a concern when constructing castles like they were much later in history, rather they were fort like structures designed to protect the king from invasion.  The castle is very open and you can explore for hours on end and there is a good amount of wildlife and livestock in the area to admire such as swans and sheep.  I even got to wear my Hunter boots that day, because it was one of the few days with "rain like conditions even though it never rained (thankfully!).

After exploring the castle we headed into the town of Beaumaris, located on the Isle of Anglesey (the same area William and Kate lived after their wedding).  It was a quaint town with small shops and restaurants.  It was a good chance to hit an ATM for some Pounds now that we were out of Euro territory and we also grabbed some lunch.  We ate lunch at the Triple 8 Coffee Shop which was a small used bookstore with some seating for customers to have lunch as well.  I decided on the ham, cheese, and pineapple panini and it was amazing!  We had a good laugh at lunch, because the menu said that crisps (chips) came with the panini and when our plates arrived we had 3 whole Pringles on the plate!  Not exactly what we expected, but the sandwich and hot chocolate that I had was a great choice.  After strolling through the town and grabbing a Beaumaris Castle magnet it was time to hit the road again.  Next stop: Manchester, England.

We arrived in Manchester late in the afternoon and checked into our hotel, the Britannia.  If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen the picture below which had a capture that read "Best. Hotel. Ever!"  It was an extremely nice hotel and I will be staying there again!  We had two large and luxurious beds and were bummed when we realized that we were only staying one night.  They had a lounge singer, in-house pizzeria, full service buffet, and numerous other amenities.

After an early dinner we hung out in the lobby of the hotel, enjoying free Wi-Fi and pizza.  I think the amount of Americana that was oozing out of us at the end of each day was ridiculous.  Pizza and Wi-Fi were like gold in our minds.  That was one of the things that made travelling abroad for two-weeks without my family bearable though.  Being able to spend time with the group each evening and relax took our minds off of home and having Wi-Fi and my IPad made it so that I talked to and saw my husband and family almost everyday of the trip.  My travel advice is do not waste hundreds of dollars (trust me I have done it) on international cell phones.  The vast majority of hotels have Wi-Fi (mostly for free) and if you have any type of electronic device you can FaceTime or Skype for free.  

So fellow travelers, what is your favorite travel tip?  

Europe 2013: Day Five

Day Five: Dublin!

Hello from Dublin!  We arrived in Dublin late in the evening on day four, so we were ready to hit the ground running the next morning.  Day five was full of sites of the city with a local tour guide and some free time to explore on our own.

We started the morning with Shane, our local guide, and we took a drive around the city to see some of the high points.  We rode by the Guinness Factory (which you can tour), the site of the 1916 Easter Rising (early fight for Irish independence), and Phoenix Park (the largest park in Dublin- bigger than Central Park).  We took time to get off the bus at a few places, but mostly just saw the city at a glance.  Our first actual stop of the day though was St. Patricks Cathedral.

St. Patrick's Cathedral was built in Dublin based on the legend of its namesake, Saint Patrick, passing through the area in as early as the 5th Century.  According to the legend, on his journey through St. Patrick used a well to baptist and convert Christians in the area.  Years later in the 1100's a wooden building was built in this area and was later replaced by the structure that is there today.  In the early 1900's Celtic graves were unearthed and what was thought to be the remains of the well that was used by St. Patrick.  Today the Cathedral serves much as a museum, even though it still operates as a church.  All types of artifacts from Irish and Catholic history have been preserved within the church.

After we left St. Patrick's we had a few minutes of free time so we went to a department store on the same street.  They were offering free truffle pops that day, because it was Easter Sunday and it was also an attempt to raise money for cancer patients.  I gladly donated some euros and grabbed a delicious truffle.  It was amazing!

We then headed off to Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university established by Queen Elizabeth I.  The college was not really what we were there to see, rather the infamous Book of Kells and the Irish Declaration of Independence.  The Book of Kells is an illuminate manuscript of the Gospels and New Testament written in Latin by monks during the 8th or 9th Centuries.  It was breath-taking to see and amazing to think how much time and effort it took to create such detailed work.  Sadly, we were not allowed to take pictures of the Book of Kells, but check it out online.  After the tour of the book we went into the library to see the Irish Declaration of Independence, as well as old original copies of books by famous authors like Charles Dickens, and the oldest harp in Ireland.

Lunch was calling my name by the time we finally finished all the activities of the morning.  So off we headed to an authentic Irish pub.  I probably should have been more adventurous in my eating that day, but nothing sounded more appetizing at that moment than a cheeseburger and that is exactly what I got!  It was really good, but I think anything would have been by that time of the day!          

After lunch we spent the remainder of the day exploring Dublin.  We went up and down the main streets popping into local stores and grabbing some souvenirs.  The big sight seeing of the afternoon was the National Museum of Ireland.  We had heard that they had some bog bodies on display and were eager to check out 2000 year old remains.  They did not disappoint.  Many of the bodies (dated back to the BC era) had hair, nails, and recognizable features still in tack.  It was found that the bog bodies were so well preserved, because of chemicals from the bogs.  Bodies were sacrificed into the bog once a year as part of a Pagen tradition.  A sacrificial victim would be chosen, "fattened" up and then killed and given to the bog.  After the museum, we just took a walking tour of the city and enjoyed a little bit of free time in Dublin.

This cross supposedly held a portion of the cross of Christ at one point.

After a dinner of Bangers and Mash (not my thing) we decided to turn in early for the night, because we had an early wake up time for the next morning.  On day six we crossed the Irish Sea and took this adventure to the United Kingdom!        

Europe 2013: Day Four

Day Four: Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel

An early start was on the books for day four since we had many places to see.  We headed out of Killarney and began the trek to Dublin, but with planned stops at Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel along the way.  I enjoyed my time in Killarney immensely, but I was eager to move on and cross something off of my bucket list... Kissing the Blarney Stone!

Blarney Castle is a sunning site to see.  While much of the castle is in ruin it is still beautiful and the grounds are gorgeous.  We quickly began our ascent to the top of the castle to see the infamous Blarney Stone, but as we traveled through you could not help but to be impressed with the people who lived in Blarney Castle during its prime.  The people who use to live and work in the castle had to be able to navigate the narrow and steep stairways in which the steps were not even and handrails did not exist.  I also felt very sorry for the cooks, because the kitchen was on the third floor!  Even though the up and down of the stairs probably made it very difficult for them, It made sense once we read the explanation   They placed the kitchen on the third floor in an effort to prevent fire from spreading through the entire castle.  Also, it was conveniently located near bedrooms and if there were ever unwanted guest the hot oil could be quickly used to announce to them that it was time to leave!!

Once we reached the top of the castle we got in line for our turn to kiss the Blarney Stone.  It was a little more tricky of a task than you might think, because you have to lay down on a mat and with the assistance of a worker you hold onto the bars and lower yourself upside down and backwards to kiss the stone.  It was thrilling and nerve wrecking at the same time, because you could see the crowds of people down below.  The man who was working that day was absolutely precious and kept saying things like "You like to kiss don't you, yes you do!"  It was an experience that I will never forget!

After some photo opts around the grounds and stumbling upon a Downton Abbey look-alike home we headed back towards the town for lunch.  There is a giant shop and eatery near the castle called The Woolen Mill.  It is a great place to purchase items made of real lambs wool and a good lunch stop as well.  I had one of the best meals on the trip at the market place style restaurant.  I had a chicken and brie sandwich on focaccia bread with malt vinegar and sea salt chips.  We spent a little time shopping around and then it was time to hit the road again.

After a little more time on the coach we arrived at one of Ireland's most historical sites, the Rock of Cashel.  This legendary rock of St. Patrick supposedly is a part of Devil's Bit (a mountain) on which St. Patrick banished Satan and the rock flew and landed in its current location.  It is also the place at which the King of Munster was converted by St. Patrick in the 5th century, thus creating a lineage of Christian rulers.  In the 1100's it was donated by the King of Munster to the Church and is now largely a tourist attraction due to its failing structure   It is the home of some beautiful Celtic artwork and medieval architecture.  If you are in the area I strongly encourage a visit.  

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about our visit to the Rock of Cashel was hearing and seeing about the visit that Queen Elizabeth made there in 2011.  She was on a tour of Ireland and this was one of the places that she personally requested to see, so they organized a visit for her.  She and her husband, Prince Philip, were shown around the grounds and even signed a visitors ledger to show that they had attended.  The coolest part was that they went on my birthday!!  I love anytime my life intertwines with the life of the royals!

After the tour ended we quickly loaded the buses to finish our two hour drive into Dublin.  When we arrived in the city we were immediately taken to our dinner reservation which was Irish Fried Chicken. I'm not sure that is actually what they called it, but that's what we will go with.  It would not have been to bad, but they loved brown gravy at many of the restaurants we ate in and this place was no exception.

Irish Fried Chicken?

Looks like home :)

No worries though, because once we checked into our amazing hotel I found the snack bar.  We stayed at a hostel called The Generator, which had single beds for rent for those youngster backpacking through Europe, but also private rooms for those people like us who required a little more privacy.  The students on the trip and myself included really enjoyed the young vibe of this hostel.  It was not like the creepy, dirty hostels that we see on television. It had a bar with live music, lounging areas, and a cafe.  I enjoyed hot chocolate both nights we were there and sampled a little taste of home with french fries and a coke one night!  Overall I recommend the Generator if you are looking for an expensive, no frills place to stay, particularly if you are in your teens, twenties and even early thirties.

Europe 2013: Day Three

Day Three: The Ring of Kerry

On the third day of our trip we explored an area of western Ireland referred to as The Ring of Kerry.  This 112 mile route around the Lakes of Killarney is full of breathe-taking views.  It is an area that is a balance of rural villages and beaches, with ample wildlife (sheep) and lush green fields.  Most of the day we spent getting on and off the bus as we drove the route, unfortunately though I had extreme motion sickness that day and it was not the most ideal way to spend the day.  

The first stop of the morning was a small museum called The Kerry Bog Village.  This was a recreation of an 18th/19th century village that produced bog for local areas.  Bog is a naturally occurring product (referred to as peet grass in the US) that when dried out can become flammable and be used as a type of fuel.  There were numerous neat things at the museum, particularly the statue of King Puck.  This statue of a goat is in honor of an old Pagen tradition in which the local village would select a goat from the wild, clean it up, place a crown on its head and keep it in the middle of town for three days while having a huge celebration.  The goat is treated like a king for the three days of the festivities and then released back into the wild.  They actually still participate in the tradition today!  The Irish Wolfhounds and miniature ponies stole my heart though!  Additionally, they had life size recreations of the homes and workspaces of real villages from hundreds of years ago.  

We returned to the road and stopped at multiple spots along the route.  We stopped at a small beach covered in rocks and pebbles.  This spot was the coastal hideaway of the infamous Charlie Chaplin and his family in the early 1900's.  After we left the beach the highlight of the day occurred   We had stopped for another scenic view and we had a chance encounter with a man with baby lambs and a deer.  I got to hold two of the lambs and see a 2-day old deer!  It was absolutely magical and they were so soft and sweet.  From there was stopped for lunch and I chose the traditional Shepherd's Pie.  I must admit that my homemade version is much better!  After lunch we finished the tour of the Ring of Kerry and made a pitstop in a small town called Sneem.  It was absolutely beautiful and I found many cute souvenirs   My favorite thing I saw was a bike bell that said "Pog Mo Thoin" aka Irish for "Kiss My Butt!"  

When we arrived back in Killarney late that afternoon some people took the opportunity to take a ride on the famed Jaunting Carts, but I still did not feel well so I opted for a rest in the hotel and spent time working on my travel journal.  When everyone returned we had dinner and then I headed into town with a small group.  We were in luck that evening, because some of the main streets had been blocked off for a road race and we partook in all the festivities.  Killarney is a great example of a bustling town, that is still very walkable and has the small town vibe while offering lots of options.  When we heard about the race we got hot chocolates, found a spot by the DJ (playing amazing music!), and cheered on the marathon runners as they finished their 26.2 mile journey!  We finally headed back to the hotel and got to bed soon after, because we had a big day in store the next day.... Blarney Castle!!  

I couldn't fit day 3 & 4 in one post, so check in later (or tomorrow) for more on Kissing the Blarney Stone and the Rock of Cashel!

Europe 2013: Day One & Two

I may be alone in this, but nothing brings out excitement in my soul quite like arriving at an airport.  The anticipation of travel is at its highest and you are so close to beginning your amazing journey.  At the same time, leaving behind loved ones that you would like to take with you is a difficult experience in itself.  Saying goodbye to my mom and Daniel for two weeks was no fun, but Europe was awaiting my arrival!

After a short flight to Newark, New Jersey we settled in for a long 5 hour layover before beginning our international flight.  It was a fight for food and charging stations.  I stuffed myself with an amazing cheeseburger and grabbed the first plug in station that I could find to charge up my phone for the flight. We borded around 6:40, but did not actually take off until an hour after our intended departure time, due to a faulty coffee maker.  Once we were in the air though I tried to settle in and enjoy the luxury of having my own tv screen to choose movies from, but nothing seemed to settle me.  It was a long 7+ hour flight that involved very little sleep.  But Ireland was on the horizon, so I cannot complain.

Once we arrived in Shannon, Ireland we hooked up with our guide for the tour, Gavin and loaded up in our coach.  I have to give mad props to the guys in our group for hauling all our luggage in and out of the coach for two weeks.  We took a brief stop at a medieval castle called Bunratty and then continued on to our first stop of the trip, Killarney.  Killarney is a beautiful, quaint town with lots of things to see. We ate up a lot of our day making our way from Shannon to Killarney, so we when got to the town we settled into our hotel and set out to see a little bit of the town itself.  This was one of the things that I liked best about our trip.  We sort of settled into the trip slowly and built up to the larger experiences.  This gave our bodies time to recover and adjust.

Bunratty Castle

My first meal in Ireland was at a little local pub called Tatler Jack.  My goal for the trip was to eat only at places that were local or native only to Europe.  I mean who goes to Europe to eat Burger King?  BK did seem to be very big in Ireland though, there was one on every street corner.  At Tatler Jack's I decided on a loaded spud with Bacon and Cheese.  The bacon in Ireland is more like ham and while I had to take some of it off, because it was so thick, the taste of the spud and salad was delicious!  

Tatler Jack

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, sight-seeing, and napping.  Napping is not ideal on your first day after traveling a long distance, because you don't want to get your body off schedule.  However, when you are tired, you cannot resist the comforts of a soft bed, especially considering your last bed was an airplane set (that would not recline)!  We had dinner that night at a restaurant near by and I am sad to report it was not much worth mentioning.  We found from day one that most of our dinners in the UK and Ireland consisted of vegetable soup, some type of meat and potato dish, and was rounded out with ice cream.  My fellow teacher and roommate on the trip settled into our rooms around 6:30 and woke up at 10:30 realizing that we had unintentionally slept the evening away.  We quickly changed for bed and turned out the lights, because we had a big day of exploring the Ring of Kerry on the agenda for the next day.

See you guys tomorrow for Day 3 & 4!

Travel Essentials

I realized Sunday at lunch that I am Europe bound in t-minus 17 days and counting!  I can barely contain my excitement for my upcoming trip and it usually controls my thoughts daily.  In preparation for my trip I decided to share some of my must-have travel items.  I have been to Europe once before and I learned a lot about what you need and do not need.  I mainly learned that I pack WAY too much!  So this time I am shaping up and improving my packing game.    

1:  You will be glad that you made this purchase.  Silly looking or not a long flight can be rough on the body and a neck pillow can certainly make the most uncomfortable flights a little more bearable 

2:  This will revolutionize your life in general.  On trips it is just amazing, because your on the move so much that missing a day of washing your hair equals 30 extra minutes of sleep :)

3:  Always sanitize your hands!  Do you know how many tourist touched that door handle????

4:  Be sure to invest in a quality outlet converter.  The outlets are not the same in Europe as they are in America and without a quality converter your hair appliances will most likely bite the dust in Europe.  I took a curling iron the last time I went and in France it got so hot that it almost burned my hair off!

5:  I am super digging this blanket and eye mask set.  9 times out of 10 it is freezing on an airplane and if your flight is overbooked and your at the back of the plane don't count on getting a blanket.  This would be easy to put in your carry on and use for your entire trip.

6: A rain jacket is certainly dependent on your travel location and time of the year, but a packable, waterproof jacket is never a bad idea for Europe in the spring time.  I will be traipsing the countryside of Great Britain and Ireland and we all know that rain will most likely be in that forecast.

7:  Now I know your main goal is to not standout like a tourist, but this neck wallet was a security blanket for me the first time I traveled internationally.  I kept all my money and important documents in it and stored it safely under my twenty pound winter coat.  I never worried about being pick pocketed or losing anything.  This time around I am trying out the Moneybelt.  I will let you know which I prefer.