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Last weekend I went on a roadtrip to Strandhill in County, Sligo with a few good friends. I planned the trip using the fabulous website Go Strandhill. We stopped off at the Landmark Hotel, Carrick on Shannon which is en route. We had soup and sandwiches in the conservatory of the Boardwalk Café. We stayed at Strandhill Lodge and Suites, a boutique hotel located on Top Road about a five minute walk down the hill to the village. I would definitely recommend them – great location, fabulous views overlooking Knocknarea on one side and Strandhill on the other and very friendly staff. It’s a family-run hotel which in this day and age is a rare find.
When we arrived and had settled in, we went for a walk down to Strandhill beach to build up an appetite for dinner. That night we ate in Bella Vista where we sat in the Captains Quarters. Everyone enjoyed their food and we stayed for one drink downstairs to watch the closing minutes of the football.
On Saturday, after a lovely continental breakfast, we headed down to the village to do some more exploring and some surfer-watching. We enjoyed a coffee in the very popular Shells Cafe and had a look around their Little Shop. I had booked myself in for a Seaweed Bath in Voya. It is a real treat – you get your own private room for 50 minutes where you spend 5-10 minutes in the steam room before enjoying the seaweed bath. They advise drinking lots of water. It does get pretty hot in there but it is very relaxing.
For the afternoon, we headed to Lissadell House. It has recently reopened after a few years where there was a court case over a right of way. It is €12 for a tour of the house and gardens. I would definitely recommend it as a lovely way to spend a few hours. The house is impressive especially the difference between upstairs and downstairs and you learn about the history of the Gore Booth Family. Yeats was a frequent visitor and his love for Lissadell House is evident in his poetry. Also, we hear the impressive story of Countess Markievicz, a remarkable strong revolutionary woman and her equally fearless sister, Eva. It is hard to believe that the Cassidy-Walshes live there but they are very much visible in the modern photos of them and their seven children dotted around the rooms. The house overlooks Sligo Bay and Ben Bulben and the alpine gardens are particularly impressive. They are hoping to bring the walled gardens back to their former glory.
That night we enjoyed dinner in Tra Ban, the restaurant above the Strand pub. Afterwards we watched the sunset before finishing the night off with a few drinks in The Venue with stunning views of Strandhill.
On the Sunday, after more surfer-watching and a quick walk along the beach, we checked out the People’s Market. There are lots of stalls on offer selling food and beautiful crafts and a nice addition is some live music while you shop. We had coffee in the Strand Bar to shelter from a heavy shower. The sun came out again in time for us to enjoy some homemade ice-cream in Mammy Johnston’s, a beautiful sweet shop and ice-cream parlour, definitely the stuff of children’s dreams, before saying goodbye to Strandhill and heading for home.
I would definitely recommend a trip to Strandhill, a beautiful part of our country and well worth a visit and as this year is all about the Wild Atlantic Way, it is worth adding this to your list of places to go.
After a stressful few months in work and several recurring viral infections, I booked a week in sunny Nerja, Spain. It is on the Costa del Sol only an hour away from Málaga in the community of Andalusia in southern Spain surrounded by mountains. We stayed in an apartment block known as Cantares on Chaparil [about a 10 minute walk to the centre square of Nerja] booked via booking.com with a view of the sea from our balcony. It was a quieter area away from the hustle and bustle of the centre and near Playa de la Torrecilla beach. The location was perfect and the apartments were clean, comfortable if a little bit worn around the edges. It’s opposite the Hotel Riu Monica and beside a lovely row of cafes and shops on Avda Mediterraneo.
View from Apartment
We had a lovely, lazy week which suited me and allowed me to de-stress and the sunshine helped to rid me of the nasty viral infections. Life is very busy and 2014 is flying by so it was nice to kick back and recharge my batteries. Although we had access to WiFi in the apartment and most of the bars and restaurants supply it for free, it was nice to switch off from technology and the TV for a while. I read four books, went for long walks along the shore and soaked up the sunshine. The beaches were busy, the waves were big, the people were lovely and friendly and best of all food and drink is so cheap.
Some recommendations for things to do and see while in Nerja:
– For a lovely brunch or lunch, check out Café Jamaica for cheap, all-day breakfasts. My favourite was the American Breakfast and freshly squeezed OJ.
– Definitely take a trip to the traditional Spanish village of Frigiliana with its white houses high on the hills and its narrow, windy cobbled streets. The bus only costs a euro and the town is located about 10 minutes away. The old Moorish part of town is one of the best preserved Moorish villages in all of Andalucia. In the centre of town, the 16th century mansion used to house the molasses factory, which is a type of syrup made from sugar cane (“miel de cana”) and popular in Spain.
-Sit out and people watch while enjoying some tapas in the Square beside the Church of El Salvador in the centre of the old town. Be sure to check out the creepy religious statues inside. The Balcón de Europa, once a fortress in the 9th century but now a mirador or viewpoint which gives stunning views across the sea, is just around the corner.
-Be sure to indulge in some churros y chocolate. They are luscious, a little bit like doughnuts only lighter and you dip them in a thick, melted chocolate. Yum!
-Enjoy a drink on the sunny terrace of restaurant Marbella with fantastic views of the sea.
-Lastly for a special dinner, I would heartily recommend Restaurante Jacky located on Calle Chaperil. They do a beautiful tasting menu and the food is simply delicious. You can choose from two set menus or go a la carte. It is more expensive than other restaurants in Nerja but it is good quality food and Jacky, the chef obviously takes pride in his cooking. It is quite a small restaurant so I would suggest booking as it fills up pretty quickly.
I returned from Nerja feeling refreshed and ready to face the world again.
Last weekend, I took a quick city break in beautiful Birmingham. We stayed one night in Jurys Inn on Broad Street which I would totally recommend as it’s slap bang in the city centre – all the action right on your doorstep. Another tip would be to catch the train to New Street from the airport – it only costs £3.40 as opposed to around £30 in a taxi. We arrived, checked in and headed out for lunch overlooking the canal – yep Birmingham is the Venice of the UK – who knew? We had lunch at Red Peppers in the stylish surrounding of the Mailbox.
Christmas came early to Birmingham and the Christmas Markets were in full flow – I don’t think I’ve experienced such vast markets anywhere else! In Centenary Square, there was a Christmas Wheel, an ice rink and the beginning of the Christmas markets. I did have a mini panic attack on the Christmas Wheel but it did feel rather christmassy! We recovered well and warmed up with some Baileys Hot Chocolate and Mulled Wine – well it would be rude not to! Walking through Paradise Circus [a thoroughfare of shops and restaurants rather than an actual circus] we entered Victoria Square where the larger Christmas markets can be found.
Later that evening we headed out to Water’s Edge at Brindleyplace which is the place to go on a Saturday night full of restaurants and bars. We ended up in All Bar One. The next morning, we had breakfast in a local pub before making a pit stop at the New Library. It was only opened in September this year and is truly awesome. It is ten storeys tall, they spent £189 million on it and it is a great community resource plus a tourist attraction, known as ‘the people’s palace’. It houses an art gallery, a children’s area, a multimedia centre, two cafés, a music library, a performance space, a theatre, a restaurant, and plenty of outdoor spaces. My favourites were the secret garden, Shakespeare memorial room with Shakespeare’s death mask and of course the funky pods in the children’s area. They also had an exhibition entitled ‘The Library of Lost Books‘ which was pretty cool. I love how the floors were named things like the discovery floor and the knowledge floor. It is fully equipped with free WiFi and is truly a library for the future. We also took a trip to the Bullring, a massive shopping centre.
Unfortunately our mini trip did not allow for a visit to Cadbury World [although I was thinking Willy Wonca so most likely to be disappointed that you cannot swim in a pool of chocolate] and The Jekyll and Hyde [where they serve cocktails in baths in the Gin Parlour and have an Alice in Wonderland-themed beer garden – am a sucker for novelty me]! Next time Birmingham, I’ll be back!
Bruges is a picturesque, small canal-based city located about an hour and a half from Brussels sometimes referred to as “The Venice of the North”. Full of history and cobble-stone pathways, it is easy to walk around. It is a chocolatiers’ heaven with more chocolate shops than willy wonka’s factory. As well as chocolate, Belgium is famous for its beer, waffles, moules & frites/mussels & chips served with mayo.
With beautiful medieval buildings including the Church of Our Lady, whose brick spire reaching 401.25 ft, making it one of the world’s highest brick towers/buildings. The sculpture of Madonna and Child, which can be seen inside, is believed to be Michelangelo’s only sculpture to have left Italy within his lifetime. Bruges’ most famous landmark is its 13th-century belfry, housing a municipal carillon comprising 48 bells which is located in the Markt square. You can climb right to the top with stunning views of the surrounding belgian countryside but be warned it is a steep climb. The Markt also housed the christmas markets which were set around a ice rink. Another beautiful square, Burg square, is located quite nearby and here you can find the church housing the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the City Hall and of course the Brian Boru, an Irish pub. Also worth a visit is the beguinage, a peaceful place similar to a monastery for women known as ‘beguins’. Nearby is the minnewater or lake of love filled with swans. If you’re interested in art, a visit to the Groeningemuseum is a must to see the world-famous collection of Flemish Primitives with paintings by various masters, such as Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck, who lived and worked in Bruges.
Some places I would recommend trying include:
2be Beer Wall – well worth a visit to view the many varieties of beer on offer and the wall of beer or sit in the beer garden and enjoy a brew. I tried a cherry beer and liked it.
Cambrinus – Cambrinus is known as the King of Beer in Belgium and this restaurant/pub has over 400 varieties on offer. It also has great food. I’d recommend the steak.
Mozarthuys – a real local restaurant with great food and lovely atmosphere. Perfect place to try some local dishes including the famous flemish stew cooked in dark beer, available in rabbit or beef or moules & frites.
For the coffee/tea and cakes, there are plenty of tearooms to choose from but I would recommend one of the following places:
Tonka Tearooms – perfect for a quick sandwich or cake. Very good value. Love the way they always give you a tasty treat with your tea/coffee on the side. This had the nicest crème caramel and a very cheap ‘croque monsieur’.
Prestige Tearooms– one of the quaintest tearooms around with fancy sweet treats. Be warned though it’s not cheap with a pot of tea costing €3.50 but it is served in the prettiest china teacups. I’d recommend the pancakes with ice-cream and chocolate sauce – there’s more than enough to share.
Delisa – another nice coffee shop offering homemade pralines. Lovely staff and a nice place to sit for a while.
One thing I would check would be the closing hours as the one Belgian word I came to know during my short stay was “gesloten” meaning closed. The shops and restaurants seemed to close whenever the mood took them meaning that planning to go somewhere was something you couldn’t take for granted. Another warning would be to always check prices before ordering, two ladies ended up paying 60 euros for two drinks and two omelettes! We stayed three nights and that was plenty as Bruges is quite small.
You gotta love holidays and even better when the sun shines. I had a lovely week staycationing around Ireland.
GRAIGUENAMANAGH, CO. KILKENNY
The first part of my staycation was in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny for our Book Club’s first trip away. Six girls made our mini roadtrip and the little town of Graiguenamanagh didn’t know what hit it. Located on the Kilkenny-Carlow border in the Barrow Valley, it is a beautiful place to visit. We stayed in the Waterside Guesthouse along the riverfront. Only two hours from Dublin city, we arrived just after twelve to make the most of the day. Everyone in the town is so friendly stopping for a chat and to recommend places to go. We had lunch in the Duiske Inn sitting outside in the sunshine watching the very entertaining traffic trying to negotiate what clearly should be a one way system! The Guesthouse also offer a bicycle rental service. We hired bikes and cycled five miles along the river towpath to the beautiful St. Mullins. We stopped for a welcome break and some tea and cake in Mullichain Cafe. The five miles back was a lot tougher with sore arses and tired legs but we all made it. We had dinner that night in the Waterside Guesthouse which was lovely and is very good value with the B&B and one dinner package deal before heading for the local traditional grocery pub, M.Doyles.
The next day, we headed to Inistioge, the picturesque village made famous by Maeve Binchy’s ‘Circle of Friends’ as it was the location used in the movie. We visited the lovely gardens of Woodstock. Afterwards we did a tour of the village checking out the charming shops like the Irish Truly Craft Giftshop and the traditional antique shops. I’d also recommend a toasted special in the Circle of Friends cafe.
NORTHERN IRELAND
The second part of my staycation was a trip up north. I’ve been dying to see the Giant’s Causeway for the last few years so this was my opportunity to check it out.
PORTRUSH & THE COASTAL CAUSEWAY ROUTE
We decided to stay in Portrush, Co. Antrim which is close to the Giant’s Causeway. We choose Inn on the Coast which is located on the Coastal Causeway Route about halfway between Portrush and Portstewart. Portrush is a beautiful seaside resort made even nicer by the sunshine. The first night, we headed to 55 degrees North overlooking East Strand beach. We had a sea view which is worth booking. The restaurant was very busy and the food was lovely. It was the perfect start to our holiday.
The next day, we made it to the Giant’s Causeway which was bathed in glorious sunshine. We paid into the visitor’s centre which you don’t have to do but is worth it for the audio guide. It tells you the history of the stones plus the tall tales of Finn McCool. There is a short walk down to the stones but they also run a shuttle bus. The stones themselves are impressive and the landscape surrounding them is breathtaking. You can climb right to the top, take multiple photos and make a wish in the wishing chair. One man with four small children was losing his life trying to keep them all under control as the four decided to go off in different directions. We were so lucky having completed our tour and had coffee outside the visitor’s centre, we made it back to the car before the rain started. Having decided to continue along the Coastal Causeway Route, a scenic drive along the coast of Northern Ireland. We stopped off at a few points of interest including Dunseverick Castle, Dunluce Castle and Ballintoy Harbour. The rain was quite heavy so we decided to try the Bushmills Distillery but I think everyone had the same idea as the tours were booked out for the day. Instead, we headed for a drink in the Bushmills Inn, an old coach house now a four-star luxury hotel. It’s full of character and for a quiet afternoon is the perfect resting place with open fires and plenty of hiding places. Check out the secret room located in the tiny library at the top of the stairs. We made our way back to Portrush and ate in the Harbour Bistro which was warm and welcoming. A quirky restaurant with a wood burning grill, it is well worth trying. Their steaks are to die for and it is worth waiting for a table.
The next day, we were heading for Belfast but along the way we decided to check out the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge as it had been closed due to the bad weather the day before. The sun had made another welcome appearance and the bridge was open for business. There is a tough 1km walk down to the rope bridge but the views are worth it. Where you will eventually reach the bridge traditionally erected by salmon fishermen over a 30-metre deep and 20-metre wide chasm to get to a rocky island with stunning views along the cliff edge.
BELFAST
After our detour, we had a challenge anneka race to Belfast to make it in time for our booking at the Titanic Museum. Only opened in March this year, visitors are flocking to the museum and booking in advance is advised. We got lost on the way into Belfast and missed our appointed slot. Thankfully, we met Danielle, one of the friendly crew members who reassured us we could still get in and even fetched our tickets for us. It was a lovely welcome after a stressful journey. The museum was interesting divided into nine different galleries taking you on a journey from Boomtown Belfast to the Titanic Beneath. It takes around two hours to get around and it is very busy hence the appointment system! It was interesting to see all the work that went into building the ship and also the passenger stories. I felt they could have made it a lot more interactive and engaging though. My favourite was the Fit-Out Gallery. It is worth a visit just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get there!
We stayed in the Ibis Hotel in Castle Street right in the middle of the city centre. This was another stressful journey owing to Belfast’s drive to get cars out of the city centre, we found ourselves going down roads only for buses and cyclists and almost up one-way streets! Cue a lot of cursing!!! The Ibis doesn’t have a carpark but recommends City Carparks which is very close and they have a deal where parking is £6 for 24 hours. It is across the road from Castlecourt carpark which we first choose! The Ibis is great value and the rooms are very clean and comfortable. After a wee rest, we headed to Paul Rankin’s restaurant Cayenne. It is an asian influenced menu. They offer two set menus – one for £19.95 for an early bird three course and one for £23.95 for the late birds which is quite good value. The flavour and presentation of the food was beautiful. The only thing that let it down was the staff were quite stiff and the place lacked ambience but I would go back purely for the food.
On our last day, we took a bus sightseeing trip of Belfast. We were recommended Allen’s tour company which took us all around the sights of Belfast including Stormont and the famous wall murals with a fascinating and funny commentary. A bus tour is always a good way to get to know a city and even after having visited Belfast at least five times previously, the bus tour brought me to places I had never seen. It is sad to hear how they are still building peace walls but Belfast is definitely on the way to better things. We had lunch in Harlem Cafe on Bedford Street before leaving which is well worth checking out. It is right beside Ulster Hall and does the nicest food – they are famous for their seafood chowder available only on a friday – and the decor is pretty fabulous too. The staff are warm and friendly and it is a place where you could spend the day.
All in all, I would recommend a staycation. We were lucky with the weather so perhaps we just picked a good week but the scenery around Ireland makes you realise why so many tourist flock to our fair isles.
Chicago has been on my ‘places to visit’ list for a while now and I wasn’t disappointed having recently enjoyed a splendid week in downtown Chicago. We stayed in a beautiful luxury hotel called the Palomar on North State Street very centrally located just a few blocks parallel away from the main shopping street Michigan Avenue. I found the city to be architecturally stunning with friendly people and a pleasant vibe. We fitted in a lot in our few days there and some of my highlights include:
1. Get your bearings with a sightseeing bus tour. We took the Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. tour. It was good value with a hop-on hop-off option on four different tours – the Signature tour and tours to the North, South and West neighbourhoods – over three days. We also got a good few freebies (Garrett’s popcorn, an ice-cream and a free T-shirt) and discount coupons for many of the other tourist attractions in our accompanying guidebook and even better there was a real live tourguide! We only had time to do the Signature tour but it took us all around the loop and pointed out the key sights.
2. Spend a morning in The Art Institute – you’ll be glad you did! It is the city’s #1 museum and the second largest art museum in the country. For the time-constrained the visitor guide offers a handy “what to see in an hour”. Especially liked the Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows and Grant Wood’s American Gothic with the farmer and his spinster sister. The whole experience made me feel cultured!
3. Say hello to the Chicago Bean. Sitting pretty in Millennium Park, you can’t really miss it. It is the famous metallic bean sculpture called “Cloudgate”. It is really popular with tourists taking photos of their reflections. We were lucky enough to see it in sunshine and in rain and ate lunch sitting admiring it. We got sandwiches from Potbelly across the road [I’d recommend their fabulous milkshakes].
4. Rent bikes and cycle along lakeshore drive. There is an excellent 18-mile bike path all along Lake Michigan. We rented bikes at Bike and Roll beside Millennium Park. We cycled firstly down to Museum Campus so called as it has The Field Museum, The Museum of Science & Industry, Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium, as well as Soldier Field. We passed the Buckingham Fountain with it’s hourly display. We stopped off at Navy Pier before hitting the beaches of Oak Street and North Avenue turning back at Lincoln Park.
5. Go up the Skydeck at Willis (formerly known as Sears) Tower. Standing at 1,450 feet and 110 stories high, Willis Tower is the tallest building in the western hemisphere although this will be overtaken soon by the Freedom Tower in New York. With fabulous views of Chicago on a clear day you can see over the plains of Illinois and across Lake Michigan to Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. It takes about 60 seconds to soar to the top and includes all-glass boxes allowing visitors to look through the floor to the street 1,353 feet below [not for the faint hearted].
6. Have cocktails at the John Hancock Signature Lounge and watch the sunset over Chicago. The Signature Room at the 95th floor offers a dining experience with a cocktail bar on the 96th floor and offers 360° degree views of the entire city.
7. For those who love to shop be sure to check out “The Magnificent Mile”. I’d recommend the Water Tower Place for everything under one roof. Over the eight levels, it offers over 100 shops including Macy’s.
8. Try the famous, award-winning stuffed deep dish pizza at Giordanos. I found it a bit too heavy for my liking but it had to be tried. One tip though is to definitely share one small pizza among three people. I found the portion sizes in Chicago a little on the large size and understand their need for ‘doggie bags’.
9. Go on an architectual river cruise. Chicago’s skyline is one of the world’s tallest and easily ranks among its most magnificent and a river cruise is one of the best ways to view this. This 90-minute tour travels through the heart of the city on the Chicago River and are fully narrated by experts in Chicago history and its architecture. It also includes a short trip through a lock and out onto Lake Michigan past Navy Pier.
10. Go see a show in the theatre district. We went to Jersey Boys in the Bank of America Theatre. Discounted tickets can be bought from Hot Tix outlets.
11. Check out Navy Pier – Chicago’s number one tourist attraction. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. Navy Pier attractions include sightseeing tours, the Ferris wheel, the Shakespeare Theatre, a large beer garden as well as numerous retail and food outlets.
12. Experience the rock’n’roll duelling piano’s at Howl at the Moon. There is a good atmosphere and requests are welcomed. There is a coupon for free admission for two in the guidebook otherwise it is $10 each.
So just back from a grand old time in London. Lovely sunny weather which made it even nicer. Stayed centrally in a five-star hotel no less right beside St. Paul’s Cathedral in the St. Paul’s Grange Hotel. It is beside both the Central and the District lines so very handy and just across the river over the Millennium Bridge is Southbank.
Our reason for our London trip was to see Paolo Nutini in the Royal Albert Hall on the Friday night. We spent Friday lunchtime on the banks of the Thames in Gabriel’s Wharf on London’s Southbank sitting outside the Dining Room in a funky square with a giant playground in the centre – can’t think of a nicer way to spend a Friday afternoon and just the perfect way to start our mini-break. We were enroute to the London Eye but never made it in the end – one bottle turned into two and before we knew it a lovely leisurely afternoon had been spent. That turned out to be the theme of the weekend!
We did however make it to the Royal Albert Hall and what an impressive venue that is – completely round so the devil has nowhere to hide and capacity for circa 6,000 people. Once built the Hall’s acoustic problems became immediately apparent but this was combatted in 1969 by the installation of a series of large fibreglass acoustic diffusing discs (commonly referred to as “mushrooms” or “flying saucers”) in the roof to cut down the notorious echo. It used to be said that the hall was the only place where a British composer could be sure of hearing his work twice. There were no problems though on Friday night, the sound was crystal clear. We had a stall on the 2nd tier which was a fair bit back from the stage but was an experience for sure locked into our little stall made for five felt very exclusive. Frankie was a tad disappointed but once Paolo took to the stage, disappointment turned to delight as he and the band were on form and performed hit after hit to a delighted audience. They had the strings of lightning and the brass of thunder. He played all my favs like New Shoes, Candy, Last Request and Jenny, Don’t Be Hasty. Yes, it did lack the intimacy of the Olympia where you’re so close you can almost touch the stage but it more than made up for it for the experience. We ended the night in the O Bar in Soho. Have to say Soho wouldn’t be my cup of tea but the top floor of the O Bar was like being in someone’s living room with it’s comfy sofas.
Saturday we spent the day in Notting Hill wandering round the market and browsing the antique shops and clothes shops and stopping to admire the fancy cars and beautiful pastel coloured houses. There was also the odd bit of music. It was really busy with mostly tourists soaking up the atmosphere.
And yes, all I could think about was Hugh Grant and that movie! We even came across the Travel Shop, the bookshop that they used in the movie.
We found a lovely bar across the road called E&O [apparently we had a thing for initials!] and sampled their cocktails and dim sum. It was another beautiful sunny day and of course one cocktail turned into two and once again it was almost evening when we finally left. Of course, I then decided to have my little movie moment in the bookstore much to the embarrassment of my two friends but am sure everyone does it! Don’t they?
Ok, maybe it’s just me but I blame the cocktails.
On the way back, we stopped off at the Hummingbird Bakery to pick up some dessert – their famous red velvet and chocolate cupcakes.
That night we hit Hoxton where we went to the Hoxton Lounge, a busy bar/restaurant. To be honest, nightlife is always the hardest thing to get right when you’re away as unless you know where to go you tend to venture into places that you ordinarily wouldn’t dream of going at home. We moved on to the East Village next door after wandering the streets of London for a while before back-tracking to where we originally were. East Village was truly awful – two floors of bad house music. We had one drink and returned to the Hoxton Lounge.
Sunday morning to combat a hangover I checked out the swimming pool in the hotel and also the steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and tepidarium. We ventured out to Covent Garden and again had a leisurely stroll around the markets. checking out Candy Cakes for some fab, uniquely designed cupcakes [their cupcakes would not seem out of place in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory] and some funky shops like David & Goliath with their fun T-Shirts.
We strolled on through Regent St, Bond St, Leciester Square and Oxford Circus checking out the shops and admiring how the other half live – apparently they take Sunday off from shopping as all the exclusive stores were closed. And finally it was time to head for the airport and say bye bye London we’ll be back!
Just back and in recovery mode after another excellent trip abroad to see the boys from Blue October. First stop on our road trip was Frankfurt, Germany – the blue crew met at the airport reporting for duty, one man and six women. After landing we picked up the nine-seater white van aka ‘the pimp-mobile’ with P-Diddy with his six chicks! We stayed in the Marriot which was only 15 minutes from the airport and attached luckily to a large shopping centre, NordWestZentrum.
The Frankfurters we met were a friendly bunch and Frankfurt was relatively cheap. We didn’t see much of the city but it looks pretty industrial and I read all about it in Cara, the Aer Lingus magazine – apparently it is known as “Manhattan” because of its skyscraper skyline or “Bankfurt” due to its numerous banks – those funny Frankfurters with their keen sense of humour.
When in Germany....
That first night, we had Gold tickets allowing us access to the soundcheck and a meet & greet with the band. The venue was about ten minutes away by taxi in a funky venue with cool graffiti of the Muppets on the outside.
There was a short queue and many of them knew each other from Facebook and Open Book (the Blue October Forum) which led to a funny exchange between P-Diddy and another true Blue fan which went like this:
“Are you my friend on Facebook?” asked P-Diddy
To which she replied, “No”
We all laughed as it sounded like we were right back in the playground. There was a real international feel to their fanbase, apart from our Irish contingent, we met the Germans, the Slovakians and the Americans. We met two ladies who travelled over from Ohio especially to see the band. Sis confused Ohio with Idaho and so began a weird conversation about potatoes!
While waiting around there were other funny incidents like the band having to beat down the door of the venue to get in and the bouncer not believing that they were in the band! There was Justin, Jeremy and Ryan banging on the door and saying, “Let’s go see these guys. I heard they were pretty good”. It was a good distraction from the cold. The drummer from the support band also had a similar problem but he had a drum stick so he was let through. P-Diddy said he’d try next if only he had a microphone, I was going to try with my air guitar but luckily neither of us had to as the doors opened shortly after for the soundcheck. We were all stamped “Cool” on the way in.
The venue was small but compact with a nice stage and no barriers so the fans could get up close and personal. There was a disco ball in the centre and five small chandeliers around the room with the bar towards the back. They played three songs (Clumsy Card House; James and Holler) which were a taster for later and a glimpse into the set-list. We had to watch from the bar.
Afterwards Justin finished it off by saying “Let’s go meet these guys” and we were told to form an orderly queue to get our free posters signed. The lads were all lovely and polite and didn’t mind signing my crazy-making book as well as my poster. We were then told to get into line again for photos with the band. We got a great group shot with all the band which was lovely and Justin told us us Irish always smell so good we must dip each other in soap before we go out! While it was nice to see the soundcheck and meet the band, I’m not sure if I would do the Gold ticket thing again as it was a little militant and cringe-worthy although the band were really nice about it and what I like about Blue October apart from great music, awesome performances and meaningful songs, they are also great with their fans and very appreciative. Although there was what shall be forever known as the wool incident which left me a little unimpressed with Ryan but he redeemed himself the next night with an apology after being told off by both his mum and my sis. We were kicked out of the venue and found a small bar over the bridge to warm us with a pre-gig drink until the gig started. We ran into the German contingent in the bar. P-Diddy knows them all the true blue fans and they all know him.
The doors opened at 8pm but the support didn’t come on till 9pm. They were Blackmarket, an American band who won their spot via a Myspace competition. It was their last night playing support so Jeremy brought them shots on stage and Ryan played one song with them.
They were okay but played quite a long set and it felt like we were waiting forever for the main act. While waiting we kept hearing a bicycle bell which apparently was to signal that the breadman cometh – yep they sell pretzels at the gig! I was lucky enough to get a spot right up front which is the best way to view a gig when you’re a smallie like me and you have the feeling that Justin is singing right to you. They didn’t come on till after 10pm but the moment they did the atmosphere was electric and the crowd ate up every moment. Justin has styled himself with a one-handed glove in red and black and I love Ryan’s violins come in the rainbow colours of Red, White, Blue and Green.
Blue October are the best live band around at the moment and I’ve seen quite a few – Justin is a real performer on stage and puts so much energy into every performance dripping with emotion as well as sweat! And not to mention the magic that happens between the rest of the band – Jeremy, CB, Matt and Ryan [Didn’t get any decent pics of Jeremy]. It just wouldn’t be the same without all of them. They really connect with the audience and for that hour and a half we all just live in the moment savouring every single word and beat of the songs.
They have a core set list which included (and forgive me if I get this wrong):
Say It; On the Ride Home; Been Down; Picking Up Pieces; Congratulations; Into The Ocean; Schizophrenia; X Amount of Words; Come in Closer; Sound of Pulling Heaven Down; Should Be Loved; Dirt Room; My Never; Amnesia; Quiet Mind
with the Encore songs being: PRN; Jump Rope; Hate Me to finish. Each night they change a few songs. That first night two of the rotations song they played were Clumsy Card House and Balance Beam both of which I love.
The next morning we had a swim in the huge swimming pool with slides attached the hotel to refresh and recharge the batteries – I couldn’t think of a better way to start the day and it felt like we were on holidays. After a quick breakfast we checked out and hit the road for a two and a half hour road trip to Luxembourg – thank god for Sat Nav. We had a lovely note from the American ladies on our windscreen telling us they’d see us in Luxembourg. We had a few pit stops – a toilet stop complete with swiveling seats and telling you to ‘enjoy the experience’. It was well worth the 50 cent! Luxembourg looks to be a very pretty city not that we saw that much of it but we were all wondering what Luxembourg was famous for. That was the hot topic during the car journey. Having arrived in the city centre we found and checked into our hotel which was minutes away from the venue and opposite the Central Railway station.
Luxembourg - famous for the Black Stuff!
We arranged to meet down at reception to grab a bite before the gig. After battling with the rotating shower head which swung around as if possessed by the exorcist, sis and I arrived promptly and were rewarded by a surreal experience of meeting Justin skipping out of the lobby with a cup of coffee. He was staying in the same hotel and even revealed his room number – Justin your secret was safe with us. After a quick bite we walked down to the venue stopping to ask a prostitute for directions as you do and passing a good few sex shops – maybe we had found what Luxembourg was famous for!
Arriving at the gig, already a large queue had formed but luckily they had opened the doors and we got in pretty quickly and once again were lucky enough to get a spot in the front. The venue was the largest I’ve seen them play in and also the nicest with an upstairs balcony but there were downsides to this like the fact there was a gap between stage and audience for the first time and also the bouncers were stopping people from taking photos and videos. There was no support that night which was perfect. It was also the last night of their tour so the lads were truly on form.
They kicked off with Weight of the World and that night the rotation songs were James, Holler and my favourite 18th Floor Balcony. Justin dedicated Jump Rope to two kids in the audience and sang it to them which was sweet.
Afterwards the lads stayed around to greet fans, take photos and sign merchandise. We stayed around chatting with the die-hard fans who by now had become friends. We went to the funkiest bar just down the road from the venue called Chocolate Elvis.
All the die-hards were there, the music was great and the craic was mighty and the band even showed up minus CB. It was great to hang out with them and as it was their last night of touring they could relax and enjoy themselves. Another surreal moment happened when they played The End by Blue October and there we were all singing along with the band to their own song. Jeremy was such a sweetheart – so polite and friendly. Two of the die-hards got their car locked in the carpark so were stranded but rescued by P-Diddy who offered to share his small single room with them. We said our goodbyes after a fun-filled night and headed back to the hotel hoping for a nightcap. Unfortunately by the time we got back the bar was closed, well I guess it was 2am and time for bed.
After a lovely breakfast, we all met in reception to check out and we were on the road back to Frankfurt early. We took the scenic route through the picturesque snow-covered forests stopping off for a snow ball fight and getting beeped at by the police.
As it was still early when we reached Frankfurt, we headed back to the NordWestZentrum for some chill out time before heading to the airport. By that stage, we were the people in bits on tour! En route to the airport, we were stopped by the Polizei (Police) who took us off the motorway before stopping. We are still not sure why they stopped us! Perhaps snowball fights are illegal in Germany. And so an uneventful flight and we were back in the homeland. Here’s to saving for the next trip – I think I may have joined the die-hards!
Portugal
Just back from sunny Portugal and am feeling relaxed and re-energised after a lovely break and a great holiday. We flew into Lisbon Airport after an early flight to be greeted by sunshine which was to last for the week. There is an airport bus which for €3.50 takes you directly into the city centre which is a short bus ride of 20 minutes away. We took it straight to the train station Cais do Sodre as we were heading for the Estoril Coast.
Estoril Coast
We were staying in Caravelos which is half way between Lisbon and Cascais on the Estoril Coast. A metro runs all along the coastline so it is very convenient and relatively inexpensive. Caravelos is a surfers paradise with a large sandy beach, huge waves and several surf schools. We had booked into Praia Mar Hotel which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. It is supposedly four-star but due to wear and tear it doesn’t live up to its four stars but nevertheless it is clean and convenient. Luckily we managed to convince the reception to give us a room with a view and a balcony. Be careful if you book a standard room with garden, it doesn’t have a balcony – only the rooms with sea views have balconies and usually cost an extra €20 per night! The rooms are comfortable and clean and the hotel is just minutes away from the beach and about 10 minutes walk to the train station. The buffet breakfast was also very good with lovely views of the ocean from the eighth floor restaurant. Another four-star hotel just around the corner is the Riveria Hotel which is more modern and also has a large shopping mall.
At night we found Caravelos quiet and a lot of the beachside restaurants and bars closed early but this is most likely because it is out of season as we found the same with Estoril so we spent most of our nights in Cascais which has a good range of restaurants and is a little busier.
Lisbon
One of the days we took a trip into Lisbon for the day and took the City Sightseeing bus which costs €15. For this you can hop-on, hop-off for two days and also there is the red line and the blue line which takes you all around Lisbon – a beautiful city known as ‘the city of seven hills’ with gorgeous architecture and an interesting history. According to folklore legend, Ulysses founded the city. On 1 November 1755 the city was destroyed by an earthquake, which killed an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Lisbon residents and destroyed eighty-five percent of the city. The Pombaline Baixa (Downtown) is one of the first examples of earthquake-resistant construction. The Marquess of Pombal, known as the hero of the Lisbon earthquake disaster, was instrumental in rebuilding the city and consequently has a large statute in the middle of Marquis de Pombal Square in downtown Lisbon. This statute overlooks the long leafy main avenue of Avenida da Liberdade and also leads onto the Parque Eduardo VII which is the second largest park of the city. The red line focuses on the city centre as well as heading out towards the Estoril Coast. There are some beautiful squares including Praca do Municipio, Praca do Comercio, Restauradores and Rossio Square, the oldest and historically most important squares in Lisbon. Other things Portugal is well known for is Fado (translated as destiny or fate), a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal and also the colourful tiles that line the walls of Lisbon tell the tale of the city and of Portugal.
Portuguese Rooster
And of course the legend of the Portuguese Rooster “Galo de Barcelos”, the national symbol of Portugal as well as a symbol of honesty, integrity, trust and honor and signifying good luck. Legend had it that a pilgrim was accused of a crime he did not commit in the Portuguese town of Barcelos and was condemned to death by hanging by a local judge. As a last request before he was hanged, he asked to appear in front of the judge one more time to declare his innocence once again. His request was granted and he was brought before the judge who was dining with some friends. The pilgrim once again declared his innocence and in the presence of the judge’s guests he pointed to a roasted rooster on the table and said: “As sure as I’m innocent, so will that rooster crow!” and the dead rooster stood up on the table and crowed. The pilgrim was immediately set free and went his way in peace.
On the way out to the Estoril Coast, you can see the 25th of April Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Europe which reminded me of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and I later learned that it was made by the same engineers. Belem is another beautiful spot with the Belém Palace; the Torre (tower) de Belém and the more modern feature of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). This is a 52m high slab of concrete, erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. The monument is carved into the shape of the prow of a ship in which stand statues of various explorers, as well as a statue of Henry himself.
The blue line concentrated more on the outskirts of the city and took in among other things the airport, a train station Gare do Oriente and the site of Expo 98 as well as several shopping areas! Expo ’98 was held in Lisbon and a whole area was built called Parque das Nações (Park of the Nations). The timing was intended to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama’s sea voyage to India. We also passed the impressive Vasco da Gama Bridge, inaugurated on May 1998 which at 17.2 km (10.7 mi) is the longest bridge in Europe.
Sintra
Another day trip worth taking is to see Sintra, a ‘bewitching town lost in time’ which UNESCO awarded World Heritage status on account of its 19th century Romantic architecture in 1995. Attractions include the fabulous Pena Palace (19th c.) [a must see, like something straight out of a fairytale] and the Castelo dos Mouros [Moorish Castle] with a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and the summer residence of the kings of Portugal Palácio Nacional de Sintra in the town itself. It is €3.55 each way on the 417 bus which is caught from Cascais Shopping Centre; €11 for entrance to the Pena Palace and Park and Moorish Castle and €4.50 for the Pena sightseeing bus 434. Beware the walk up is very steep and the steps at the Moorish Castle are a killer but so worth it for the stunning views.
“When the mountain meets the sea, a paradise on earth is born whose soul is filled with the abundant blue of the sky and its spirit is cloaked by a nature reflecting the untamed charms of an intense green…Sprinkled with the chirping if the birds and a witness to fairy tales, it is the perfect setting to dream…and go on an unforgettable trip.”
Heading off from Carrick-on-suir
The Carrick Challenge was to cycle from Carrick-on-suir in Tipperary to Greystones in Wicklow over the course of three days. It took place from Thursday 6th August to Saturday 9th August. There were five Challengers and three Support crew – the V man, X&Y, and moaner! As part of the support crew, my job was to navigate (which I did pretty badly – think we ended up doing a few loops, thankfully the cyclists weren’t following us) and be the photographer (I took this job rather seriously ending up with around 200 snaps) and to provide support to the cyclists in the form of first aid (thankfully not needed apart from one bee sting), rescuing (again thankfully not needed with only one puncture fixed en route) and food stops (think we had this one pretty well covered). We were lucky with the weather with the sun shining for the majority of the time making the challenge all the more enjoyable. We set off early on Thursday morning and the challenge began at 10am when we arrived in Carrick.
The Bikes
Graiguenamanagh
Mount Leinster
Cute Kitten
En Route
Brittas Bay
Five counties in three days, the scenery was stunning and the craic was mighty – what a great way to see the countryside.
Irish Countryside
Girl from the Hills Blog 