Vintage Voyage- Dublin (Part 1)

Hi everyone!  I decided that since I haven't always written about my trips, but have been traveling for many years, I would occasionally do these "Vintage Voyage" posts, where I can share my experiences from some of my past adventures.  These will be formatted the same as current trip posts will, and since I haven't done any of those yet, this will give you an idea of how things will be set up.  I plan to divide future trips into day by day posts, but since this is an older one, many things are just grouped together.  Today will be Dublin! 

I have a long history with Dublin.  I had wanted to go for years but every time I was about to plan a trip, something else came up.  I had been trying to go since 2008, when I thought I would extend my Scottish vacation since the flight was easy.  That didn't end up happening, and each following year I kept saying that would be the Ireland year, but always ended up going somewhere else.  Finally, in 2011, I decided I had put it off enough, and that would be the Dublin year!  I went from the 12-26 July (this is my preferred time to travel if I can organize it that way) and when I finally landed in Dublin, I was thrilled.  All the years of being distracted from it had finally come to an end.

I love history and mythology, so I was eager to start getting lost in Ireland's museums and superstitions.  I was also anxious to check out the legendary nightlife!  I stayed in the O'Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel in Merrion Square, just behind Trinity College, and down the street from the Irish Parliament.  I liked the location of my hotel, it was central enough that I could be on Grafton Street in a 10 minute walk, but in a pretty quiet area.  On my first day, I went out exploring, as I always do, to get the lay of the land and see where everything is.  I did some shopping on Grafton Street, the had some lunch in St Stephen's Green, where I always loved to kill time if I was waiting for a museum to open or a tour to start etc.  I remember that afterwards I decided I would go and wander around Temple Bar.  I was trying to find something specific, but I can't remember what it was now, I think it may have been a movie theatre since I was planning to see the last Harry Potter film sometime while I was in Ireland.  Anyway, the Temple Bar district is the crazy party area at night, but during the day is pretty much dead and devoid of tourists with the exception of the main pedestrian area.  I stuck to the main part for most of my wandering but then I decided to take some smaller streets, all pedestrian alleys, and I got really really lost.  The streets don't necessarily go in a direction that actually leads to anything like a main avenue, they're more like an inner maze, so one turn lead to another as I kept guessing which one might lead me back out to a main street.  It was an eerie feeling, being alone in the small passageways of Temple Bar during the day when no one was out in the area.  It gave the place a magical kind of vibe, almost like a mystery that I would have to find my own way out of.  Eventually, after a good 15-20 minutes, I followed a winding street that dropped me off in the middle of Grafton street!  I couldn't believe it, since it did not feel like I was walking anywhere near the direction of Grafton, but I must have just been confused since the alleys went in so many different directions.  After being forced to get my bearings this way, I felt really comfortable with the city, since central Dublin is not large at all.

Leinster House, Irish Parliament

 

Merrion Square

 

 

Oscar Wilde statue, Merrion Square

 

 

Molly Malone statue

Trinity College

 

  I started off my trip with museums, since I love them and Dublin has quite a few.  I had always wanted to see the famous bog people, preserved for thousands of years, in the National Museum of Archaeology and History.  The museum was really close to my hotel, so this was naturally one of my first stops.  I love looking at old artifacts and art pieces, and the museum has quite a large selection of Celtic items, including a gold collection that they are very proud of.  I also stopped in the National Gallery of Ireland, about 2 minutes from my hotel, and spent only a short time in there since much of it was closed for renovations.  I also did the wax museum, which was ok, but definitely not a must see.  I went to the Book of Kells exhibit but again I wasn't thrilled with this either, I enjoyed wandering around the Trinity College grounds and library much more. I bought a 2 day pass for the Hop On Hop Off bus, which had 2 different routes that would take you to all the major sights in the city.  You could get on and off at any of the different stops as many times as you wanted to for 2 days.  I really liked this, since it came in handy for sightseeing and the times that I didn't feel like walking back to my hotel (there was a stop right across the street).  Using this bus I was able to go out to Kilmainham Gaol and the Guinness Brewery, which are slightly outside the central city.  The Guinness brewery is always considered a must see in Dublin, but to be honest, I was never a beer drinker, so I didn't really care.  However, Dublin reformed my spirit sacrilege and converted me into a Guinness lover.  I still do not like beer, but I now like Guinness.  The brewery tour itself was really not that interesting to me since it was mostly various levels of modern LCD screens streaming videos of hops being brewed and how things are bottled, etc.  As a history lover I was expecting to see the original factory preserved or something, so I was let down.  They did have a copy of Arthur Guinness' original lease on the building which is what I found the most interesting.  The tour includes a voucher for a free pint of Guinness in the rooftop bar that overlooks all of Dublin, and that was nice to see, even if the rest of it wasn't what I had expected.  The Guinness brewery is one of the last stops on the bus route, and after it comes Kilmainham Gaol, so I did that right after Guinness.  I LOVED Kilmainham Gaol, which is a jail built in the 1700's that also held the members of the Easter Rebellion, and is crazy haunted.  I love haunted places and ghost tours, as I have mentioned, and Kilmainham is full of those type of things.  The tour was a nice length, and very informative.  I got to see the whole prison, the different wings, you could go in some cells, in the courtyard, and all guided by a person, not a headset, which I always prefer.  I definitely suggest getting out to Kilmainham Gaol if you are ever in Dublin!

View from atop Guinness

Kilmainham Gaol

Practical note- When I go away in the summer, I always go for at least 2 weeks, which allows me the chance to really get to know a city and to fully explore most aspects of it.  With Dublin, I had also planned on a few day trips, which I love to do, it's always nice to see other cities and to get out of your main base for a while.  However, I had wanted to see some of the west coat, especially the Ring of Kerry, but I came to find out that you really need a car for going all over Ireland, a train just doesn't really do it since some places are really out there.  The western part of the country is also too far to do on a bus day trip, which I wasn't aware of, so that was a bit of a let down.  I'm mentioning all this because while I love Dublin, I do think that 2 weeks is a VERY long time to spend in a city of its size, not including the nightlife scene.  I would recommend about 3-4 days in Dublin.  3 days would give you all the time you needed to see the main sights and enjoy some dinners and other things.

Travel Style Part 1- Accommodation

One of the best things about travel is that you get to do things your way.  We all have different interests and different things we like to focus on when on vacation, so I'm going to share some of my travel methods with you :) This will be broken up into 3 different parts, starting with Part 1, Accommodation.

 

 Flats

When I travel, I always prefer to rent a holiday apartment rather than stay in a hotel. Apartments offer you the chance to really experience a city like a local.  Of course, at the end of the day you're still on vacation, but it's really nice to be able to go home to your apartment in whatever city is playing your home for the time.  Apartments are also usually cheaper than hotels, especially when it comes to longer stays, and I tend to go away for 2 weeks at a time in the summer.  If you plan on staying somewhere for 5/6 nights or more, I would go with an apartment.  In the end, you'll probably end up saving a substantial amount of money, as many landlords offer deals for certain amounts of time (for example, 4 weeks for the price of 3 etc).  You also get much more space in a holiday apartment for the same or less amount of money that you would spend on a hotel.  This of course all depends on the hotels and apartments in question, but I am speaking from my experience. I like having a kitchen and living room in addition to a bedroom. I also like being able to come and go when I like to, since I like to go out at night, and many hotels lock up after a certain time, and then you have to ring the doorbell to be let in, something that always makes me feel like an annoyance to the staff.  If you're looking to try out apartment rentals, just remember to send out many inquiries and then pick from the responses that you receive, since some landlords can take a while to get back to you, or may never respond at all. 

Here's some websites I often use for rentals -

-http://www.homeaway.com

-www.residences-paris.com (I personally know the owner and loved my apartment in Paris)

-https://www.airbnb.com (this year for Paris is my first year using this, but so far everything has been great.  This is a great site if you still want an apartment but are only staying a few nights)

Hotels

I have nothing against hotels, and I use them quite often when I am going somewhere for only a short time.  The other instance in which I use hotels is if a city I am visiting does not offer many rental properties.  Dublin was quite lacking in this area (very few rental options), so I stayed at the O'Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel, and I enjoyed it, but it's never the same as an apartment.  My mom actually prefers hotels because she likes having cleaning and room services available and she also likes having a  front desk to ask for directions to sights etc.  These things are nice to have but aren't as important to me personally.  A hotel also breaks up my feeling of being "in" a city, somewhat.

In the end, what you pick is up to you, and should be based on what you're looking for.  If you want more services, and are staying for a weekend or a few days, a hotel is the way to go.  If you want a more authentic city experience, and are staying for a week or more, go with a holiday rental.  Before long, you'll find what you prefer!

Heathrow- The Necessary Evil

Heathrow.  My arch nemesis.   Whenever I am planning a trip and see that I may have to change planes, I try to get a connection through any other airport if at all possible.  So, why do I dislike Heathrow so much when so many people consider it a favorite airport? Most people I talk to enjoy the extensive shopping options that Heathrow offers, since shopping can obviously help pass the time while waiting for a flight.  However, Heathrow has long missed it's chance at winning my affection with material goods. Also, I should add a little disclaimer here, my experiences with Heathrow have all been in regards to transfers, I'm sure it's fine if you just get out in London, but for transfers, NO.  Let me take you back to August 2007, when I first went through the airport on my way to Nice, France with my friend Steve.

 Part 1- Nice, August 2007

I remember that when we bought our tickets, we ended up with about 4 hours between our arrival in London and our next departure for Nice.  This was a good amount of time for a connection, since it would mean that we wouldn't have to rush, and would be able to take our time finding our next gate and just relax.  Oh to be those naive children again!  What actually ended up happening was we arrived in London in I believe Terminal 1 or 2, and we had to go to 4 I think (these details are blurry since it was a while ago) but the point is we were in one terminal and needed to transfer.  Neither one of us realized how large Heathrow is, and that you cannot walk between terminals since they are so far apart, you have to take the shuttle.  So, there we are, off the plane, ready to get to our next terminal and chill out, and we are met with a line of (no joke) at least 500 people, all waiting for the shuttle.  Ok, we thought, no problem, we have plenty of time.  At this point we had about 3 hours before the next flight, rather than the 4 we thought since planes are never precisely on time.  The line was moving very, very slowly, but we figured it was fine since at least it was moving.  We spent a good hour-hour and 15 minutes in line, and by the time we got on the bus we had a little less than 2 hours until our flight.  Keep in mind, we would also have to go through security again, and had no idea how that line would be.  During this time, Heathrow was undergoing some construction, so the shuttles were not able to maneuver quite as easily as usual, and there was a bit of a back up when we finally got to our terminal.  With the shuttle ride and the wait from the construction and line of shuttles in front of us, we had lost another 45 minutes.  So now we were down to about an hour before our next flight.  We rush off the shuttle, and up the escalators to the security checkpoint only to find that the line is just as bad as the shuttle line was, and was barely moving.  By the time we got far enough to give an employee our passports (not even at the actual security machines, I mean at the "entrance" since the line was so far past it) we had 20 minutes to catch our flight.  We hand the man our passports and he lets out a chuckle and goes "oooh, yeah, you've not got a lot of time for that one..." seeing our eyes bulge, the man allowed us to go through the express security lane, which still had quite a few people in it considering it's for those who are about to miss their flights!  So at this point we are down to 10 minutes before our flight leaves.  We're finally through security and in the terminal.  All we had to do was get to Gate 27.  So, where was it?  We looked, and finally spotted the sign for its hallway, and rushed down.  And down.  And down.  And down some more.  Of course the gate was at the end of a ridiculously long hallway, and the absolute LAST one in it.  Everyone has already boarded, they were about to close the doors, so we got on, the last 2 passengers, got in our seats, and basically just froze, beyond worn out.  This is when Steve noticed that somewhere along our journey he had also gotten mysteriously cut, and was bleeding from his arm for apparently no reason at all.  Personally, I think Heathrow just manifested itself somehow and cut him.

Part 2- Dublin, July 2011

After my first experience with Heathrow, neither me nor Steve ever wanted to see that airport ever again.  The mere mention made us want to run to the nearest bar and order some margaritas.  I was able to avoid changing planes there again for quite a few years.  Then in July 2011, I was on my way to Dublin, Ireland, and I had no choice but to transfer in Heathrow.  This time, I would have only an hour and a half to transfer, which made me nervous.  I told myself that the Nice transfer was just a one time thing, and that this transfer wouldn't be as bad.  I reassured myself the entire way there that it would be fine, that I knew what to expect now, and that it wouldn't be as crowded because my flight was getting in at 7:30 am, so the airport is usually emptier.  When I got off the plane, filled with trepidation though I was, I was relieved.  The miles long line for the shuttle was not there, I was able to board immediately.  Great start!  Maybe I was wrong about Heathrow.  I get off the shuttle and to security, and no lines there either! Fantastic!  My apologies, Heathrow, I must've just caught you on a bad day last time!  I get to the terminal and I look at the screen to find my gate for my plane to Dublin since on my ticket the gate was listed as "to be determined", and I did not see it.  So I stopped at the counter and I asked for help locating my flight gate.  The woman told me what I thought was "17E".  let me add, I do not have a problem understanding accents or anything, I''m actually really good with most accents, but I was tired, and I misinterpreted her.  I was not sure if she said 17E or 78.  Seeing as how I was currently right near Gate 12, I figured it must be 17E, because how could a terminal go from 12 to 78, right? WRONG.  I find gate 17 (no E) and it is going to Brussels, so obviously not my flight.  With about 40 minutes to catch my plane (here we go again, 2007 was starting to come back to life) I stop in a shop and I ask if there is a gate 78 in the terminal.  The woman tells me that yes, there is, and "You better hurry because it is all the way on the other side of the terminal".  Of course it was.  I could feel Heathrow's evil grin wash over me as I processed this info.  So, I dashed off, from gate 12, on my search for gate 78.  I passed through so many corridors and doors, I must've walked literally a mile through the terminal, over moving sidewalks, down twisting passageways, all over, I was surprised I wasn't in Delhi by the time I FINALLY got to my gate.  I got there just in time, as everyone was just starting to board the plane.

So, those are the reasons that I do not like Heathrow.  I never have enough time to catch my connecting flights, and I feel that it is just too big,  and too busy (which of course comes from being so large).  I really hope things will be different this summer when I can just get off the plane and into London, and not have to transfer!  Added to this, I will say that I can understand how some people enjoy it, since I like airports that most people do not, like Charles de Gaulle and Fiumicino

Getting Through Long Flights

We've all been there.  Bored out of our minds on a flight and many hours to go.  Italy is always my long haul, at 8 or 9 hours going and usually 10 coming back.  I love flying, I don't have anxiety or anything, but I get bored after about 2 hours.  So, how can we fight the boredom?  Here's a few of my tricks.

1)  Coloring books.  Yes, coloring books.  It sounds silly, but these are a great way to get through a long flight! Before a trip, I usually make a stop at the store and pick up a Disney or Barbie coloring book and a new pack of crayons.  I love to draw and color and it's nice to be able to get lost in a nostalgic childhood activity for a while.  I never get any weird looks for being an adult with a Barbie coloring book, but even if I did, let them look!  Because in the end, you're the one who's entertained, and they're the ones wishing they brought crayons too!

2)  Books.  I'm an avid reader, and plane time is a great time to catch up on my reading.  If you've been busy with work or school and would like to get lost in a book but haven't had the time, this is it!  I tend to read classics on flights, like The Moonstone, or She and I have no idea why lol it just became a thing I do.  This is also a great time to look over travel books and pick out what you want to see, or study maps a little bit, which is something I always do

3)  Sleep...if you can sleep.  I can never sleep on outgoing flights (going to my vacation destination I mean) because I am usually too excited.  I have tried everything to put myself to sleep including Melatonin, staying up all night the night before the flight (bad idea- I looked a mess and still didn't sleep!), getting too much sleep before a flight (you know how sometimes too much sleep makes you tired?), booze on the plane, booze before the plane, nothing works!  However, on returning flights (going home) I usually sleep the entire way!  I have no explanation for this.  Sleep is probably the best way to get through the flight if you can manage to go out

4)  The in-flight movies.  This sounds obvious, but honestly, I never used to really pay attention to these until I realized that if you watched about 2 of them your flight would be nearly over.  Give them a try if you haven't!

5)  Drawing/writing.  I never travel without a notebook for doodles and poems.  I get the most inspiration when I am forced to stay in one place and think, so a lot of my writing is done on planes

6)  Skincare.  I'm a beauty junkie, so I'm going to do a separate post on this, but protecting your skin against the gross plane air can definitely be time consuming, relaxing, and a nice distraction

Paris Plans

During my upcoming trip to London, my friend and I will also be taking a short trip to Paris for three days!  I am really excited to get back to Paris, as it is a city that I know and love very well.  As some of you know, I have family and friends in France, and have spoken both English and French for most of my life.  I spent a month in Paris in 2010, and hope to move there in the future, possibly even as soon as next year!  With that said, my Paris plans are a little different than my London ones.  I won't be playing tourist on this trip since I was fortunate enough to see most of the major sights when I was there a few years ago.  My friend has also been there once before and seen the main sights as well, so we decided we would focus on some smaller things.  We will of course be doing some major sights, it is Paris after all, but we want this to be a relaxing exploration trip rather than a rushed tourist type thing.  I love to return to places that I've already been, because you get the chance to see a different version of the place, and perhaps find those little details you may have missed on your initial visit.  I'll be playing the main tour guide in Paris, and so far our small list of sights includes:

-Catacombs (excited, and never actually did these, I could never get there on time!)
-Notre Dame
-Musée Cognacq-Jay
-Dinner or lunch at Verjus
-Lots of shopping! Au Bon Marché, Printemps, Galeries Lafayette
-Wandering around Saint-Germain, my old neighborhood
-Musée Edith Piaf, if we can make a reservation

We've rented an apartment in Bastille, so we will be close to the nightlife, and I've bee craving some Bastille nights lately so I am super excited!  I'll definitely be reviewing a lot of bars and clubs on this short trip!  Until then, 2 of my favorite Parisian bars are-

The Long Hop, Latin Quarter, 25 Rue Frédéric Sauton.  Great for meeting fellow students/younger people.  Really friendly place.  Last time I was there there was a round of beer pong played with actual glasses...yeah the table collapsed and everything broke!

Le Fanfaron, Bastille, 6 Rue de la Main d'Or

London Plans

The countdown has begun! 27 days until I leave for England!  I will be gone for two weeks, staying with one of my best friends who has been studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts since last September.  This will be my third trip to the UK and third time at Heathrow (a post on Heathrow will be coming up), but I have actually never been to England itself other than for changing planes.  I often travel alone, and over the years I've come to really enjoy that, but I always felt that London was too big a city for me to explore on my own.  I don't discourage anyone from doing it, I'm a big advocate of solo travel! but this is just me.  So obviously when I found out my friend would be studying there, I jumped at the chance to go and stay with her.  One of my favorite things to do before a trip is make a list of sights I want to see or things I want to do, so here is my preliminary London itinerary!

-Jack the Ripper Tour (I am obsessed with Jack the Ripper, I even dressed up as him one Halloween)
-Harry Potter studio set!
-Buckingham Palace
-National Gallery
-Victoria & Albert Museum
-British Museum
-Hyde Park
-Tower of London
-London Eye
-Some type of ghost tour (these are my favorite, I do them in every city that offers one)

As for shopping, I am really anxious to hit up Topshop and Dorothy Perkins as well as the big department stores such as Harrod's and Selfridges.  We have had Topshop in the US for quite a few years now but it's never the same as it is when I go to one in the UK.  When I was in Scotland in 2008 (before Topshop launched here) I literally ran into the store, umbrella flailing everywhere, and just stood there with a ridiculously excited look on my face.  It was heaven!

I am also really excited to experience some London nightlife, and here I feel I must digress for a second to talk about my "mission statement" for this blog-  I have always loved to go out.  Some people are foodies, I am a nightlife junkie.  Growing up in the US where we aren't allowed into clubs and bars before 18 and aren't allowed to drink before 21, nightlife accessibility always made Europe that much more of a Wonderland for my teenage self, and I fell in love with nocturnal Europe.  A city doesn't stop existing when evening falls.  Going out during the day only shows one half of a place, and the other half is revealed at night, hidden within a city's bars and venues.  I love to experience what a night out is in different cities, whether it's Rome where we (I lived in Sicily for a time, so I always include myself as a "we" when it comes to Italians) go to at least three different bars before going to a club and finally roll home when the sun is rising, or Dublin, where a great night includes several rounds of Guinness, live music, and great conversation.  I love to make new friends, and they are always found in abundance at night. I plan on dedicating separate posts to the various bars and clubs that I visit on on my journeys in hopes that others who enjoy nightlife can get a good feel for the vibe of city.  I love travel forums and websites, but oftentimes they do not offer enough information on nightlife, and I feel that the field can use a little more attention.  I love history and museums and art and I will post on these, but museums are not open all night, and for those of us who tend to stay up later and like to go out, I'd like to suggest some places where one can go and have a great night, or what places to avoid.  If you're interested in leaving the ordinary city for a while, grab a pint, and follow me down the rabbit hole...

Bientôt de retour!

I haven't posted in forever, but I hope to share pics of my upcoming vacation next month to London and Paris!  Can't wait to get back to Paris and have some good nights out in Bastille!