Month: March 2017

Flying over Scotland

2013-10-08 14.47.29When I think of cool things I have done in Europe, flying in a glider of Edinburgh is high on that list. Sorry to disappoint the fans out there looking for a tip on where to do this… this was based on pure personal connection.

 

 

 

I take many flights a year but nothing could prepare me for the ultimate feeling of being Tom Cruise in Top Gun… or maybe I am more Ice Man? Well, in this picture I look more like Goose but who cares! It was an unforgettable experience to fly over those green mountains and picture perfect landscapes. For anyone who is a fan of the color green, the Scotland is your destination.

…just because I loved looking at the photos so much, here are a few more from the view!

But once you get on the ground, what is it like to be in Scotland? For one, I have never met a person more in love and more proud to be where they are from than a Scot. They have so much pride running in their veins that I find myself enamored with every bit of their culture. It is always such a treasure to spend time in Scotland to learn more about their heritage and the many many things that make it great.

2015-05-13 15.16.50-1

Being a sucker for nature, it is one of my favorites to just drive from the south to the north of the country to see things like this: young students on their way to Hogwarts for a new school year. I can’t help but imagine young Potter on this train chatting it with up Hermoine regarding a questionable spell he had trouble mastering over the holiday. However, the main attraction is and seems to be the main cities of each country; in this case, Edinburgh.

 

 

Now, I love Edinburgh. The airport is highly questionable but the city is downright just the best. From the castle to the closes and the bounty of whiskey to taste, there is something for everyone.

It is a walking city (which I love) because you can feel free to move about the city at your leisure without the need of taxi’s, ubers or whatever your transportation preferences may be. Hotels? Pick one. You really can’t go wrong. But if you’re looking for suggestions, I have two: Radisson Blu on the Royal Mile due to its amazing location (especially to my top two favorite restaurants) and Princes Street Suites  if you are in a group of four or more. One of the best tricks I have discovered is the use of apartments instead of hotel rooms for groups of people who don’t mind to share a bathroom. The UK can be an expensive place to visit and this ideal location on Princes Street is perfect for weekend trips and close to the main train station in Edinburgh. It is also within a 5 minutes walk to Starbucks for all those lovers out there 🙂

Now, let’s talk food. Scottish food is among the least of my favorites in Europe but I can’t lie, there are some restaurants that know how to make it smell, look and taste appetizing! When I am in Edinburgh, I hit up either The Witchery or Wedgwood, both on the Royal Mile. The Witchery offers an old gothic dining experience, with everything from only candlelight inside the restaurant to old scroll like menus waiting for you at every place setting. It is truly a wonderful dining experience. Now, the Wedgwood is another story. It is the chic spot with excellent Haggis, yes it made me a believer, and wonderful wine.

 

 

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Travel Tips for her

Ladies,

This is a letter to you. I know you. I know the pain you’re going through as you pack your suitcase for that extended trip “across the pond.” Going through your closet once, then twice, then once more to make sure you packed everything. Calculating how many wardrobe changes you’ll probably do in a day… Thinking to yourself, “We will be walking all day in Paris so I’ll need to pack an extra outfit to change for dinner” and , “I’ll need my hair dryer, curling iron, straightener, everything else electric sitting on my bathroom sink.”

I’m here to burst the bubble, ladies. If you are content packing a 50 pound (23 kg) suitcase and lugging it all over Europe for the next two to three weeks, then stop reading and start packing. But if you are now realizing that the sixth pair of high heels you just packed is a bit excessive then read on, sister!

Currently, I am at the beginning of my own three week stint around Europe: three countries with three very different climates. Why am I going only with a carry on? It’s simple: to save money. Traveling in Europe is becoming so easy and affordable these days if all you are booking is the actual flight; the extras is where they make their money. Checking a bag on Ryanair? You may be paying an extra 20 euros and that’s only if you order it at the time of booking. The longer you wait, the more expensive the cost.

2017-03-19 11.55.43Here we have a standard carry on roller suitcase that is currently packed with all the items I will wear on coming weeks. The biggest concept I had to get over? Knowing I will wear all of these items in the 3-4 times range…dudes don’t understand our struggle on this one but believe me,  I know the pain.

Over time, I learned what are the things I can’t live without. Everyone will have a different list but here are the things that made mine:

  • Ballerina flats
  • 3 pairs of jeans (fall and winter), 1 pair of jeans and two skirts (spring and summer)
  • 1 pair of dress pants or nice skirt
  • 4-5 plain color tank tops (different colors)
  • 2 blazers
  • Rain booties
  • 2 heavy sweaters
  • 2 dress shirts
  • Hair gel for curly hair
  • Carmex extra moisture chap stick
  • Women’s multi vitamins
  • Advil rapid release
  • Red lipstick
  • Eye cream
  • Whatever your preference of body wash is at home
  • Extra fluoride toothpaste
  • 2-3 sleep nightgowns
  • 2-3 regular t-shirts (long or short sleeved)
  • 1 active wear pants
  • Rain coat (heavy or light depending on where you go)
  • 2 toothbrushes
  • 2-3 wash cloths (depending on how many hotels you are staying)
  • Enough pairs of underwear to change twice a day
  • Enough socks for once a day
  • 1 scarf
  • 1 hat (Ok I pack 2 but I love hats when it’s cold out)

Let me explain some of these. I realize some are quite basic but others may have you a bit puzzled.

Ballerina flats

2017-03-19 11.42.19

Choose a pair of ballerina flats that are comfortable and go with just about anything in your suitcase. They can also work as your dress shoes for nights when you want to dress up a little. Do not bring your brand new Louboutin’s to Paris to go with that gorgeous outfit because of two little words: Cobblestone Streets. Bring shoes you can scuff up the bottom and not be upset about. Also, look how these Tory Burch flats roll up; perfect for packing!

Toiletries

2017-03-19 12.14.58

I mentioned a few items in the list under the toiletry category and you can see them all here to the left.

  • Extra fluoride toothpaste- the water in Europe lacks the level of fluoride that we are used to in USA. After living in Europe for a few years, my teeth started to pay the price. You can get these at your local dentist or buy in Europe at any local store.
  • Shower gel of your choice-  I can do the hotel shampoo; I accepted that my hair will be dry and a pain to comb but I can not let me body meet the terrible soap in most hotels. If you have a problem of dry skin, then do not skimp on the body wash.
  • Advil liquid release gels- They work faster than other pain medication. I am sure you’ll need some if you decide to go on the vineyard tour in Tuscany or go pub crawling in Dublin.
  • Eye cream- I have such a problem with puffy eyes after flying and now I am battling the dark circles after staying out too long. Rodan and Fields has a nice eye cream that I have come to love and comes in a convenient travel size. A little dab under my eyes and I can tell a world of difference. Which leads me to….
  • Red lipstick- If I had a late night the night before, red lipstick doesn’t make me look so dead; but if I am not on the brink of death,  I go with…
  • Carmex lip moisture- Nothing else keeps my dry lips smooth. I probably travel with 5 sticks at a time. (Insert Napolean Dynamite joke here.)
  • Finally, wash cloths- not all European hotels offer wash cloths in the bathroom. Who likes to wash their lady bits with their hand? Not me. Pack some wash cloths that you can leave behind when you check out.

Packing

2017-03-19 11.49.22

Let’s look at the first layer; shoes, jeans and heavy sweaters. I hope you’re asking yourself, “Where are the rain booties?”  I wear those on the plane. Wear your heaviest stuff to free up the space in your suitcase. You might look like a freak wearing rain booties in Madrid but you’ll super happy you did when you get off that plane in Edinburgh.

Second layer is lighter sweaters, the nice shirts you picked, 4-5 tank tops and one blazer that you don’t care to get a little wrinkled.

I like tank tops from Zara because they are maximum 10 bucks a piece and are very difficult to wrinkle. I choose basic colors because I can mix and match the undershirts to wear with one of the blazers or underneath a nice shirt or even wear it solo. I can get up to three outfits with one shirt.

2017-03-19 11.55.03

The third and final layer consists of the night shirts, other lighter shirts and the toiletry bags. I also fill the sides with extra panties, socks and anything else I can cram inside. You’ll notice that I roll the thicker pieces of clothing at the bottom but lay flat the lighter pieces. I found this helps maximize on the space instead of rolling every piece of clothing inside your suitcase.

2017-03-19 11.54.26-1Don’t forget the section on the opposite side. I use this for socks, panties, gloves, hats and any other accessories I think I’ll need. I pack one scarf, my two fabulous hats and enough underwear to cloth a small family. This is where I do not get shy on the packing; even if I don’t have time for a quick shower before my next activity, I will change out the ole lady garments. It’s amazing how clean you feel just by this little act.

All in all, you pack what you feel is important to you. But take one trip across Europe with a 50 pound suitcase and I guarantee that next time you’ll go much lighter. Be sure to account for all weather conditions so it doesn’t put a damper on your holiday!

Sincerely,

Steer into the Skid

2 CommentsLeave a comment

30th Birthday Weekend

Anyone who is facing the dreaded 30 has two choices to make: Do you crawl in a dark hole and wait for it to come or do you grab it by the balls and own it in fabulous style? Thankfully, I chose the latter 🙂2017-03-04 22.24.27

Dublin was the logical choice when looking at locations for this birthday extravaganza; super easy to travel from USA and just an hour flight from Belgium. I had the fun task of planning a city trip for 12-15 people over three days…we all know how I love a city trip!

I booked our hotel room at the Gibson Hotel; a bit on the pricey side but if you’re used to big, spacious hotel rooms then it is definitely worth the extra dough. Location wise, it’s closer to the airport than any hotel direct in the city center, has a tram line right outside their front door that will take you to the city center in 10 minutes. From the Dublin airport, bus 747 takes you to the 3Arena stop (first stop on the bus route) which is a 3 minute walk to the hotel. Bus 747 is the fast route, costs 6 euro one way (10 euro return) and you’ll be at the hotel in less than 20 minutes.

With logistics taken care of, I needed to look at the social activities. Dublin is the perfect location for a city trip because it has something for everyone! A castle, tons of pubs, hiking opportunities, shopping, an amazing history to discover or just spend time walking the streets.

Trinity College and Book of Kells

2017-03-12 12.05.48The Book of Kells Tour and Trinity College Library was an excellent start to our weekend fun. My sister puts Belle to shame in the book department so I knew we couldn’t miss this. You can pre-book your ticket online for 14 euro; allows you to skip the line if you are pressed for time and have loads to see. However, based on the season and the day,  I recommend to pay at the door (11 euro) as the line usually is not so long.

The Book of Kells exhibition is very interesting! My family comes from the Bible belt and believe in the written Word so this display was very special to us. Once you go through the small exhibition, you are brought into the main library. It holds over 6 million volumes of books, magazines, manuscripts dated from the 18th century as well as one of 3 remaining medieval Gaelic harps, the national symbol of Ireland.

2017-03-02 20.13.11

While you’re over at the college, be sure to check out the Molly Malone statue! She’s super close and you would have heard her name a ton (or you will soon enough). Rub her chest for good luck 🙂

Dublin Castle

One of the few attractions you can not book in advance but an amazing one to visit! There are two types of tours you can take: guided and self guided. If you plan on doing this attraction, you should really do the guided tour. You can only visit the Excavation site and the Royal Chapel in addition to the State rooms on the guided tour…and they really are worth the visit! Make sure you go schedule your tour, takes about 90 minutes, to fit your daily activities. I would recommend going earlier that day to buy your ticket at a slotted time that is available and schedule the rest of your day around that.

Dublin Castle
Royal Chapel
My Sissy and Aunt at the excavation site

Comparing Jameson Distillery to Teelings Distillery

To be honest, I did not tour Teelings. My boyfriend took the boys to Teelings the same time I took the girls to Dublin Castle. Teelings is the only functioning distillery in Dublin so if you are interested in the process of how whiskey is made, then this is the tour for you! He booked the 20 euro ticket which included a tasting of three different whiskey’s distilled on the site. You can pre-book tickets online; depending on the season you visit Dublin, I recommend pre-booking!

We did tour Jameson the next day; while this was the original distillation site, it since has been moved to Cork, Ireland. Another 20 euros to take the tour and to sample a few of their finest whiskey’s. What I found interesting was they do a comparative tasting between their triple distilled whiskey, a double distilled scotch and single distilled bourbon to let you experience the difference in taste. This tour takes about an hour to complete and Jameson does a great job giving an informative yet enjoyable look into the history of Jameson and the method behind their madness. I learned that Jameson and ginger is my new favorite mix!

Guinness Brewery

2017-03-04 17.26.32 First of all, get a ticket online first. If you are using this blog to plan your trip to Dublin, go ahead and take a break to book your ticket. Couple of reasons: 1. it’s awesome and 2. the line is crazy stupid any day. Get ready to spend 20 euros and minimum four hours at this site because with seven floors of activities to explore, you’ll be sure to create a lasting memory. I don’t even particularly like Guinness beer but you just can’t miss this!

A couple favorite parts of the tour were the marketing photo booth and learning to pour the perfect Guinness. In the marketing photo booth, you put yourself into old Guinness ads and it pops up on a tablet where you can upload to facebook.

2017-03-04 16.56.21

In the Pour the Perfect Guinness bit, you learn how to pour the beer from the tap just like the experts. With your entry ticket, you are entitled to one pint of Guinness. Not only do you get to pour the perfect Guinness, you get to drink it.

If you do not want to spend your free beer on the pour, you can take the coupon to the top floor for a breathtaking view of the city and a pint 🙂

Dining, Pubbery and Fun

One of my favorite things about Dublin is most pubs offer free live music to create a super fun atmosphere for everyone. When mom and I visited Dublin a few years ago, we discovered Merchant’s Arch and knew we had to go again! Merchant’s Arch is in the Temple bar district so if you can’t get in there, you can find loads of other places to get an authentic Irish experience. Temple bar itself is a blast with the best Irish music I have heard, best audience to listen with and a wide range of Irish whiskeys to drink.

Camden Kitchen

Processed with VSCO with q1 preset

Camden Kitchen was a restaurant I found on Spotted by Locals, a website directing tourists to restaurants and other attractions suggested by locals of that city. It was such a great decision because it catered to every specific pallet of my birthday guests 🙂 The food was very fresh and delicious at very reasonable prices. After a couple days of eating pub food, sitting down to a nice meal was exactly what everyone wanted! It was a great place to hold my birthday party of 16 people; cozy but not too secluded.

Glendalough

2017-03-05 14.49.20For most of my guests, this was their first time visiting Ireland and I wanted to give them as much Irish immersion as I possibly could. While Dublin is amazing, I wanted to get my family to experience the most important part of the country–nature.

Glendalough is part of Wicklow National Park and is about an hour drive from the Dublin city center. I rented two vans to bring our crew out this far; however, if you are not comfortable driving, you can join a tour group. Just ask your hotel for information! It is free to walk through and there are a variety of different routes you can take. It was a bit rainy on our visit but it didn’t stop us from spending as much time as we could!

leprechaun siting

The most spectacular and famous landmark of this hike is the Glendalough Lake about 2.5 kilometers from the start of the walk. This stunning lake is nestled in a valley surrounded by color filled mountains. Be sure your camera/phone battery has plenty of charge!

1 CommentLeave a comment