Dublin (round 2)

The first thing on the list to do once back in Dublin was the Guinness Storehouse. I think Danny could give a more enthusiastic review on this portion, but you'll have to ask him. He was so excited he almost forgot we still needed to eat breakfast before we went. It was a neat place, and even though I'm not a beer drinker I learned a few things. Here's a few fun facts I remember:

-Arthur Guinness signed a 9000 year lease on the property at St James Gate Brewery (where we were). Right now he is about 250 years into that lease.
-Some say Arthur Guinness created the stout, but this is not the case. However, according to the Irish, he did perfect it.
-It takes 119.5 seconds to properly pour a Guinness
-Women were the first to craft beer. We're so smart, aren't we? :)

While Guinness does not allow you to actually go into the brewery they do have stations set up showing every step in process as well as a lot of information on the history of Guinness. I really enjoyed the old advertising section (I guess that's my business mind). To do the tour is costs about 14 euro and you do get a free sample with each ticket. Being the nice wife I am I gave mine to Danny. He was able to use one ticket to learn to correctly pour his own perfect pint. He aced the test and received his certificate. I'm sure that will soon be hanging in our garage. He used the other ticket to get a beer in the very top floor of the brewery at The Gravity Bar. This is a great place to relax and have a beer (or in my case a Coca-Cola). It's a circular room with walls of glass where you can look out at a panoramic view of Dublin.

After a short break at our hotel we headed to the Temple Bar area. I am happy to report I found some amazing hot wings. Spicy food had been hard to come by in the countries we have been visiting this trip and the little taste of home was fantastic! If you're ever in Dublin, the name of the restaurant is Bad Ass Cafe, and as I said, it's in the Temple Bar area. After thoroughly enjoying our wings, we stopped in the famous Temple Bar to see what the buzz is all about. Temple Bar was a very busy but fun environment. We found an open seat (they were hard to come by) and sat down to enjoy the live music and have a couple drinks. We called it a night early since we had a tour booked for the following day.

Now onto the tour. I was looking forward to seeing the huge Cliffs of Moher while in Ireland. If only the weather would have cooperated. We were picked up for the tour at 8:00a and it was drizzling a bit but we had hopes it would clear up. As we headed west it seemed the clouds might lift. Our driver took us right along the coastline. The view was very pretty; I can't imagine how beautiful it would be in the sunshine! When we reached the great Cliffs of Moher the fog was so dense we could not see the natural wonder. According to one of the tour guides, this was the worst he had seen the fog on the cliffs in 8 years. While I was bummed, I can't complain too much as this is the first time Mother Nature ruined our plans in over 2 weeks. Plus, we now have yet another reason to return to Ireland! We hopped on the bus to head back to Dublin. We made a quick photo stop at Bunratty Castle and got back to Dublin in time for dinner. We finished the night at what they say is the smallest pub in Dublin, Dawson's Lounge. It's definitely tiny! The bathroom was so small there was a cushion in case you hit your head when you stood up.

This has been such a wonderful trip. Thank you to everyone who has been excited for us and followed along with the blog! I've really enjoyed sharing our stories but I feel like I only scratched the surface. There is so much more to tell from the silly cultural differences to the mental value of being away from everything for a bit. Again, thank you for all the support and excitement!

Westport, Ireland & Galway

The past couple days have made me fall in love with Ireland: the people, the music, the landscape, the culture, all of it. It has something to do with our wonderful hosts, I'm sure. My very good friend Jessica was kind enough to get me in touch with her Aunt Shari who welcomed us into her home in Aghagower, a small town just outside Westport. When Shari picked us up from the train station, she assured us she would be a terrible host. This was, quite simply, not the case. She made every attempt to make us feel at home in her home, and it worked marvelously. Overall, Ireland has a very casual attitude. Nothing is to be taken too seriously. This is exactly what it is like at Shari & her husband, Olcan's, home. No pressure, no stress, and no worries. Brilliant! We were not their only house guests as their friends from Texas, the Campbells, were also in town. They are regular visitors here and also assisted as wonderful hosts and helped show us the ropes.

On our first day in Westport, Shari showed us around the lovely town and gave us some of the history of the area. We also stopped in the town of Murrisk to see Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick, the site of a famous pilgrimage up a mountain. We, unfortunately, did not have the time nor necessities to complete the climb on this visit, but I can assure you we will return as this is now on our "bucket list."

After we relaxed a bit and Shari made us a wonderful meal (oh how I missed home cooked meals), we were invited to head back into town to listen to a session with the Campbells. Now this was an experience! Here is how the session works - or at least as I understand it: a pub will contract a musician or two to play live music. That lead musician will then let a couple of their friends know, and maybe a couple of their friends will be invited as well. There ends up being an eclectic group of musicians and instruments all playing together. On our first night there must have been about 12 people in and out of the circle. One musician would start and play a few bars, and then slowly the other musicians would join until the whole group was playing a beautiful Irish folk tune together. It was amazing! Sometimes during breaks in the music an Irishman in the pub would sing a tune without the instruments. The entire pub would be silent to listen. Some songs were sad, others nostalgic, and of course there were some that were quite humorous.

For our second day, Shari had suggested we take a bus to Galway. This was well worth a day trip! Galway is a vibrant college town with lots of history, shopping, and pubs. We started out by taking a open top bus tour to see the different sites. The driver pointed out important landmarks and took us above the city for a beautiful aerial-like view. My favorite part of this tour was the Claddagh. I have known a lot of people who have worn Claddagh rings and I have heard facing the crown up or down signifies relationship status, but I did not know where the tradition had started. Here is my extremely brief synopsis of the story: A man who left the Claddagh, a small fishing village, was captured by pirates and when he returned his fiancé was still waiting for him. He then settled in Claddagh and crafted the very first Claddagh ring to symbolize love, friendship, and loyalty.

When we returned from our trip to Galway we had a wonderful dinner with Shari & Olcan before heading to a pub to watch Olcan play with a couple other local musicians. Olcan is amazingly talented and you can feel the passion in his music. When you think it can't get better, it does! Not only can you witness his talent, you can also feel his warmth towards his audience. He is very inviting and encouraging to anyone who would like to participate in the session. After the session we returned home for some great conversation before heading to bed.

Before heading out late this afternoon we did a lap around Westport with the Campbells. We enjoyed another lovely meal and took a few pictures before heading back to the house for some (much needed) relax time. Olcan and Shari brought us to the train station and assured us we have a place to stay if we ever return. I have no doubt we will one day come back here, and who could resist with such wonderful people welcoming us!

Adventures in Crete!

Crete was far more fun than I had anticipated. I knew we'd have time to relax on the beach but I didn't realize the adventures we would take to get there!

We stayed in the old town section of Chania. The city is very alive and young with lots of shops and restaurants. Our room at the Mama Nena Charming hotel was perfect. The front of our bedroom gave us a view of the lighthouse in the harbor and our sitting room and private patio faced the mountains. It was truly the best of both worlds! Our first night in town we had dinner at a small Greek restaurant. After every meal in Crete (except breakfast) you're given a shot of their local liquor, tsikoudia. There was also a complimentary bottle in our hotel room. I can tell they're very proud of their product! After dinner, we wandered the many shops. There were a lot of spas where you put your feet into what looked like a fish tank and I decided to give it a whirl. Supposedly the fish treat the problem areas of your feet, but mostly I think they just tickled me. My feet did feel very soft once they were done!

We had rented a car for transportation and it was an enjoyable break from public transport for a couple days. On our second day we took a road trip to the beautiful Elafonisi Beach. Somehow we missed the national road and ended up taking the "scenic route." We drove up and down the mountains along the coast. Sometimes the roads were a little scary with hairpin turns and steep drops but it was totally worth it for the views. Elafonisi Beach was amazing and the weather was perfect. The sun was hot but the Grecian breeze kept it from getting unbearable. For a few euros we were able to rent chairs for the day. I loved being able to lay on the beach while also enjoying stunning mountain views. After we were done soaking up the sun we headed back towards Chania but made a stop to see a lagoon we had read about online. It is only reachable by foot or boat. We had to drive 30 minutes on a dirt/rock path before we could start the 30 minute trek down to the Balos Lagoon. It was absolutely worth the work to get there (and back). There were hardly any other people on the beach and the unspoiled, natural scene was nothing less than breathtaking. We were once again able to be on the beach yet surrounded by rock cliffs. Most of the pictures are on my waterproof camera and I can't upload them until I get home next week, so be sure to come back and check those out.

We ended our day with dinner and drinks back in Old Town Chania. Our flight back to Dublin wasn't until late afternoon so today was spent laying on a more local beach until it was time to head back to the airport. Crete has impressed me with it's ability to combine relaxation and adventure. I'm feeling recharged and ready to head back to Ireland for the rest of our adventures!

Venezia

We, once again, woke up bright and early yesterday morning, this time to catch a high speed train to Venezia (Venice). The train ride was pretty cool. We were able to see some of the Italian countryside and hilltop villages. If we are ever back in Italy, I will definitely want to go visit a village built into the landscape and experience some of the small towns. As far as the train riding experience, it was very pleasant. It was hard to tell how fast we were traveling (approximately 150 mph). We met some other American and Canadian travelers and shared some of our experiences as well as our confusion on a few cultural differences. It was nice to talk to and laugh with people who had experienced some of our same frustrations.

Venice was a beautiful but very commercialized city. Don't get me wrong, I feel very fortunate to have seen it. However, the city is mostly filled with cheap trinket shops and stands, not to mention the droves of fake designer purse (gasp!) pedallers. We were able to find some Venetian lace to bring home. The lace is hand stitched and the intricate design represents the city of Venice. The design is a repetition of what looks like wheels with spokes with a circular center. The center is the island of Venezia and the "spokes" represent the bridges that connect the island to the mainland of Italy. There are also parts of the lace where netting represents the importance of fishing to the the city of Venice.

We did not skip the essential tourist activity in Venice: the gondola ride. It was very relaxing and peaceful, a great way to see the city and take a break from the shops. Our gondolier would occasionally sing us an Italian verse and pointed out a few important sites, including the home of Marco Polo.

Aside from the many shops, Venice also hosts a great number of cafes. Somewhere in my research I read stopping for a spritz was required while in Venice. We did just that before we continued wandering. We had a lovely dinner at a cafe next to the main canal before heading back to Rome.

This morning we checked out of our hotel and we're now on our way to Crete, Greece. Rome has definitely been the hardest city to leave, but I'm ready to slow down and enjoy a couple days on the beach!

(Sorry I can't add pictures this time - we're on a layover in Athens and my camera is in my checked baggage. I'll add them later!)

Roma

Danny is taking a quick nap before we head to dinner so I thought I'd take advantage of the down time with a quick update.

If I were to say Rome is amazing, it would be the understatement of the year. Words can not describe the aesthetic pleasure of this city (not to mention the great food & vino). It is easy to get turned around on the narrow streets, but something beautiful is lurking around every corner.

We arrived late Sunday evening and had just enough time for a quick slice of pizza and bed. We knew we had 2 busy days of sight seeing ahead and wanted to make sure we were ready, especially since we had just finished our 120 mile bike trip in the Netherlands that afternoon.

Monday morning we were up bright and early. It seemed the day may be dreary but despite bad forecasts we were blessed with a day of warm sunshine. We made our way to the Colosseum. It was great to see it in person after seeing it on the big screen for years. We took a guided tour and Danny proudly told me how he already knew much of the information provided (mostly from brutal movies I won't watch, I'm sure). At any rate, our guide was very informative and it was cool to see the famous arena first hand. The Arch of Constantine and Paletine Hill were very close in proximity so we were able to see those and a few other sites immediately after.

After a quick break to rehydrate at the hotel, we walked to the Spanish Steps to meet our friends Lisa & Brian for an afternoon of fun. After seeing the Spanish Steps, we all stayed together and checked out Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. We stopped at a few of the piazzas within the city for beer/vino, espresso, and I tried gellato for the first time. Of our stops, Trevi Fountain was my favorite. It is so massive you can hear the water almost a block away as you approach. It is said that if you toss a coin into the fountain you will one day return to Rome. I personally tossed in two just to make sure! We ended our day with Lisa & Brian at dinner around Piazza Navona, and the predicted rain showed up. I was glad it waited until the end of our day. Danny and I strolled back to our hotel room in the rain and passed by Trevi Fountain one more time to see it lit up at night. It was just as beautiful as it had been during the day!

Today's goal was to wake up early to get to the Vatican before the lines were ridiculous. Unfortunately, there was a lot of rain so we instead chose to get a couple more hours of sleep. once we woke up there was a short break in the rain and we hopped on the intercity train to go to St. Peter's Basilica & the Vatican Museum. The line outside St. Peter's seemed long but moved very quickly. Luckily, we were able to make it inside before the rain started again. The sculptures inside the basilica are beautiful and too numerous to count! The intricate work on the ceilings is amazing. The Vatican Museum proved to be just as beautiful. My favorite part of that building was the gallery of maps, essentially a long hallway of geographical paintings of Italy. Again, the intricate artwork on the ceiling was breathtaking. The Sistine Chapel was the last stop at the Vatican Museum. Walking in was yet another "wow" moment. It's hard to believe one man, Michelangelo, is responsible for painting all of this beauty, and it's even harder to believe this was not his proudest project!

Tonight will be our last dinner in Rome as tomorrow we head to Venice for the day (we'll return to the hotel in Rome but it will be late). I'm excited to see the city built on water and of course to take a gondola ride!

The Netherlands

We just finished day 2 of biking through the Netherlands. We're a bit tired and sore but we both agree it's been an amazing experience. I can't imagine there's a better way to see so much of the Dutch way of life in such a short time. Before I go into our biking experience though, I should tell a little bit about our experience in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is an experience like none other. Coming from Dublin, which was a rather small city, Amsterdam is huge. I had done my fair share of research on the city before we came, but no matter how much I read or how many pictures I saw, it's not the same as the real experience. There were bikes everywhere. I'm not even sure there are enough people to ride them all! The city is built around 4 major canals, one of which our beautiful hotel room looked over. There are tons of restaurants and "coffee shops" all around the city. The atmosphere is very lively and reminds me a lot of a "college town" in the states. As I'm sure everyone has heard, it's a very liberal city but there is plenty of other attributes. The architecture is very unique and there are lots of cool museums. We were hoping to stop by the Anne Frank house but the line was ridiculous. We were still able to see the outside and the surrounding neighborhood which was enough for me provided our time frame.

Onto the biking... Day one was fun and the weather somewhat cooperated. We didn't have any rain but the wind made some of the ride quite treacherous. We saw some really cute, quaint small towns. It was a culture shock to stop into these towns as the English speaking population was not near as prevalent and it is much more conservative outside Amsterdam. I would say it feels like 2 different countries. After about 40 miles, we ended the day in the small town of Schoonhoven. We were hurting pretty bad from the ride at this point so we headed to the room and took a nap and rested our legs. By the time we woke up, it was about 8:00p and we were starving. I should mention that for lunch all we had was a small pizza brood from a bakery that we split. I was too freaked out to try anything else but pizza brood was safely translated to pizza bread so that was safe for Becky standards. Back to dinner in Schoonhoven... at 8:00p on a Friday night, most restaurants were done serving. Finally on our third stop (and last chance) we were in luck. Not only were they open, they had an English version of their menu. Oh thank god! I was able to safely order a beef steak and chips. Danny went for some lamb steak & white asparagus. After that we were off to bed. We didn't set an alarm as we were still trying to get caught up from the jet lag.

I was pretty nervous starting day 2 after the wind we had previously. Luckily, day 2 was much more calm. We biked another 40 miles through the countryside and passed about 12 functioning windmills. The countryside is incredibly beautiful. There aren't fences as everyone's yards/pastures are separated by a system of canals. The landscaping on the homes is amazing. The Dutch most definitely have a green thumb. Our final destination was the city of Gouda. Yes, just like the cheese as this is where it originated. Gouda is much bigger and more lively than Schoonhoven (but still not the liberal city of Amsterdam). We had a great dinner in the city and enjoyed some live music played by a woman from Sweet Home Chicago. She plays at piano bars in Chicago as well as all over Holland. She said she rarely sees foreigners outside Amsterdam, which made me feel good that we're venturing outside the box from typical tourists.

Tomorrow is our final day of cycling and we have lots of ground to cover before we say goodbye to the Netherlands and hello to Italy. Time to rest up!

Dublin, Ireland (Round 1)

We arrived in Dublin later than expected due to a few delays leaving Chicago (first there were mechanical issues on our original plane and then weather issues). We grabbed the bus to the part of town where our hotel was located but could not find our hotel... The obvious thing to do was to stop at the nearest pub for some help. We were right by a tiny pub called O'Briens (how fitting) and it was the perfect first stop for our trip. Immediately we were asked if we are Yankees by a friendly irishman drinking a Guinness. He was very helpful and chatty. He and the bartender pointed us in the right direction and we were on our way after a quick drink. Once we found our hotel, we were given an overview of the city with a list of must-sees. We decided after a long night of traveling a nap was a good idea before venturing out.

Once we were reenergized we walked around the lovely city of Dublin. I absolutely loved St. Stephen's Green! It is kind of like the central park of Dublin complete with duck ponds, fountains, statues, and winding walk ways.

After St. Stephen's Green we headed to Trinity College. We were awed by the beautiful old buildings and then sat to watch a cricket game for a few minutes. We decided to go see the Book of Kells which was created by Celtic monks around 800 AD. While the book of Kells was really cool, I was more impressed with the old library. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed so I don't have pictures but if anyone ever ventures to Dublin I highly recommend stopping here. The wooden cathedral ceilings have old books reaching from the floor all the way up to them. It's truly breathtaking!

Next we went to Grafton Street, which is the main shopping district in Dublin. Believe it or not, I resisted any shopping (my luggage is so heavy I can't imagine adding anything more). Luckily, Grafton Street did offer more than just shopping. There seemed to be a new street performer every few stores. They were mostly musicians and played a large range of music from traditional irish music to the Rolling Stones. I made sure to toss a few euros to my favorites!

The day was ended with dinner at Sussex, a favorite of the locals according to our hosts.

I've added a few pictures from the day. Tomorrow we head to Amsterdam! We'll be back for round 2 in Dublin at the end of our trip. That's when we'll go to the Guinness Storehouse and a few other sites.