travel

Part of the nature of traveling while studying abroad is that many of my vacations tend to be weekend trips, meaning that I am not normally longer in a foreign city for longer than three or four days—I mean, I have to go to school on occasion… Hence, when I am able to spend any longer amount of time in a city I absolutely love it. I love finding the less touristy restaurants and neighborhoods, I love escaping the massively crowded tourist attractions and finding any place off the beaten path because those are the places I will really remember.

If you’re going to have an extra few weeks to explore a city thoroughly, you just will not find a better place to do so than London. I was lucky enough to be staying with the most wonderful family who was willing to drag an annoying picture taking tourist me around their home city for a week and a half, showing me some of their favorite places as well as the tourist attractions that I would not be able to find time to see in just a few days! Although I could talk about London for years, here are a few of my absolute favorites from this trip. Obviously you just won’t want to be in London without traveling the almost obligatory route of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, etc. but if you ever have a spare day or two to explore a little further: this list is a good place to begin.

1. The Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A): All of London’s awesome museums are FOR FREE so let’s give a big gold star to London for that, am I right? Your first inclinations will be to hit the British Museum and the National Gallery, but if you are in the least bit interested in anything regarding theatre, art, or design, you just cannot miss the V&A. Located by the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, it is chock full of awesome jewelry, theatre, tapestry, fashion, and literary exhibits that will blow your mind. Make sure to check out the reading room (filled with original Charles Dickens manuscripts) and the cast courts from when the English were in a phase where they copied Roman monuments in plaster—useful? Not particularly, but still awesome.

Costume display at the V&A

2. Oxford University: If you are in the mood for a day trip, head up to Oxford for the day to check out a gorgeous, ancient town housing one of the oldest universities in England. Even if you cannot go into any of the colleges, it is still worth a wander around! I was lucky enough to have a see into Exeter College with a friend who is a current student; it is a little glimpse of history and prowess that will inspire you for months to come. The Oxford Tube runs from London straight to Oxford and is a comfortable, cost-efficient way to travel plus the bus has wifi…so…

Student centre at Oxford

3. Portobello Market: For an antique and vintage freak like me, Portobello Market in Notting Hill was HEAVEN. Not only is it in the gorgeous West London neighborhood, there are stands and stands filled with antique cameras, vintage jewelry, and cute restaurants. Take note of the Notting Hill bookstore, featured in the popular movie with Hugh Grant and Julia Robert and for a snack, try a crepe or a cupcake from the famous Hummingbird bakery. Some of my other favorite London markets are found in the winding alleys of Camden Town and the delicious fresh and international foods found at the Borough Market (the latter is open on weekends only).

4. Windsor Castle: If you’re all ‘been there, done that’ when you hear the words Buckingham Palace, take a few steps outside the city to see Queen Elizabeth’s weekend home and reportedly favorite residence. The chapel, holding the tombs of King Henry VIII and several of his wives was completely gorgeous and the room containing the elaborate royal doll-houses was also a standout. Make sure to have your ticket stamped at the end of your visit, as you can then come back for free anytime in the next year—not a bad deal!

If you have even more time, do stop by the National Portrait Gallery (just behind the National Gallery) for some really amazing artwork. And for relatively inexpensive and healthy meals, step into one of the numerous Pret a Mangers, marked by their trademark burgundy sign marking practically every block! I can’t wait to go back and explore even more.

Have a happy St. Patrick’s Day this Saturday! I’ll be sending the most Irish of wishes over the sea from Dublin.
 

“Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.”

-John Muir

One of the reasons I am so in love with the University of Limerick is because of its beautiful, vividly green, and natural campus. The river Shannon running through the center with swans casually hanging out, the secret streams and miniature waterfalls sporadically placed between buildings, and the rolling hills watchfully enveloping the perimeter make it a lovely place to live if you happen to be someone who thrives upon the outdoors. Since my school in the states is relatively small, it’s a treat to be able to constantly explore the massive Limerick campus- and I’m serious, it looks like there could be a leprechaun hiding behind every corner! Yes, it’s rainy- but that’s the price you pay for living in a neon green wonderland, right??

Here’s a little story that exemplifies one of the other massively cool parts about Ireland: CASTLES. One of my favorite activities since I’ve been at Limerick has been attempting to explore the campus on nice days, and finding little nooks and crannies I didn’t know existed! On one of the nicest days last semester (a.k.a. it wasn’t raining or hailing for once), I decided to take an afternoon walk along the river Shannon. It was sunny and beautiful, the river was sparkling, and the path was completely empty except for me and the occasional dog-walker.

The path to the castle...muddy, but beautiful!

See, I wasn't kidding about the occasional dog-walker! AND IT WAS SUCH A NICE DOG.

Taking advantage of the lovely weather, I kept on walking after several options to turn around. My head was down for most of the time in a relatively futile attempt to save my rainboots from the muddy slush that the path had turned into after so much rain! All of a sudden, I looked up.

To my left were huge, abandoned ruins of a CASTLE. WHAT?! A castle was just sitting there, hanging out, within walking distance of my village?? No signs, no markings, no gate, separated this castle from being an anonymous object. I stopped for a minute and gaped with my mouth opened, then immediately opened my phone to call my friend Bridget in glee.

Oh hello, castle!

Still giddy over our find...

Naturally, I brought her back the next day so we could explore it together. We weren’t the first to find the ruins, as they were covered in graffiti already from some clever kids who apparently couldn’t afford an easel. Nothing could take away from the grandeur of this ancient ruin, though! With a bit of deft climbing, we defied gravity (and probably a few safety standards…don’t try this at home) and climbed to the top of the castle on some stairs that were almost completely intact (AFTER THOUSANDS OF YEARS. THIS WORLD IS COOL). Sitting at the top of the castle, gazing over Limerick fields, I fell in love with Ireland all over again.

Not a bad view...

The steps we climbed...they're more stable than they look, Mom!

I never said the climb to the top was a particularly easy journey...

Bridget in front of our favorite Ireland find.

There’s not a lot of countries where you can take an afternoon walk and find an ancient ruin on the side of the road…but Ireland is one of them. Lucky me!

Stay tuned for more posts about Rome, Barcelona, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, and London (I’ve been busy…)!

P.S. Photo credits to Bridget McQuillan, more of her work can be found at http://cargocollective.com/bridgetmcquillan.
 

After years of French class, a weeklong vegetable fast in preparation for the disgusting amount of baguettes I was planning to eat, and hours spent in the pages of Rick Steves Takes Paris, I was ready.

Everyone dreams of Paris, and it’s one of the only cities I’ve ever visited that could actually live up to the uber-high expectations that the rest of the world had set for me! Our friends joked that throughout the whole visit, the word “fabulous” must have been used at least 70,000 times. While lacking the extraordinary amount of green space found in London or the friendly, welcoming people in Vienna, Paris has a kind of magic to it that’s altogether unique and completely Parisian. Not to mention that if you look at any random person on the street, there is 100% chance that they will be chic, long-legged, well-dressed, and drop dead gorgeous! I’m serious- I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

With a minimal amount of high-school and college French, we were able to get around pretty easily- Paris is most definitely used to excessive amounts of tourists filling their streets constantly. While this means that the vast majority of people speak English, they are also used to churning people in and out without any particular desire to speak to you or get to know you. We didn’t interact with any ‘mean’ people, but they definitely weren’t quite as friendly as people in Austria or Vienna (especially after hearing our obnoxious American accents). The metro system was also easy to navigate and a two-day metro pass was not nearly as expensive as we were expecting, which was fantastic! For museums, what we did (and what I highly recommend) was purchasing the two-day museum pass, which then lets you in to pretty much any museum you would care to see, including Versailles. And best of all, it was only thirty-five euros! Pretty good, considering that most museum prices were somewhere around thirteen euro. We managed to make it to several of the museums we wanted to see, but due to time constraints we missed out on a few of my must-sees including L’Orangerie and the Rodin Museum.

How can you not fall in love? [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

How can you not fall in love? [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

The Glass Pyramid in front of the Louvre. [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

The Glass Pyramid in front of the Louvre. [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

We stayed in Perfect Hostel, which was probably the best bet for our money at only twenty-six euros a night (HOSTELS IN PARIS ARE EXPENSIVE. I practically choked on my coffee while we were looking at prices, but it turned out just fine!). We were a short metro ride away from most of the major attractions, so early in the morning on day one, we hopped on the metro and began our sightseeing immediately! We popped up at St. Germain and walked along the beautiful Seine until we reached the Musee D’Orsay, our first museum of the trip. What I really loved about the museums in Paris is that the buildings themselves were remarkable, without even considering the world-class art they contained! Musee D’Orsay originated as a train station, with an amazing high ceiling and a layout that was very easy to navigate and wander through. It was even a bit more manageable than the Louvre, since the Louvre is just so massive that it can sometimes be a little overwhelming- aesthetic overload is absolutely a real thing!

Musee D'Orsay from across the Seine

After leaving the Orsay, we strolled through the Tuileries and down the Champs-Elysees, which had about a mile of Christmas booths selling meats, cheeses and scarves- and let me tell you, there is NOTHING I like better than a European Christmas market! We metro-ed over to the Grand Opera house, and just sat and people-watched for a while- people-watching is absolutely incredible in Paris. And last but not least: the Eiffel Tower. Just like Big Ben and the Trevi Fountain, it’s just one of those things that can’t be captured accurately on camera. When you’re standing underneath it, it’s a rather surreal experience! We unfortunately didn’t go to the top, as it was twenty euros, but it was a magical thing to see all on its own.

Headed to the City Centre!

The Royal Opera House- the steps are fabulous for people-watching!

Our first view of the Eiffel Tower- how incredible? [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

Our first view of the Eiffel Tower- how incredible? [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

Oh just hanging out in front of the Eiffel Tower...no big deal!

Some of our other favorites were Versailles: hands down one of the coolest, most interesting buildings I’ve ever been to in my life. The grandeur and splendor of every single room was breathtaking and over the top. One of my favorite things to do when I’m in old buildings is to imagine what it would have been like at the peak of it’s existence- thinking about everything the walls of Versailles have seen was fascinating. Also, I would most definitely recommend going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe: even though it’s a climb, the view from the second-highest viewing terrace in Paris was phenomenal. Seeing the Eiffel Tower as part of the skyline and being in the center of that massive roundabout was absolutely gorgeous, and it was free with our museum pass too!

Versailles- look at that detail! So incredible. [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

Versailles- look at that detail! So incredible. [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

Normal backyard...

An average room in Versailles.

Hall of Mirrors, Versailles [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

Hall of Mirrors, Versailles [photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

View from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

Can you find the Champs-Elysees?

This goes without saying, but the Louvre was incredible. I’m a little sad that we didn’t get to it until the end of our trip, because at that point our feet were ready to fall off our legs and we were just a little weary. And let me tell you, the Louvre is NOT a good place to be weary! I managed to see the Mona Lisa and some other great Renaissance art as well as the Greek and Egyptian art wings, all of which were amazing. I will definitely have to return fresh-faced and ready to spend a day in some comfortable shoes walking through the miles and miles of halls of awesome art.

Just saying hello to my good friend Lisa.

[photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

[photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

[photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

[photo credit: Bridget McQuillan]

And last but not least, the Latin Quarter! We visited Notre Dame, which as a Catholic, felt like a little peaceful slice of home in the middle of a crowded and crazy city. We also found some very cool bookshops there, such as the Abbey Bookshop and Shakespeare and Company! The towering stacks of books made for a very magical bookshop experience. After rounding out our Paris experience with a banana and nutella crepe (YUM, that’s all to be said), we hopped on the metro back to Charles de Gaulle for our two-hour flight home to the green grass of Ireland.

As I previously mentioned, there’s so much to do and see and visit and explore in Paris that it’s rather difficult to condense into a 2.5 day trip, much less an easy-to-read blog post! I cannot wait to return to see everything that we didn’t have time for, because I’m sure that we could have easily filled another week, probably even a month! That city is truly full of endless magic and opportunity.

Sorry for being a bit behind on posting, but we just returned from Rome! Stay tuned for posts on the Dingle Peninsula, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin, Amsterdam and more!

P.S. Many of the pictures in this particular post were taken by Bridget McQuillan, a good friend on the trip and a fantastic photographer!
 

If you’re in the market for a cute, non-touristy and easy to navigate town in the heart of Austria, find the next train and take it immediately to Graz (the capital of the region of Styria). And if you’re looking for the definition of the phrase ‘autumnal bliss’- take that train to Graz in early November. Think I’m kidding? Think again, and take a look at the pictures below!

The town of Graz itself is most recognized throughout Europe for its incredibly cool town square (Old Town), which is extremely pedestrian- friendly as it doesn’t even allow cars! The entire city centre is accessible by foot or by the streetcars, so it’s an extreme pleasure to walk through a European city without wondering which way to look before you cross the street or sprinting to avoid being hit by the tiny cars whizzing through intersections! Graz also has a river down the middle (the river Mur), and there’s just nothing I love more than cities with charming rivers and hills framing the landscape. There’s also plenty to see in Graz, definitely enough to fill up a weekend trip just in the city itself.

The Mur River, running through Graz.

Standing in front of the Glockenspielplatz

 Our first stop in the city was to the gorgeous Baroque palace, Schloss Eggenberg (Eggenberg Palace in English). Since it was a Sunday, we unfortunately were unable to explore the supposedly beautiful inner rooms such as the Planetary room, but we were still able to explore the open park and grounds of the palace as well as the courtyard. I can’t tell a lie, some of my favorite parts of the gardens were the numerous peacocks wandering around (both the pure white and Indian blue varieties)! The palace was beyond cool- one of my favorite parts was how it was constructed according to the Gregorian calendar: the palace has 365 exterior windows for each day of the year and 31 rooms on each floor for days of the month, in addition to other details. It was also very relaxing to wander among the autumn leaves and large statues littered among the trees, surrounded by the Austrian countryside.

The view of the palace from the beginning of the..."driveway"?

The view of the palace from the beginning of the..."driveway"?

The view of the palace from the beginning of the..."driveway"?

Excited...slash scared of the peacocks...

Statue in the middle of the park...autumnal beauty at it's finest.

Another view of the palace and forests in the back.

While we were there, we stopped for a traditional Austrian autumn snack: Maroni, which are essentially roasted chestnuts. They are sold on the streets of Vienna and Graz through the fall season, and are a must-have if you happen to pass by one of the stands.

Maroni! (Chestnuts)

To eat, simply peel off the roasted outer shell and eat the creamy white nut inside!

Graz is full of interesting sights, some of which have been constructed by the city to increase tourism and the cultural influence of the city. The art museum, with a “unique” architectural structure is one major standout, as well as ‘The Island’, a circular bar in the middle of the River Mur. After a walk around the city exploring the various platzes (squares), we found some amazing street food in the town square (bratwurst with senf, which is mustard and AMAZING). We headed into one the largest and newest department stores I’ve ever been in called the K&O- if you’re ever there, make sure to take the escalator all of the floors to the top. You’ll be rewarded with amazing views of Graz’s red roofs, which are prominent all over the city and very, very cool.

The Island: a bar built in the very middle of the Mur River.

Delicious frankfurters from the street cart.

The Rathaus- Town Hall of Graz

The red rooftops Graz is known for.

You can just see the clock tower (Uhrmturm) in the background!

And since we were apparently very into climbing great heights on this trip, there was no better way to end our time in Graz than with climb to the top of the Schloßberg, a hill overlooking the city at the site of a demolished fortress. Schloßberg literally means ‘castle mountain’, and that’s exactly what it is! The hill contains an Uhrmturm, which is a clock tower that is a recognizable symbol of the city, and some amazing views! If I lived here, I could picture climbing up with a cup of coffee and a fantastic book- and just sitting for hours reading and thinking.

View from the base of the mountain

View from the top! After a long climb, of course...

I could camp out here with a book for a loooong time...

In front of the clock tower

All in all, the last stop of our trip was amazing. The people could not have been friendlier, the scenery could not have been more gorgeous, and there’s just no getting around the fact that Austrian food is FANTASTIC. I’ve already made my Austrian friend, Nadia, commit to shipping me some of the Styrian pumpkin seed oil that they use as salad dressing- it’s a little slice of heaven. Austria is definitely an underrated tourist destination, in my opinion, and was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been: inside and out.

Next week, my Tuesday post might fall a few days later due to the fact that I will be in PARIS until Thursday! I mean, there's worse problems to have. Keep checking back for a post on our visit to the adorable Irish Dingle Peninsula (especially if you like sheep...) 
 

 Let me begin by saying that I was extraordinarily lucky to have experienced this absolutely magical last weekend in Austria. I fell in love with the cities, the people, the countryside, the language, the food, and really everything about the country! We were fortunate enough to travel with one of our close friends here named Nadia, who is from Graz. This was FANTASTIC because it helps to have someone German-speaking along, especially who knows the area extremely well. Unfortunately, we only had about a day in Vienna before we had to take the train to Graz for the ball (yes, the ball...) which was just not enough time. Since we covered A LOT of ground over the weekend, I am splitting the posts into one shorter one about Vienna and one longer one next week about Graz- I don't want to miss a thing! And I'm serious, stay tuned for the ball- it was beyond epic.

Vienna was beyond magical. What I loved most about it was that the entire city felt as if it had been built in the peak of the Holy Roman Empire, and essentially untouched since then! It felt mysterious and ancient, and the architecture was GORGEOUS. Nadia had to catch an earlier train than we did, but we had no trouble navigating the city even though we didn't speak any German. As long as you have a city map with you, the underground is very clear and easy to figure out. WE bought a day pass for 5.70 euro, which ended up being a great decision! It was also a very inexpensive city (although I think every city in the world is most likely less expensive than Ireland...) so that was a pleasant surprise as well! As I said, we will absolutely return to Vienna as we did not get to experience nearly everything we wanted to- we could have spent at least another three days just in the city. At the end of the trip, we took the underground to Wien Meidling train station and hopped the three-hour train through the countryside to Graz-something I would also highly recommend doing. Here's what we saw, what we wished we'd seen, and most importantly...what we ate. Kidding...kind of.

 HOW WE GOT THERE: We took our classic three-hour bus ride to Dublin and hopped the two hour Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Vienna. Once we arrived in Vienna, it was only about a sixteen-minute train ride on the U4 to the Kettenbruckegasse station to get to our hostel (which was located extremely close to the city center).

WHERE WE STAYED: Our hostel was actually one of my favorite hostels we've stayed in yet, and it was only ELEVEN EUROS a night (thank you, Vienna)! There's a network of them around Vienna, Munich, and Berlin, and they are named Wombat's! The location was amazing as it was right outside the Naschmarkt, it was extremely clean, and the staff was very informative and friendly. Also, they give you a free drink in the Wombar upon check-in...just saying.

Free drinks in the 'Wombar' upon arrival!

FIRST STOP: Schonbrunn Palace, which I had visited as a child but didn't have very clear memories of- so it was an absolute blast to return! We took the U4 from Kettenbruckegasse station to the Schonbrunn station, which was only about a fifteen minute ride- very convenient. Schonbrunn was one of the Habsburg residences that was once a hunting lodge, turned into their summer palace and it was absolutely gorgeous. We did not take a tour of the inside (as prices varied from 9.50 euro to 13 euro and we are broke college students, sorry!) but we spent an hour or two walking around the gardens, maze, and fountains in the back of the palace, which were never-ending and breathtaking! It was also very lovely that we were there in autumn; there were no flowers but the spectacular color of the trees made up for that and more. Even though it looks daunting, make sure you hike up the hill in the back all the way to the top- you will be rewarded with incredible views of the palace as well as the city. We found it was well worth our time to visit, even without taking the guided tour. Not a bad backyard, right?

the side of Schonbrunn Palace

The gardens are filled with gorgeous walking and running paths.

the view from the top of the hill was magnificent! say hello to Vienna!

Say goodbye to Schonbrunn!

Next Up: We took the U-Bahn from Schonbrunn to Stephensplatz, home to a massive shopping district and the beautiful cathedral of St. Stephens. After taking a small tour of St. Stephens, we walked through the Graben (antique shopping district) which is fantastic as no vehicles are allowed. Eventually, we stumbled upon the Hofburg Palace and Spanish riding school where the Lipizzaner stallions are trained- both of which are absolutely stunning!

St. Stephen's

the inside of St. Stephen's- absolutely amazing!

Outside of the Habsburg Palace, Vienna. Don't mind the construction!

WHAT WE ATE: Our favorite place during our short stay in Vienna to find food was the Naschmarkt, essentially a giant amalgam of restaurants, street food stands, stores with clothes and accessories, and the largest amount of delicious looking food in one space I've ever seen! We ended up settling upon Lebanese food, and also purchased some baked goods while we were there. Most cities in Europe tend to have a great street market, but this was the best one I've ever been lucky enough to go to! I'll detail Austrian foods that we ate in more depth in the Graz post, but other Vienna specialties we loved included melange (strong Austrian coffee with milk- delicious!) and Ottakringer beer (the best beer I've ever had!)

Fresh fruit stand at the Naschmarkt!

Gorgeous street the Naschmarkt was on- look at that architecture!

Melange- delicious Austrian coffee

Naschmarkt

WHAT WE WISH WE'D SEEN: When we walked through the MuseumQuartier (filled with fantastic art history and Sigmund Freud museums) we were kicking ourselves for not alloting more time! Next time, we'll definitely spend some time taking tours of all those great museums. We'd also love to see an opera and a Lipizzaner stallion show- both of which are supposed to be incredible! On our next trip, I would also like to visit the University of Vienna, where my father spent his year abroad! We could have easily filled days and weeks spent in Vienna, so we are looking forward to returning already.

Stay tuned for the next post, beginning with our beautiful train ride to Graz!