Category Archives: Europe

Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in Dublin, Europe, Food & Drinks, Ireland, United Kingdom

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This post is a continuation of my review of Ireland’s Fine Eats.  I previously reviewed three restaurants from Galway, Dingle, and Waterford.

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

Now, we will focus on three restaurants from Dublin.  I must say that the restaurants in Dublin are far superior to the other restaurants we visited in Ireland.

4. Pearl Brasserie in Dublin – Our friend recommended this restaurant to us, and so when we happened upon it during our first night in Dublin, we decided to give it a go.

The Summer Madness menu, which included 2 courses for 22 euros, was a great deal, so I ordered the Crispy Egg (with Asparagus, Truffle Mayonnaise, Black Pudding Fritter) and the Pork Belly (cooked with Teriyaki, Pak-Choi, Carrot Pickle, Onion Rings).  Both courses were delicious.  I particularly enjoyed the Crispy Egg, which was still a little runny once you broke through the deep-fried deliciousness.  Nom nom.

Mr. Selfish ordered the Squab Pigeon Rossini – Cooked Two Ways, which included Black Truffle Mousseline and Pan Fried Duck Foie Gras for 30 euros.  Having only eaten pigeon once before and being disappointed, Mr. Selfish found this pigeon to be well-cooked and quite delicious.

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Notting Hill Carnival 2012

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Europe, London, United Kingdom

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While exploring London, I discovered signs for Notting Hill Carnival, which was to take place August 26-27.  I googled it and discovered that it is “Europe’s largest street festival.”  Mr. Selfish and I decided to check it out and were expecting:

However, the first thing we encountered was crazy traffic on the Underground.  We were crammed in like a pack of sardines and then, twenty more kids pushed in through the doors.

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Wandering About London

01 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in Europe, London, United Kingdom

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After repeated requests for photos of London (I’m looking at you Dad!), here are some of the places we’ve come across in our explorations.

I hope that satiates your want for London photos.  I’ll post some of the day trips we’ve taken recently to Cambridge, Oxford, and Highclere Castle next week…

Flashback Friday – Berlin’s Labyrinth

31 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Flashback, Germany

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In May, Mr. Selfish and I spent eleven days in Berlin.  This was the longest time we had ever stayed in one city while on vacation.  It was a precursor to this ultimate “Selfish” year.  We stayed in an apartment, grocery shopped, cooked in, and generally took it easy in Berlin.

One of the most memorable things that we did in Berlin was the Peristal Singum labyrinth.  The labyrinth was built by hippies in what seems like a large abandoned apartment building.  Interestingly, the labyrinth is next to a bar/dance club called the Salon Zur Wilden Renate.  You order drinks and pay the person at the bar 10 euros to go into the labyrinth.  You then sit in the outside courtyard and enjoy your drinks, and eventually, someone comes and brings you into the labyrinth.

The person that retrieved me was a goth looking girl with a husky voice.  She gave me a gold coin and told me that I needed it to enter the labyrinth.  She then told me to leave all my bad thoughts in the foyer area and enter the labyrinth.  I put the gold coin into a door and then went down a slide.

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Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Food & Drinks, Ireland, United Kingdom

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During our first night in Ireland, Mr. Selfish and I inquired at a local pub for traditional “Irish” food.  The bar man informed us that there was no such thing.  Nevertheless, we did manage to find Irish food but we also ate plenty of other types of food, including Indian, and Nepalese. 

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

This post will explore the foods we ate while exploring the Irish countryside – particularly in Galway, Dingle, and Waterford.  The second post will focus on the food in Dublin.

1. The Galleon in Galway – This quaint little restaurant was located in the beachy Salthill area.  We arrived as the sun was setting, and it was lovely.

While in line to be seated, the gentleman in front of us told us that the chowder and the fish and chips were the best.  We took his advice and ordered both, which were delicious as he led us to believe.  We also ordered the Irish lamb stew, but unfortunately, it was disappointing.  The ambiance was nice, and two out of three dishes were good.

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6 Hotels in 7 Nights! – Part 2

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Accommodations, Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom

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This is a continuation of our post from yesterday concerning our review of the hotels in Ireland.  Today, we conclude our hotel review with the 3 hotels in Cork, Waterford, and Dublin.

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

4.  Hayfield Manor in Cork – In Lonely Planet, the review of this hotel stated, “Roll out the red carpet because you’ve arrived!”  Needless to say, I had high expectations for this hotel that were dashed by incompetent staff.

The Hayfield Manor was the splurge hotel of our trip.  Mr. Selfish and I had always wanted to stay in a “manor” and had high expectations – expectations that matched the price, at $207 (and no breakfast, to boot).

This was apparently the lower-end for rooms at the Hayfield Manor, but the girl at the front desk made a mistake and showed us the wrong room.  We were showed a beautiful room with a very large bathroom.  Instead, our room was a much smaller room that was only just adequate compared to that other room.  While in the larger room, I noted that it had conditioner and that our room only had shampoo!

On the plus side, we did have wifi in our room.

I blame Lonely Planet and the incompetent front desk girl.  My conclusion is that Hayfield was overpriced for the room, which did not include breakfast, and was far from city center.  Plus, even though Cork is the second largest city in Ireland, there wasn’t really much to do there.  I would not recommend Hayfield or Cork as stops in Ireland.

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6 Hotels in 7 Nights! – Part 1

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Accommodations, Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom

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Mr. Selfish and I once again decided to cram everything we possibly could into our Ireland trip.  We therefore stayed in 6 hotels over the span of 7 nights. This post is part 1 of our hotel review, which includes the 3 hotels in Trim, Galway, and Dingle.

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

1.  Castle Arch Hotel in Trim – We stayed in a simple but clean room that cost $87.19.  This rate included breakfast, of which I neglected to take photos since I was so jetlagged.  Suffice to say, it was the first time I had the black and white pudding, and they were delicious!

This hotel was definitely price-efficient, and its location in Trim was perfect since it was only about 45 minutes outside of Dublin.  However, the room did not include wifi, so we had to sit in the lobby and use the wifi in order to plan the next day.

We probably wouldn’t go back to Trim since there isn’t much to see except for the castle, but I would recommend it to those touring the southern half of Ireland by car and wanting a quick overnight stop.

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I Work Out!

26 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Living Abroad, London, United Kingdom

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Mr. Selfish and I feared the consequences of eating out too much and not working out while on this year-long adventure.  Therefore, one of our first priorities was to find a gym in London.

The first gym that we found was an L.A. Fitness, which is where we had gym memberships back in Orlando.  We signed up for free 5-day passes and worked out every single one of those five days.  I even took a few yoga classes – even though I had difficulty understanding the instructor’s British at times.  Once that expired, L.A. Fitness wanted to charge us 45 pounds each for 2 weeks.  Since we had a month longer in London, that would have been 180 pounds (~$285 USD) for the both of us!

Luckily, we found the Archway Leisure Center, which was having a summer deal for a 30-day membership for only 30 pounds.  So we paid 60 pounds (~$95 USD) (instead of 180 pounds at L.A. Fitness) in order to work out and avoid the appearance of Jabba the Ho.

Mr. Selfish likes to swim laps so the pool will come in handy.  I must also note that L.A. Fitness didn’t have a huge monster slide.  Although I haven’t gone down it yet, I will soon!

Day Trips from London

25 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, London, United Kingdom

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Mr. Selfish and I just took a day trip to Cambridge.  We have about three more weeks in London and are considering a few other locations for day trips:

1.  Oxford is known as the “city of dreaming spires.”  It is, of course, home to the University of Oxford.  Even though I studied at Cambridge for a summer, I must admit that Oxford is lovely.

2.  Highclere Castle is where Downton Abbey is filmed.  Need I say more?

3.   Brighton was a sleepy little fishing village until Dr. Richard Russell started prescribing the use of seawater to his patients in the 1750’s.  Since then, Brighton, which is immediately 50 miles due south of London, has been a famous seaside resort.

4.  Arundel Castle, which is about 2 hours southwest of London, is a medieval castle on which construction began in 1067.  It was filmed as Windsor Castle in a couple of Doctor Who episodes.

Do you have any other recommendations for day trips from London?

Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin

24 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Food & Drinks, Ireland, Searching for the Best . . ., United Kingdom

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For our singular whole day in Dublin, Mr. Selfish and I decided to find the best pint of Guinness in Dublin.  It was all for the sake of science!

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

In search of the perfect “black stuff,” we drank pints at six locations:  (1) Guinness Storehouse, (2) The Stag’s Head, (3) Grogans, (4) The Palace Bar, (5) Davey Byrne’s, and (6) Kehoe’s.  We were looking for a consistent and creamy flavor in our pints of Guinness, and ambiance of the pub is also a consideration.  We used a ten-point scale rating system, one being the lowest and ten being the highest.

1.  We started at Gravity Bar, which is the bar at the top of the Guinness Storehouse with the 360 views of Dublin.  Admission to the Storehouse was 16.50 euros per person, but if you buy the tickets online, it is only 14.85 euros.

Although the public is not allowed to tour the brewery, the Storehouse is a self-guided tour through six floors concerning all things Guinness.  Mr. Selfish and I have been on several brewery tours, and they are all pretty much the same.  The Storehouse was actually quite interesting because it provided a brief overview of the brewing process but also went into depth about the history, marketing, and branding of Guinness.

Notably, admission into the Storehouse included a pint of Guinness at the Gravity Bar.  If you want more than one pint, it costs an extra 5 euros.

Verdict:  The Guinness was quite fresh and flavorful but the Gravity Bar was way too crowded with clamoring tourists.

Score:  8.5

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The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula

23 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom

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Mr. Selfish and I decided to drive the loop around the Dingle Peninsula instead of the Ring of Kerry.  First of all, we had limited time and the Dingle Peninsula is only about 30 miles long whereas the Ring of Kerry is about 110 miles long.  Second, the Ring of Kerry is supposed to be slammed with tour buses during August.  Third and most importantly, the Dingle Peninsula is supposed to be equally if not more beautiful than the Ring of Kerry.

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

Doing minimal research once again, we relied on our old friend, Rick Steves, to navigate us through the Dingle Peninsula.

In the morning, we drove down Conor Pass to the city of Dingle.  The fog was rolling in but it was still beautiful.

Once we reached the city of Dingle, the true loop around Dingle Peninsula began.  For the majority of the time, the ocean was on our left and the green rolling hills and valleys were on our right.  The sun came out, and it was utterly breathtaking.

I could live in one of these houses!

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The Cliffs of Insanity!

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom

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As we were driving from Galway to Dingle, we made a stop at the Cliffs of Moher.  Apparently, they were filmed as the “Cliffs of Insanity” in one of my all-time favorite movies – “Princess Bride”.

It was a beautiful day, and Mr. Selfish and I got to spend a great deal of time exploring the Cliffs of Moher.  Admission was only 6 euros per person.  The Cliffs were totally worth the price of admission!

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

First, we headed to the right of the visitor center in order to climb O’Brien Tower, which cost an extra 2 euros per person.  Unfortunately, the Tower is not that high and the view from the top is mostly obstructed.  I would not recommend paying the extra fee to “climb” O’Brien Tower.

Then, we headed to the right of the visitor center.  We reached a point at the Cliffs where there were no longer railings.  There were also warning signs stating, “Danger – Hazard Area” and “Do Not Enter.”

But the mere signs could not deter us from the beautiful view, and we continued on.  Boy, was it worth it!  The view from the outer most edge was absolutely breathtaking.

I would recommend completely bypassing O’Brien Tower and heading as far down the right cliffs as possible.  It was beautiful.

We also met a nice fellow from Dublin, who informed us that he decided to take off from work and drive the three hours from Dublin to visit the Cliffs since there was hardly ever such perfect weather there.  Yes, we lucked out.

Kylemore and Connemara

20 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom

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Mr. Selfish and I uncharacteristically did little research prior to arriving in Ireland.  We were too busy packing up the house, and I had my nose to the grindstone studying for the California bar.  We therefore failed to plan every moment of our Ireland trip prior to our arrival.  Our itinerary in Ireland was as “spontaneous” as we get.

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

During our first night, we realized that we needed to figure out what we were doing the next day.  We did some quick Internet research and found that there was an abbey on the way to Galway called “Kylemore Abbey.”  Mr. Selfish found it amusing that “Kylemore” means “The Big Wood.”

We couldn’t resist and decided to go there – although we didn’t know much about it.  Luckily, Kylemore was beautiful.

Construction on Kylemore started in 1867 and took one hundred men four years to complete.  It was originally a private residence, but in 1920, Kylemore became a Benedictine monastery – after several rich families had to sell it due to family indiscretions and gambling debts.

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Castles, Castles, and More Castles

19 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom

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Ireland is the most beautiful country I’ve ever visited.  While other places have singularly beautiful sites, Ireland, as a whole, was by far the most scenic. From scenic countryside to dramatic cliffs to lovely castles, Ireland definitely tops my list of beautiful countries.

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

We’ll discuss the countryside and cliffs later, but for now, here’s a montage of the various castles we visited:

1.  Trim Castle – We visited Trim Castle our first day in Ireland.  Trim is a quaint little town about 45 minutes west of Dublin, which made it a convenient first stop on our tour of Ireland.  Admission to the castle was 6 euros but because we showed up late, the guard gave us a “senior” discount and it only cost 4 euros.  Unfortunately, we missed out on the last tour so did not get to go into the castle.

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Driving in Ireland

18 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by in Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom

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Although there is a lot to see in Dublin itself, Mrs. Selfish and I had a week to burn in Ireland, so our best option was to rent a car and see the breathtaking Irish countryside.

Ireland Trip Report

  1. Ireland Overview
  2. Driving in Ireland
  3. Castles, Castles, and more Castles
  4. Kylemore and Connemara
  5. The Cliffs of Insanity!
  6. The Loop Around the Dingle Peninsula
  7. Searching for the Best Guinness in Dublin
  8. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 1
  9. 6 Hotels in 7 Nights! Part 2
  10. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 1
  11. Ireland’s Fine Eats – Part 2

If you’ve never been, Ireland is a beautiful country that gets an unfortunate amount of rainfall each year.  It’s also a very small country with a population of just under 4.5 million people and a little over 1 million living in Dublin itself.

There are a number of trains around Ireland.  Another popular option is to join a tour bus, but nothing beats a rental car.

Renting a Car in Ireland

Tip #1: Use Auto Slash to save off of the rental itself

Car renting is a mysterious process with car rates rising or falling just about every day for little to no reason.  Luckily, this is where services such as Auto Slash, come in handy.  Unlike most websites, Auto Slash automatically re-books your reservation every time the price lowers:

You were originally booked at 202.06 EUR, and the price has now dropped to 183.00 EUR. We’ve automatically re-booked your rental at the lower rate. You’ve saved 19.06 EUR without even lifting a finger! 

For this trip, we only saved 19.06 euros, but hey, that’s almost 5 pints of Guinness!

Unfortunately, Auto Slash doesn’t cover every rental agency (for instance, Hertz is unavailable), but I always like to check there first before I look anywhere else.

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