Today was an easy day. We picked up our PCR test results and took the metro to Nisantan for some shopping, and Erim tried a popcorn latte! Then we took the metro again to Cities Mall, a massive 6 story mall for more shopping and, by the time we got there, we were both already complaining about having sore feet. Dragging our feet through the mall, we hopped store to store before but surprisingly, we bought nothing today! We had lunch in the food court before calling it quits to head to a coffee shop to meet Erim’s cousins.
We went to Coffeelicious, a cafe his cousins frequent, and enjoyed both teas and coffees for a few hours before heading to Gunaydin for dinner with our friend Mert. Mert lives in Canada but also happened to be on vacation in Istanbul at the same time as us! We couldn’t help ourselves but to meet up. The short walk from the cafe to the restaurant brought us by Erim’s childhood home, so I got to see where he grew up, as well as Nusr-Et Steakhouse aka Salt Bae’s restaurant.
We enjoyed eggplant salad, chopped salad, Iskander and Adana kebap for dinner, as well as Raki (of course) to celebrate Mert’s first night/our last night in the city!
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The following morning we enjoyed a quick brunch with Erim’s family in Fenerbahçe before taking a taxi to the Istanbul airport (which, thanks to very light traffic, only took 45 minutes this time instead of the 1.5 hours it took to commute when we arrived). With plenty of time before our flight, you’d think we had time to explore the airport (biggest airport in the world) but with not one, not two, but TEN security checkpoints before we reached our gate and boarded, we only had a quick minute for the duty free and to grab Shake Shack at the airport. Woo hoo!
As I write this I am safely back home in Canada – until the next voyage, güle güle
This morning we woke up feeling really refreshed… at 8:30am! We’ve been on such an early schedule that this was basically a sleep in for us. We enjoyed a nice coffee at home and did some “coming home” paperwork (ArriveCAN app) and Erim did some research to find us a spot where we could get a PCR test prior to leaving. That was our first destination, only a 15 minute walk away. We got the test done and eeek, wasn’t very comfortable but it’s what I was expecting from the stories I have heard. We filled out some information and they said they would send us the results on WhatsApp! Amazing, text results basically! Spoiler alert – we’re both negative (mama, I’m comin’ home).
We then grabbed a taxi and headed by ferry to Besiktas, an area in Istanbul that we hadn’t previously explored. Erim explained that Besiktas is the European’s version of Kadaköy, where we went out for drinks during our first stay in Istanbul (younger demographic, lots of bars and restaurants, lively nearly any time of day). I really liked this area! We first walked to Dolmabache Palace but, after seeing the huge line outside, we decided to put visiting the inside of this palace on our “next time in Istanbul” list.
We walked back to central Besiktas to find some cheesecake our friend Burak had recommended to us, at B.Blok Bakery. The cheesecake was yummy but nothing topped my iced coconut latte, which had both Erim’s and mines eyes wide with amazement when we took a sip to try.
So much shopping tantalizing me in Besiktas! Despite being full from the cheesecake, we couldn’t stop ourselves from enjoying a dürüm at what is reportedly the second best döner place in Istanbul, Karadeniz Döner.
From Besiktas we walked along Çigaran Street to get to Ortaköy (Erim pointed out a few schools as well as the palace where his high school graduation was held, that’s right, an actual palace). We grabbed an ice bevvy at Starbucks to cool down and took some pictures at the water front, which had a view of the Bosphorus, the first bridge, and Büyük Mecidiye Mosque.
There were also some small souvenir shops here as well as Kumpir! Too bad we were still full from the cheesecake/doner because I did really want to try Kumpir, which is a “choose your toppings” stuffed baked potato! Erim said this was the place to get it, sure enough there were upwards of 20 kiosks in a row! Kumpir has also been added to our “next time in Istanbul” list (which now has 3 items including Yerabatan Sarnici, a must see near Sultanahmet that is currently closed for restorations).
Debating what to do next, we hopped in a taxi to go to an air conditioned mall, Akmerkez, for some shopping. A lot of clothes are manufactured and distributed from Turkey so it’s a great idea to pick up some items, and pick up some items I did (from Jimmy Key and Mango, writing this in so I can reference it next time I visit).
After both Erim and I had a few bags in hand, we took a taxi to Bebek, which Erim compares to Toronto’s King West or Montreal’s Old Port.
Bebek translates to “baby”
Everyone dressed up for some drinks on patios, upscale restaurants, right on the water. There was one special coffee shop he also wanted to show me here, Starbucks. Starbucks? That’s right! This Starbucks must be in the top 10 most beautiful Starbucks in the world list (if I had to guess) and Erim spent a lot of time here in his youth – I can see why. Three stories with balconies, patios and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Bosphorus. They also had a super special menu, I got an affogato (ice cream espresso)! We were lucky enough to snag an outdoor balcony for two on the top floor and enjoyed our coffees as we watched the sun set.
Our private Starbucks balcony overlooking the Bosphorus
We eventually got up and went to Kirinti for dinner, which was Erim’s grandfather’s favorite restaurant – he used to eat here every Sunday. Erim got a pasta dish and I had another salad, plus a cocktail each. After dinner we sat briefly at the waterfront before taking a taxi/metro bus/taxi back home to Fenerbahçe (Erim wasn’t kidding about the traffic, it’s constant & everywhere always).
Something I haven’t mentioned is my amazement on how there are no spiders here! I’ve always been fascinated in Europe at the fact that there’s seldom screens in the windows since there aren’t really bugs. I guess without bugs, there are no spiders either! Ha to everyone who ever told be I should like spiders because they keep the bug count down, the opposite my friend, looks like the bugs came first. Whether it be the railing alongside a boat, a waterfront bench, or a seldom used balcony, I haven’t seen a spider and it’s been great.
It was early enough and hoping to enjoy at least one shisha while in Turkey, we busted the one we bought open to try and enjoy it on the balcony only to find that unfortunately, the one we bought was broken and/or not well made so it didn’t work. Defeated, we went to bed.
Today we woke up at 5:30 (again) to take our shuttle to the airport. Unfortunately, with where our hotel was located, we were always the first to be picked up (and ensured punctuality) but then proceeded to drive to every other hotel in Goreme for additional pick ups for people who weren’t as punctual. We’d sometimes sit for upwards of 10 minutes outside someone’s hotel and my thoughts are always we are either going to miss where we’re going (air balloon, plane) or, “I could have been sleeping.” Today, we drove around Goreme for another 40 minutes after our 5:30am pick up before finally heading towards the airport, which was about 1:30 away. Bad news is, last night our online check-in was not available online, so we had to check-in in person, but the check-in closes 60 minutes before departure and our eta to the airport was about 67 minutes before departure so I was stressssin’ but Erim assured me they would still let us on. With a pre-screening lineup out the door when we got there, by some miracle, we still managed to check our bags and have a boarding pass in hand 62 minutes before departure, woo hoo!
A short flight later had us back at Sabiha Gokcen Airport where we took a taxi back to Erim’s place in Fenerbahce to quickly get ready and head out again! This time we walked to and took the Marmaray Metro all the way to the Golden Horn for some döner at Maranda Döner (which reportedly has the third best döner in the city). Finally, good döner! From here we meandered our way to the Grand Bazaar.
Now, Istanbul is undeniably a busy city but, since returning from the last leg of our trip, I’m all the more aware of how busy (and pushy) this city can be. Everyone walking just a little too close to comfort, and the Grand Bazaar is the worst of all places to be when you’re feeling like that. It was still a must see, and we had some shopping to do, but oh boy *deep breaths.* We successfully got the few souvenirs we were still looking to purchase, some good deals, other rip offs, and then we got right out of there!
Doesn’t look nearly as busy in this photo as it felt
To the Galata Bridge we go! Leading the way? Me! I’ve got a pretty good sense of direction and with the mentality that all roads lead to the sea (eventually) all I needed was high ground to sense whether we had to turn left or right. Having Google Maps on Erim’s phone and Erim’s knowledge of the city helps as well but, I think I’d survive at this point if I got lost in Istanbul. We made it to the base of the Galata Bridge where all the Balik Ekmek (fish bread) can be found.
We decided against the fish bread for the sanctity of our stomachs, but I had to try the spicy pickle juice drink. Verdict? 4/10, best part was the actual pickles.
We crossed the Galata Bridge and headed for dessert. Erim wanted to take me to the first baklava spot in all of Istanbul, Güllüoğlu. We found a table for two and, not wanting to lose it but also wanting me to choose which baklava we tried, he sent me in to order. Oh jebus. I actually felt pretty confident in my ability to order but it was so chaotic in this self-serve place that I almost had a mental breakdown. Trying to get service was painful and then, once I did, trying to communicate was also painful, despite ordering in my best Turkish and then English when that failed. Finally, the last painful part was navigating out of the restaurant with two hot teas on my tray.
Baklava feat pistachio ice cream
From Güllüoğlu we walked back to the ferry port to take the ferry to the Asian side.
My back has been really hurting and Burak recommended a place that I should try to get a massage. Since it was still early (about 5:30 or 6) and the massage place he recommended was very close to where we’d be disembarking, I asked Erim what he thought about me getting a massage and he thought it was a good idea. Fine Erim, if you insist! He called up the place to make sure there was room and sure enough, there was, so we walked directly there when we got off the ferry. I said he could go home and I would surely find my way but he insisted on waiting so he enjoyed a coffee on a patio while I got the massage, and I feel so much better because of it!
When the massage was done Erim said, if I was feeling up to it, we could walk home along the water and it would only be about 25 or 30 minutes. I was reluctant since I was feeling pretty tired but a walk along the water sounded nice. Whoops, it was 7km and took 1:20. On the plus side, I got to see the length of Moda park by the water, filled with young people having evening picnics and of course, cats and dogs.
Not a bad view though
I was sooo tired and sore by the time we got home, and we still hadn’t had supper! We quickly got changed and walked down to Midpoint, a Turkish restaurant chain and finally had some veggies – salad for both Erim and I, just what the doctor ordered.
Feeling much better but still very sleepy, we went home for an early-ish night.
This morning we didn’t set an alarm, quite simply because we didn’t think of setting one, and woke up at 11am. This is quite a bit later than we would have liked since we had a few commitments today, but the extra few hours were needed. We quickly got ready and headed out, but not before a few false starts. The first was when we made it to the ground floor, but then Erim realized he forgot his Istanbul Kart. The second time we actually made it to the lobby, only to see it was pouring rain! We went back up for umbrellas, third time’s a charm? Fortunately, the rain only lasted 5 more minutes and I was happy we hadn’t left only 5 minutes sooner as we would have been drenched for the day. A taxi brought us to the ferry station, and the ferry to Europe.
Galata Tower from the ferry (again) stay tuned we’re about to get up close and personal
First stop: coffee, as usual. I would have loved to enjoy the coffee at the shop but, unfortunately, all the seats were taken.
From the coffee shop in Kadaköy we climbed up the steep hill to Galata and then to the top of the tower for a view of all of Istanbul.
This hill told us we should work out more Views from the bottomViews from the topAsia on the left and Golden Horn on the rightView of Hagia Sofia and the Golden Horn View of the Bosphorus and the Asian side of Istanbul
Windy it was! Really happy this skirt is actually a skort because let’s just say, I saw more than one pair of undies at the top and fortunately, none of them were mine.
From here we walked through Tünel, stopped for Döner Kebap for lunch (technically breakfast), and then walked to Çukurcuma to the the hamam (Çukurcuma Hamamı), a Turkish bath!!
Special mention to Çukurcuma, which is a stunning neighbourhood covered in vines, filled with antique stores, and lived in by authors, musicians, and other artists alike. Imagine: you’re an 18th century poet, sitting on a terrasse, enjoying a coffee, and drawing inspiration from the life and history of the neighbourhood! Ok back to reality.
Now, hamam time. Flashback to yesterday in Topkapi Palace when I was wondering why the large marble washrooms spanned 5 rooms and had a larger surface area than my entire condo in Toronto. Now, fast forward to today at the hamam, where everything started falling in to place. Note, this is one of few traditional Turkish baths that allow women to attend with men, so Erim and I could go together.
First, we got undressed (changed into bathing suits in one room), followed by a 10 minute sweat in another fairly large and humid room lined with marble benches, where we were also instructed to pour hot water over ourselves using bowls that we filled from the overflowing “sink” next to us. From here, we moved to the hot marble slab room with our respective therapists, who scrubbed each of us of our dead skin as we sat on another marble bench with what felt like a 50 grit sandpaper washcloth. What came off of our bodies is indescribable. My therapist also left no square inch of skin unscrubbed, ifyouknowwhatimean. We then lay down on the marble slab in the center of the room to be showered in soap bubbles while being simultaneously hand washed and massaged, front and back. When I was crispy clean she took me by the hand to lead me to another room where she stripped me AND towel dried me, including my hair. She then led me (by hand) to a relaxation room where she lifted my legs on to an ottoman, served me tea and water, and told me to relax (as if I wasn’t already). Both Erim and I sat down in silence and looked at one another bewildered, as we questioned what the heck we’ve been doing with our lives until today. Life as a concubine of the Sultan is looking ever more appealing as my life in Turkey progresses. We relaxed here for a bit, cold towels on our face, before drying up and re-emerging into the society which I no longer wish to be a part of. Hamam life is the life for me.
My sultan
We walked through Beyoğlu on İstiklal street to Taksim Square. If you’re familiar with the iconic red tram in photos of Istanbul, you may be surprised to find out (as I was) that it actually only runs the length of this street, and not throughout the whole city!
İstiklal was oh so busy!!
And plenty of shopping to be had (although we resisted). We stopped for a few photos of historical or otherwise well known spots that my guide graciously pointed out to me:
Çiçek Pasaj
We also stopped for a “wet hamburger,” a well-known snack in Taksim Square that I wanted no part of… until I had a bite of Erim’s. @Kebap… you have some serious completion – be forewarned.
Erim with his wet hamburger aka Islak Hamburger in Taksim Square Erim in front of the Atatürk Cultural center, where he used to perform opera every Friday!
We doubled back down İstiklal street to the metro, which we took until we were able to transfer to the Marmaray (a new subway that passes under the Marmara sea to Asia, and is also a play on the words Marmara and Ray aka “rail”).
Once on the Asian side we headed straight for Dalyan Park to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Erim’s family with a view of the sunset over the Marmara.
After the celebration, Erim took me out for a night on the town in Kadeköy. We went to a bar called Aya with great music, great service, and great people watching from our spot out front on the patio. You’d never know it was a Monday by how busy it was in this area! Erim laughed and let me know that it was actually considered a quiet night for Kadeköy standards. After a few drinks we finished up with a dürüm at a busy-after-midnight joint called Kimyon before heading home.
Oh boy! Where do I begin? Brace yourself because we walked 20km and took nearly 450 pictures today.
Our day (or I should say my day) began when Erim woke me after returning with fresh simit from the bakery. It was a difficult wake up, a late evening and jet lag really made it hard to roll out of bed (thank you to Erim for letting me sleep 3 hours later than him and only waking me at 9:30 – he said he was up at 6:30)!
A simit stand
In all of Turkey every person is assigned a HES code (a personal QR code used to facilitate contact tracing and register whether or not someone is covid+). We received our HES codes prior to departure but our morning was off to a rough start when there was an issue linking mine to my Instanbul Kart (card for public transit). Erim ended up saving the day by figuring it out but it delayed our morning a little bit. Once that was sorted, we took a taxi to the ferry port and took the ferry from the Asian side to the European side of Istanbul! First stop in Europe? Kahve! (Coffee).
A view of the Galata Tower from the ferry New Mosque (by new they mean newer than the rest, it was still built in the 17th century)
With our coffees we crossed the Galata Bridge on foot, headed for Sultanahmet and Topkapi Palace. We meandered our way there and soon realized that Erim, despite knowing the city very well, doesn’t have the strongest internal compass… I later took over on the directions front, although we did successfully make it to Sultanahmet while Erim was “at the wheel” so to speak. Wow! Breathtaking views around every corner.
This is a post office
We began with a visit to the iconic Hagia Sophia, first constructed as 537 as a cathedral in the capital of Constantinople (that’s right – 537 AD). It was the largest Christian church of the eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire). Then, in 1453, after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935, the secular Turkish Republic converted it to a museum and in 2020, it re-opened as a mosque.
Hagia SofiaInside the Hagia Sofia It was a little bit busy inside
We then visited the immense Topkapi Palace, home to the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire (it was Erim’s first time in the actual palace too)!
Entrance to the palace grounds Erim outside the Aya Irini (4th Century Byzantine Orthodox Church) where he actually performed opera a few times when he was younger!Here is the stage where he performed *me fangirling*Living as the Sultans didMy favorite building, the Sultan’s library*considering life as a concubine*The party room *getting a feel for life in the Harem*Erim enjoying the Harem Spotted! Galata tower in the back This little kitty stole my idea and already moved in to the Harem
A quick stop for coffee and pomegranate juice at the palace café turned in to a full fledged photoshoot and – who could blame us? Check out that view!
My first Turkish coffee in Turkey!
From the palace we stopped for lunch at Sultanahmet Köftecisi – not to be confused with the 10 other Sultanahmet Köftecisis! This one is over 100 years old and, according to Erim, locals know it’s the best (this checks out). With only one thing on the menu, kofta, we had, you guessed it, kofta for lunch!
THE restaurantTHE kofta
A quick walk through the hippodrome had us back at the Blue Mosque for a visit but not before this lady got a belly rub. No, not me! Her:
Unfortunately, while the Blue Mosque was open, the interior was totally covered with scaffolding as it’s undergoing renovations/restorations, so here’s some pics from the outside…
No problem though! There’s more mosques where that came from, to the Sulemaniye Mosque we go! Not before some shopping in the Spice Bazaar though. We weren’t supposed to shop today but, how was I to say no? Look how cute the shopkeep was!
A few souvenirs later we continued on our way to what has been my favorite mosque so far. Maybe it’s because we arrived right at dusk, the lights were illuminating the building and we had a view of the entire city.
Us, blocking said view with our heads
From the Sulemaniye Mosque we walked back to where we had begun our day for some kebap on the rooftop patio overlooking the Bosphorus at Hamdi Restaurant. We ordered my favorite kebap, the Adana Kebap. And, of course, no Turkish dinner is complete without Raki! We also got hummus, a tomato salad (name unbeknownst to me), some warmed cheese, lacmacun, and finished with (the best) kunefe (of my life) and tea! I’m also proud to say I independently ordered bread in Turkish (“ekmek lütven?”) I think I fooled our waiter too because, when he was pouring my Raki, I let him know when it was enough (“teşekkürler”) and he followed up with a question IN TURKISH! Imagine both of our surprise when I looked at him dumbfounded and had to have Erim come to the rescue.
Galata Tower by night
After dinner we were debating another drink in Kadiköy (near home) but we both nearly fell asleep on the ferry and called it a day when we reached the Asian side.
Today’s the day! After almost 2.5 years of not leaving the country, I’ve made it to Turkey!
Erim stressed that we are only leaving for the airport 4.5h before our flight Erim feeling better during dinner at the airport once it’s evident that we will make our flight
One direct (very hot) flight later, we landed in Istanbul. First stop, (Erim’s) home! Leaving the airport, we almost got in a blue taxi which would have charged us 15% premium but thankfully, I brought my in-house Turkish translator, who ensured that didn’t happen – good thing too because it was about a 1.5h ride! Note to self, stick to the orange taxis. That being said, even the orange taxi felt like a premium taxi since it came with free entertainment: our driver was often texting/on his phone, smoking in the car, and I was also surprised (to say the least) by the people selling water and simit (Turkish bagels) in the middle of the highway. Erim explained that, because there’s always traffic, a snack or water is almost a sure sell and, sure enough, our taxi driver bought one for himself.
The simit man quite literally in the highwayMy first breathtaking view of the Bosphorus as we cross the bridge from Europe to Asia – 3 contents in 1 day counting North America!
When we arrived, I was in awe at how cute the neighborhood, Fenerbahçe, where Erim’s family home is located – nevermind the spectacular view of the Marmara sea from his balcony! We freshened up before enjoying an evening coffee and chocolate covered lokum (Turkish Delight) on the balcony before dinner.
View by dayView by *a little bit later* in the day View when blocked entirely by our heads
All jokes aside, the entire pandemic, Erim and I have toyed with the idea of working remotely for a few weeks (or months) and Turkey was always on the table. Now that I’m here though, I’m wondering what the heck we’ve been doing all this time! It’s magical here.
For dinner we headed out to Galatasaray “Sport Club”, a beautiful patio restaurant by the sea (which is also coincidentally owned by and named after Erim’s favorite soccer team, Galatasaray) with Erim’s aunt, her husband, and his cousin. Of course no celebratory Turkish dinner is complete without some Raki! Special mention to the borek, dolma, and my new found love – melon and feta.
Views of the Marmara Sea from dinner
After dinner Erim brought me to a hidden gem down some stairs in Fenerbahçe park, Baraka Cafe. Must be a best kept secret, this absolute gem had us sitting alone on a huge patio on a Saturday night right at the coast of the sea (like, put your big toe in the water type close) as I enjoyed my first authentic Turkish tea. The spot also usually offers shisha, but that’s restricted during the pandemic.
Our walk home wasn’t complete without me petting every stray cat and dog in Fenerbahçe (and dying inside each time wanting to feed & adopt them).
New furry friends
To bed now to catch up on the sleep we missed out on during the flight, tomorrow is a big adventure day!
This morning we headed out on our tour to the Cliffs of Moher! It was a little overcast and we were worried there would be rain at the cliffs but there was only wind, a whole lot of wind!! Our hair was blowing every which way and I was sure not to stand too close to the edge in case little old me blew right away.
The picture above look great, I know, but this is what I took to get there:
A little behind the scenes for you…
On the way home our tour company, Healy tours, brought us to Fitzpatrick Pub in Doolin for lunch. We both had Guinness Beef and Barley stew! I could probably eat that stew every day for the rest of my life..
After we got home we got ready and headed out for thanksgiving dinner! We ended up at a pub a few minutes away from our Bed & Breakfast, Garveys Inn. Lucky for us (or rather, for Carly) they were airing all the American football games so over bangers & mash she calculated the results of her football pool. I didn’t really understand much but I think she didn’t do so well…
Today was an Irish culinary experience.
We ended the night at the Quays here in Galway listening to live music and dancing!
Oh and Carly met an Irish guy, Cameron beware!
Day 4: Dublin
Today we took the bus back to Dublin! A late night made for a rough morning but we made it in one piece, checked in to our hotel, Clifton Court, right along the River Liffey and set out to do some more shopping at Penneys.
Our evening plan included making it to the Guinness Storehouse which google stated was open until 7PM but BEWARE the last admission time is 5PM due to the length of the tour and so we missed it!
We had a lovely dinner at J.W. Sweetman where Carly enjoyed a full roast and I enjoyed bangers and mash. We also each had an Irish Coffee to help give us the energy to head out for our last night in Ireland! Tonight we bar hopped from Temple Bar, to the Auld Dubliner but ultimately ended up at the Quays (and one last stop at McDonald’s before we turned in for the night!)
This morning we were definitely feeling the effects of last night. The room and the city were spinning and we slept through check-out. A Big Mac for breakfast would hopefully help do the trick, and while it didn’t solve all our problems, it hit the spot.
The Quays bar looks different in the day!
We got on the bus to Galway at 11:45 and it arrived exactly 2:30h later, punctual transportation is not something I am used to when traveling! We were knocked out for the whole ride there and after a short walk to our Bed & Breakfast we are guilty of letting a 30min power nap turn in to 2.5h.
We showered got ready and head out to see the city after 5pm. Galway is a super tiny city so we walked through the popular Latin quarter during sunset and then eventually crossed the whole city, destination: fish and chips! We set out to find a restaurant I found on trip advisor, Hooked, and I enjoyed a seafood chowder, Carly enjoyed prawns, and we both finished it off filling ourself to the BRIM with fish & chips.
This restaurant was AMAZING. It was so cute, interior was super nautical… even the bathroom was something right out of Pinterest! I wanted to try everything on the menu! I peered over at our neighboring table and everything looked delish for them as well. The batter on the fish and chips was so light and the fish itself was super fresh!
From here we headed back through “downtown” Galway to our Airbnb to drop off some stuff before heading out for a night on the town but the second we lay down we closed our eyes and shortly after admitted defeat. We both agreed we would rather miss a night out in order to get up early, enjoy a full Irish breakfast, and seize the day tomorrow since we have a tour booked.
It’s been nothing but luck o’ the Irish since the trip began!
We were flying standby to Toronto and then connecting to Dublin through there. The flight was oversold by 12 people and we were #7th & #8th on the standby list but, 20 minutes before boarding was meant to be complete, our names were called! It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders….. we were going to Ireland! We had a plan B of course but it involved leaving the next day and on a 4 day vacation losing a whole day would have been devastating.
We got premium economy, and seats beside each other! Once boarding was complete however they came and to get us, a few of those before us on he standby list never showed up and so we were ESCORTED to first class!!!! We had a pod!!! And somehow we still remained beside each other. Can’t tell you how much of a difference this makes!
People always ask me why I love Ireland so much? When we were boarding the coach at the airport there were two Dutch women in front of us who had pre-paid for their bus ticket and printed it out back home in the Netherlands, and the ticket was in Dutch. Now the bus driver took it and of course couldn’t make out anything on the ticket. He said he didn’t know if it was for his bus, if it was a return ticket, and couldn’t tell if it was for one or two people. He was saying all of this in a rather laughing tone of voice, thinking himself that it was funny. He then called over his friend and says, “Hey, maybe you can read this” to which his friend takes the ticket, laughs and says, “what language is this?” “Dutch” responds the woman, he then goes to grab the second woman’s ticket and is holding both of them, looks up and quips, “well now that’s double Dutch!” And everyone laughed and both women boarded the bus without the driver having any clue if they had the right ticket, and that about perfectly sums up why I love Ireland.
So we took the bus from the airport to our hostel, and our room was only to be ready in an hour, but we used the time to get ready in the shared bathrooms before checking-in and heading out! Our city adventure brought us first to St Patrick’s Cathedral, then over to the Dublin Castle.
We stopped to eat lunch at an old “American” diner then we headed over to Trinity College. Last time I was in Dublin I opted not to pay for entry to see the book of Kells and Trinity College Library, something I always regretted, so we both agreed to pay and visit the library this time!
There was an exhibit prior to seeing the actual book of Kells and Carly spent time reading, every. single. word. on the walls, and still understood nothing whereas I only read a bit, understood about just as much, and skipped right ahead to the books.
The library that followed was also absolutely breathtaking.
From here we walked across the river and did some shopping at Penney’s (Primark), an insane clothing store with everything! So cheap and nice! We bought some goodies and then headed to the Jameson Distillery! Carly was right at home. It’s a tour I had done before but was more than happy to do it again to accompany Carly, who sponsors Jameson. Just my luck, they had completely renovated the distillery and redesigned the whole tour so it was a new experience for me too! Included on the tour is 3 shots of whiskey and a Jameson ginger and lime! Carly helped me with the shots….
We headed back to our place to drop off our purchases before heading out for a night on the town! We ate dinner at a pizzeria and each had an espresso martini to whip us into shape before heading to the Temple Bar.
The Temple Bar was so full that there wasn’t even room to sneeze so we headed to my FAVORITE BAR the Quays! Here we drank plenty of Guinness and Jameson, so many that we lost count, and listened to every song we could ever want to hear live before heading back to our hostel in the wee hours of the morning.
Carly and I fitting in just fine here in Ireland, as you would expect!
Kat was back to work today so I was left to my own devices! I drove her to work, got ready and then headed downtown to return the car and explore. The drop off for the car was in a seemingly corporate/financial area of the city, but there was a lovely waterfront!
From here I made my way to the old town. It resembled many of the old towns we had seen this week except Zurich’s old town is a lot more commercial. Each road is lined with stores and restaurants. I sat for a while in Lindenhof Park which sat atop a hill overlooking the river (another river) and the other side of the old town. Unfortunately the park is not covered in gravel instead of grass but I found a nice shady bench to sit and listen to music. From here I walked down to the water and walked along the river’s edge before ending up in H&M. How does this always happen?! I always just END UP in H&M!
Despite the machine, map and instructions all being in German, I successfully and correctly (I think) bought myself a tram ticket back to Katiana’s apartment, which will also allow me to make it to the airport tomorrow!
Tonight is our last evening together so we are going to spend it cuddled in bed catching up on Bachelor in Paradise. xox.
Virtual Postcard 