Tag Archives: Dublin

Voyage á Paris: Navigation and Transportation

Beware RyanAir. Don’t get me wrong, I was very grateful to have purchased a one way ticket from Dublin to Paris for a mere 26.99 euro [aprx. 32.57 USD], but then comes the extra fees:

  • 2.00 euro passenger fee for EU 261 Levy
  • 6.00 euro passenger fee for web check-in [they stick you with a 65 euro fee if you print out your boarding pass at the airport check-in…yikes]
  • 35.00 euro passenger fee for 1st checked bag
  • 40.00 euro passeger fee for  2nd checked bag

Grand total for travel: 109.99 euro [132.68 USD]

For traveling 728 kilometers [452 miles] I am still confident I got a great price, not to mention I was green with envy for EU and UK citizens who have the ability to jump flights on RyanAir for weekend excursions all over Europe and the UK. However, what I found to be somewhat bothersome about RyanAir is their push to sell more through out the entire process. While booking tickets online the site is full of advertisements, pushes to buy travelers insurance and suitcases as you navigate the booking prompts, reserved seating fees, priority boarding fees, and so on. Then, during their flights they push travelers to purchase lottery tickets, travel items, and any food or drink on board [including water]. Overall though, I can’t complain and feel the pushiness from the company to purchase their products helps keep the overall cost of the flights down, for which I am grateful. 

After landing at Paris Beauvais Tille Airport, I had to take a bus to downtown Paris, about 88.5 km, or 55 miles. The bus was a smooth and easy ride, conveniently available as soon as I set foot outside of the airport. Once arriving in downtown Paris, and getting over my initial awe-struck moments during my first glimpses of the city, I shared a cab with a couple from Italy to my hotel. Word to the wise, taxis in Paris are expensive! For our short ten minute drive I paid the driver 14 euro [the meter was reading that 24 euro was due when the driver dropped me off, but the Italian couple still had a bit of a ride ahead of them]. And at that moment I was grateful we had shared the cab fare and realized why once the group had gotten off the bus they set out for the Paris Metro and public bus transport.

Paris bus routes

I did most of my transportation around Paris by foot, after all, I do love finding those unpublicized, lesser-known shops and cafes. At the end of my second day in Paris I was able to figure out the bus system, with a little help from a very sweet Parisian women. We were both trying to get to the same area, but because it was after 23:00 [11PM] the bus we needed had stopped running. Though I’ve never taken a single course in French I’m happy to say all those years of Latin finally paid off as I was successfully able to interpret the bus schedule by month and day of the week. The bus system in Paris is very nice and very efficient. Another perk? It only costs 1.90 euro for a bus pass that will work for 90 minutes after purchase. Though I never took the metro system I’ve heard only wonderful things about it. [I preferred the bus, so as not to miss the fabulous views of this stunning city.]

All in all I found Paris a relatively easy city to navigate and was quite impressed with their entire transit system, but like I said earlier, I highly recommend travel by foot and avoiding taxis unless you’re really in a hurry or are transporting a lot of things. Even during rush hour, when I had to leave to get to the train station to catch my train from Paris to London, the bus was still a very efficient and easy ride. It was also nice that most riders weren’t bothered that I was taking up extra room on the bus with my luggage.

The only off-putting event that happened was when I was about halfway to the Paris Nord train station and the bus driver pulled over and told everyone to get out mid-route because, “my shift is over, goodbye.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation, luckily it all worked out in my favor because the bus I was on would take me to the Paris Gare de l’est [east train station] and require I walk an extra 10-15 minutes to the north train station, but the bus stop we were dropped off at had a bus going directly to the north station, no extra walking with my luggage required.

Dublin, in Review

The trip to Europe didn’t exactly begin smoothly. To kick things off, my flight between Dayton and Chicago was cancelled, luckily I arrived unfashionably early and the airlines were able to book me on a different flight through another airline leaving 40 minutes earlier. Success.

The flight from Chicago to Dublin was short and sweet, after jet setting 18 hours straight between Washington DC and Johannesburg, South Africa, this flight was a walk in the park. I arrived at the Dublin airport just after 8:00 a.m. [GMT +1]. Bright eyed and bushy tailed [hardly] I was ready to get to the hostel and settle in, as well as catch some shut eye before exploring the city [I’m no good with sleeping on flights].

Map of Temple Bar district

Everyone in Dublin was very helpful, I was sent in the right direction by a number of locals, eventually arriving by bus at the Globetrotters Dublin Hostel on Lower Gardiner Street, very close to the bustling O’Connell Street and just a five minute walk from the Temple Bar district. The staff at Globetrotters were wonderful and accommodating, even allowing me to check in five hours before the designated time, and for that, I was relieved. I did a little unpacking, showered, and attempted to take a nap before the exploration commenced. Eagerness and anticipation got the best of me. So, sans nap, I set off to explore Dublin.

Temple Bar District, at night

Traveling alone in a foreign country, I had no set agenda to stick to so I decided I would just walk to the more famous sights first, maybe finding hidden spectacles along the way. First up, the Spire of Dublin [also referred to as the Spike]. Positioned smack dab in the middle of O’Connell Street, even the most directionally challenged could spot this monument.

I followed O’Connell across the Liffey River through to Trinity College. Trinity College was founded in 1592, making it the oldest university in Ireland. The campus was absolutely beautiful. Forgoing paying 10 euro to get an “official tour,” I did what any broke, post-grad tourist would do and created a self-guided tour. I’d say I did alright:

Since researching sights and sounds of Dublin, Paris, and London I’ve been looking forward to the Pont des Arts in Paris. I was happy to see the, tradition?, of writing you and your loves names on a lock, latching it onto a bridge, and throwing the key into the river is not only a practice in Paris. On the Ha’penny bridge locks can be found, representing loves that aspire to live forever. Adorable.

After miles upon miles of walking through out Dublin I was ready to recharge. I grabbed some grub [and a Guinness, of course] at a local pub. I was getting ready to leave for the hotel when I was approached by a new friend, Paul. A local, Paul told me all about his own favorite hotspots in Dublin and even ordered me a “Jamie-and-red” [Jameson and red lemonade, a lemonade unique to Dublin—or so I was told]. Paul was full of useful information, for instance did you know that coffee was discovered by Ethiopian sheep? Neither did I, but Paul did. He also told me Nolan is a very common Irish name, a first for me, as I have met only a handful of other Nolan’s. Getting in tune with your heritage is nice. After chitting and chatting it was finally time for me to get some rest! One of my favorite things about Dublin is that almost anywhere you want to travel on foot is only about a fifteen minute walk. That being said, I hiked on “home” so I could rest up for the arrival of my fellow Bobcats abroad.

The OU Crew

It is always a pleasant sight when you meet with familiar faces. Sam Girton and Frederick Lewis walked up the stairs into the lounge where I was waiting for the groups arrival. Sam and Frederick are the program directors for the Ohio University study abroad trip to Letterkeny. Of course, I was most excited to be reunited with my dear roommate, Annette.

Shortly after their arrival on Friday we set out on the town. We all grabbed lunch near Temple Bar, it was a great opportunity for me to meet the students taking part in the trip.

Photo in front of the Dublin castle, compliments of http://www.behance.net/sonyapaclob

Latte from the French Cafe in Dublin.

Following lunch we marched around town, stopping by Christchurch, the Dublin Castle, a perfect little French café for some cappuccinos and coffee, and eventually making it to St. Stephens Green. Feeling much more rested than the previous night, and more secure with friends by my side, I was ready to really see what the infamous Irish nightlife was like. Our group started out at a quaint little pub called The Stags Head. Mine, Annette, and Natalie’s favorite part? The corner window seat/nook with a perfect view of the street below. After walking around town some more, we ended our night at The Porterhouse. This pub was great, they had house brews and live music, you can’t really go wrong with either of those.

Saturday, our group decided to really be a part of a tourist agenda and visit the Guinness Brewery on St-James Street. On our way we made stops at an amazing farmer’s market, a book shop, and other cute stores for stumbling!

I have to give cudos to the design firm hired to put the tour of the Guinness Storehouse together. The brewery was amazing. Each of the eight floors had its own distinct purpose, some full of useful and interesting infographics and animations, others displaying archives of Guinness goods, overall the entire layout and flow of the storehouse was incredible. The best part of the tour was definitely the GRAVITY Bar, situated on the top deck of the storehouse, featuring stunning panoramic views of the entire city.

I could have spent many more hours cavorting around at the Guinness GRAVITY Bar, but we had dinner reservations and tickets to see Plough and the Stars at the Peacock Theatre. As a lover of theatre and the arts, I was excited to see a performance that was an embodiment of Ireland and fitted with Irish actors. Hmph. So, I won’t say too much about this play, other than the following:

  • It was long, very long indeed. Bring some refreshments, people.
  • I learned that I have no sense or understanding of Irish humor, yet.
  • The skill and intensity of the actors were phenomenal.
  • Word to the wise: If you’re seeing a play that is based on Irish history, know a little bit about Irish history.

The highlights of the day certainly out weigh the sap of the play, and the trip, overall, was great! So to recap…

Things I learned while in Dublin:

  • I may have an Irish name and be of Irish heritage, but I don’t look very Irish, at all.
  • Packing an umbrella, raincoat, and rain boots were a solid investment in this journey.
  • Ireland is a great place for surfing some great waves [who knew!].
  • Ireland has great seafood fare.
  • Dublin is much smaller than I expected.
  • Irish-English is far more difficult to understand than American-English, African-English, Canadian-English, or even the lesser known dialect of English, Cleveland-English, just kidding friends! ;)
  • I would be 100 percent OK with it if everyone called boys, “lads” and “laddys,” and girls “lasses.”
  • Dublin was a blast, and a perfect way to kick off a great month long journey in Europe.

Keep Calm, and Travel On

I’m sure at some point you have seen the popular “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster, in one form or another. In recent years they have emerged as personalized internet memes. About a year ago they were so popular they made BuzzFeed, and the responses to the BuzzFeed article were creative and tremendous [just click this link, scroll down, and see for yourself].

But where did this poster, turned internet sensation, originate? The government playing host to the 2012 Summer Games. That’s right, for those of you who didn’t already know, these posters started as a campaign produced by the government of the United Kingdom, specifically from the Ministry of Information, to raise morale among the Brits at the start of World War II. From what I’ve gathered the public was to “Keep Calm” in the event of an invasion or wartime disaster. Yeah, sure

Either way, these posters have regained remarkable popularity, and they can be quite fun to play around with as users make their own Keep Calm memes. In light of my recent travels I made the following parody’s [via Keep Calm-O-Matic + The Noun Project]:

Bon Voyage, America!

After months of planning and coordinating with colleagues and friends all over the world, I am finally departing for Europe! The number one question I get when I tell people about my travels is “What are your expectations while you’re over there?” and to that I say, I have none. It is so important to keep an open mind when traveling. I have plenty of plans to see all the famous sites and sounds, but I also look forward to wandering around the cities, stumbling upon hidden treasures, hole-in-the-wall eateries, and interesting people. My favorite part of traveling to a new city is discovering the unexpected and taking part in the unplanned. While living in NYC I would walk around Manhattan and Brooklyn for hours, exploring boutiques, new restaurants and coffee shops, and other lesser-known gems in the city, all while meeting some fascinating individuals along the way. I suspect London will be chalk full of intriguing people from all around the globe, each with stories to tell.

So, until I arrive in each of the cities and stumble upon these unplanned places and persons, here is a list of my plans for site seeing and excursions thus far:

First stop, Dublin

What I am most excited about in Dublin isn’t visiting the Spire, or even drinking the most genuine draught of Guinness in the world, it’s meeting up with one of my college roommates, Annette Drapac. Annette has spent her summer working as a coordinator for an Ohio University study abroad program in Letterkenny, Ireland. This weekend the study abroad group is taking a trip to Dublin, and I’ll get to visit with them.

Me and Annette out to dinner in NYC

Dublin Castle

Of course, in addition to meeting up with some bobcats abroad I’m going to be sure to check out the National Library of Ireland, Ha’penny Bridge, The Brazen Head—allegedly the oldest pub in Dublin—the Dublin Castle, see some traditional Irish dancers, and celebrate mine and Miss Natalie Schultz twenty-second birthdays [which were both on July 24] over a Guinness or Irish Whisky. Cheers!

 

Next up, Journee to Paris

Traveling to Paris will be a true test of cultural immersion and independence. This city is completely foreign to me: the language, the customs, the history, everything. I’ve tried learning some basic market-place French via iPhone apps, but I’m still nervous to interact with the French, who, unfortunately, are infamous for disdain towards Americans. I hope I find this to be untrue, I’ll have to get back to this topic at a later date.

Regardless of how the French feel about U.S. citizens, I am very excited to tour this beautiful and culturally rich mecca. I have many excursions [and a whole lot of walking] planned. On Monday, July 30 I will be taking a tour of the city via the Seine river. I also plan to hit all the big sights: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Pont des Arts, Notre Dame, Basilique du Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, Palace of Versailles, and if I can fit it in the St.Ouen Flea Market, on the recommendation of a well-traveled friend who claims it is the best flea market in the world. While the metro system in Paris is known to be very efficient I plan on walking the city to really take in all the sights and sounds. What are some of your favorite Paris hotspots and lesser-known gems? Let me know in the comments section.

Final Destination: London 2012

Tuba and I during our time together NYC

Just as I was excited to visit with my college roommate in Dublin, I am equally as excited to visit with two of my dear friends, Tuba and Kristen, in London! Tuba and I met while living in the same building in New York City. She is originally from Germany but has recently finished her masters degree program and obtained career placement in London—congrats! Kristen was the PR coordinator at the Miss Universe Organization during my internship with the company. Recently Kristen has joined the team at Taylor Strategy, working in London on the P&G, “Thank You, Mom” campaign.

The big sights that are on my must-see list while in London include: Big Ben, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Notting Hill, Stonehenge, seeing Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, The British Museum, Abbey Road Studios, and of course, snagging a photo inside a red phone booth!

The London Bridge

And it goes without saying that with the Olympics being the primary reason I am traveling to London this summer I have a fairly busy schedule covering the events. I will be attending the following Olympic events:

  • 4 August: Women’s triathlon @ 9AM
  • 5 August: Women’s Marathon @ 11AM
  • 7 August: Men’s triathlon @ 11:30AM // Synchronized Swimming @ 3PM
  • 8 August: Touring BBC press center
  • 9 August: Women’s 10K swimming @ 12PM
  • 10 August: Men’s 10K swimming @ 12PM
  • 12 August: Volleyball @ 9:30AM // Men’s Marathon @ 11AM

I look forward to sharing my coverage of the 2012 London Olympics as well as my journey and findings in Dublin, Paris, and elsewhere in and around London with each of you. Thanks for reading!

Au revoir, for now.

Friday Finds: 1 June

This Friday all my finds are dedicated to the 2012 summer games in London! I guess now is as good as time as any to announce that I was the recipient of a very unique scholarship from the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. While most of my time in Europe will be spent in London, covering the games, I will also be traveling to Dublin and Paris for a short while.

I am eternally grateful for the amazing opportunities I have been presented with by the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the Institute for International Journalism, none of my meaningful travels would have been possible with them!

Infographic Find

I love a good infographic! Check out this one, it breaks down info about the London Olympics by year, with more great information about athletes, participants, medal wins by country, budget and more…so good!

Social Media Find

While I am traveling independently, throughout my time in London I will be tagging along with a group of Ohio University students studying sports reporting and international journalism. Be sure to follow @ScrippsLondon for all the latest updates from the group! They have an exciting agenda ahead, including meeting top sports correspondents and Olympic officials from the U.S. Olympic Committee, Associated Press, CNN, and more! (I will also be contributing tweets to their account, so be on the look out!)

Another great account to follow to keep up-to-date with all the Olympic happenings is @LondonLive, the New York Times official Twitter handle–reports from their own reporters and editors in London.

 

Harry Potter Fan Find

One attraction you can bet I’ll be stopping to get a photo in front of is the famous “Platform 9 3/4″ at Kings Cross Station, made famous by J.K. Rowling and her fictional boy-wizard, Harry Potter (as if you didn’t already know).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool Campaign Find

Proctor & Gamble is sponsoring a really great campaign to help support and to commemorate mom’s of olympic and paralympic athletes, Thank you, mom by P&G. According to their website, on May 8 they announced that P&G will help offset travel costs to the London Games for more than 800 moms of U.S. Olympians and Paralympians…how could you not love that story?!

While their home site is very well put together, I am really loving their Facebook page. There, you can view videos of olympic athletes and their moms, share your own stories about your mom and how she’s helped you become the person you are today, and much more! It is definitely worth checking out.

That wraps up all the finds this Friday! I’m still a little overwhelmed with picking which London hotspots and attractions I’ll be going to, please leave me a comment or two with your favorite places in London, including any hidden gems I might not otherwise discover! Thanks!