Tag Archives: Travel

St. Paddy’s Celebrations – Chicago Style

Image

My sister and brother-in-law, St. Paddy’s Day in Chicago, 2013

 

 

I love Chicago, and typically take a trip to the city at least a couple of times each year – it certainly makes for an inexpensive trip since my sister and her husband live in the Lincoln Park/Lake View neighborhood area of Chicago. I love being able to visit these two!For years I have been eager to make the trip to The Windy City for their St. Paddy’s celebration. The most notable celebratory tradition in Chicago is the dyeing of the Chicago River. Well in 2013, I finally made the March trip!

Image

IMG_5057

The dyeing of the Chicago River began in 1962. I was interested to learn that it is The Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union 130 that funds the annual project – not the city of Chicago. Fifty-one years ago the team dyeing the river used one-hundred pounds of dye, leaving the river a stunning Emerald green for a full week! By year three, 1964, they used only 25 lbs, leaving the river shimmering green for the intended twenty-four hours.

I was curious – and guessed that many other tourists, Chicagoans, and blog readers alike were also wondering – what do they use to dye the river? Is it environmentally safe? I did find that in 1966 environmentalist groups accused the parade committee of polluting the river. While I didn’t discover any detailed, straight answer, the FAQ section on the Chicago St. Pat’s Parade website writes:

Just like the recipe for Coca Cola, it’s (the dye formula) a closely guarded secret! But seriously, the formula has been thoroughly tested by independent chemists and has been proven safe for the environment.

So while that wasn’t the exact answering I was looking for, it seems media outlets such as CBS Chicago, The Huffington Post, and Chicago Traveler also settle for attributing that the dye formula has been approved and deemed environmentally friendly to no one in particular – perhaps the EPA?

Seeing the river dyed green was great, but I also did a lot of other fun “touristy” outings while visiting Chicago. My boyfriend, a native to the northeast, had never made the trip to the heartland of the Midwest. So of course all the tacky tourist attractions in Chi-city were a must!

Image

We traveled to the top of the John Hancock Center – the Signature Room at the 95th – to be exact. I was under the impression to get a stunning view of the city from such heights required some sort of entry fee (a la Willis Tower, or what was formerly known as Sears Tower, which costs $18 for basic admission to the tourist hot spot Sky Deck). However, my sister enlightened us – you can take a ride up to the 95th floor of the Hancock Building and enjoy a meal or just a drink with a fabulous view of the city.

Image

Garrett Popcorn, The Chicago Mix

After our high flying trip to the top of the JHC, we trekked down the Magnificent Mile. While the Magnificent Mile is home to more than 460 stores and 275 restaurants we managed only to indulge in Chicago’s famous Garrett Popcorn. My sister and I are big fans of their CheeseCorn, but Andrew felt he should order the signature “Chicago Mix” – a delicious combination of CheeseCorn goodness and sweet caramel coated popcorn pieces – to get the full Chicago experience. As we munched on our popcorn we continued down the Magnificent Mile, eventually making it to the iconic Millennium Park, most famously recognized as home of the Chicago Bean.

Andrew said he was much more impressed with the Bean in person than through pictures he’s seen. I’ve been to the been at least a dozen times, but I always have fun posing, taking photos near it, each time.

Image

Image

Andrew and I admire the city view in the Bean reflection

Image

Myself (left), Brittany (right), and David (center) circa summer 2012

Image

My sister (left) and I (right) at the Chicago Bean, March 2013

Following our frolicking in Millennium Park we jumped on a bus that took us back north, making a stop at the Lincoln Park Zoo. For those of you who don’t know, the Lincoln Park Zoo is free! Not only is it free, but you can tell it is well taken care of and there is still quite the collection of animals. I highly recommend Chicago visitors take a stroll around the zoo. Our visit was short and sweet, we enjoyed watching a seal show, a territorial young lion pace and roar, and three white-cheeked Gibbons swing and play together in their zoo habitat.

We left the zoo and took a walk to Del Seoul, a delicious Korean BBQ joint in the Park West neighborhood of Chicago. We sampled shrimp tacos – which reminded me a lot of the flavors found in Bone Fish Bang Bang Shrimp (a favorite of mine and my sisters) as well as Bibimbop, a hot stone bowl with rice, veggies, steak or chicken, egg, and Kochujiang sauce

With our bellies full and our feet a little achy, we took a car to one of my favorite areas in Chicago – Wrigleyville. In the summer, I don’t think there is any better place to be than at a ball game in iconic Wrigley stadium! (Unless you’re at Great American Ball Park, cheering on the greatest MLB team – The Cincinnati Reds, of course!)

Image

Andrew, up to bat, at Slugger’s World Class

While it was a little early for baseball season (by the way, happy opening day MLB fans!) my sister and I still wanted Andrew to get a glimpse of the historic stadium, as well as take him to one of our favorite joints – Sluggers. Some online reviewers are pretty skeptical and down on Sluggers, but Brittany and I love that you can order a seriously delicious bloody Mary or tall boy at the bar downstairs, then head upstairs for some classic Skeeball, game room hoops, and what they’re most famous for – the indoor batting cages. We all had a round in the cages.

Before I knew it Andrew and I were on a plane back to NYC. It was so great to visit with my sister and finally get to be a part of the famous St. Paddy’s celebration in Chicago! I even got to see one of my best friends and college roommates during the trip – an unexpected bonus! I love NYC, but I’ll be back to Chicago in no time – you can count on that!

IMG_5053

Taking a Ride on the London Eye

London Eye from Jubilee Gardens // taken with Instagram

Since the beginning, taking a ride on the London Eye has been on my “to-do” list. First, the trip in the eye is well worth it, and I highly recommend anyone visiting London to take it. My two other pieces of advice regarding the London eye are this:

  1. If you’re traveling to London before August 31, save yourself some pounds and find the coupons for Buy-One-Get-One tickets, print one out here, or find one of the people [they are all around London] handing out fliers that will save you money.
  2. Take the London Eye at night. There is nothing like seeing this beautiful city lit up once the sun goes down.

I hope you enjoy my photos from my ride on the eye, and check in daily for new blog posts about London and my experience at the games! Cheers!

One of the Eye’s “ovoidal capsules.” More commonly known as eyePods ;)

Images from the London Wonderground and a nearby skatepark, where the group I rode the Eye with and myself walked around, waiting for sundown.

And the ride on the Eye begins…

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben at the beginning of the ride.

Downtown London at Dusk, St. Paul’s Cathedral in the lower right.

Downtown London, Hungerford and Waterloo Bridges.

Horse Guards Parade during the August 7 Women’s Beach Volleyball match, USA vs. Brazil.

The London Shard

At night London projected images from past Olympics onto British Parliament and Big Ben:

J’adore Paris!

As soon as the bus transporting me from the Paris Beauvais Tille Airport pulled through the outskirts of downtown Paris, I knew it was love. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the city, and could feel the energy radiating from within the city limits. Even being as old of a city as Paris is, everything seemed bright and beaming, and I reciprocated the vibes, as I stared, grinning wildly at all the possibilities for exploration that were ahead.

After arriving at the bus stop and catching a shared cab ride with a friendly couple from Italy to my hotel, Hotel de France Quartier Latin, my ambitions to explore the city were overpowered by my body’s ambitions for rest, power nap time was declared! [I guess that’s what happens when you decide to pull an all-nighter in Dublin with your college roommate and fellow bobcats, having to catch a cab to the airport at 4 a.m.]


Feeling well rested, I woke up around 3 p.m., I was more than ready to get started on striding around the city. Taking the map the hotel concierge gave me upon my arrival, I took a quick look and decided I wanted to attend Sunday mass at Cathedral Notre Dame. The cathedral was stunning, and though I do not consider myself especially religious, I felt like I was taking part in something really special by attending mass at such a grand and renowned cathedral. After mass I decided I would stick within what I estimated was a two mile radius from my hotel, walking the streets and seeing what I would find. This was fun for about the first hour and a half, until a brief downpour put a damper on the evening, and my cardigan. Luckily I was near a cute café/bistro where I popped in for some delicious vegetarian lentil soup to warm me up! None of the servers spoke English very well, but they were still sweet and accommodating and could understand enough of my [what I assume to be poorly spoken/broken] French to manage handling my order and making a tiny bit of small talk.

It was a great feeling to get back to my hotel and take a hot shower. The hotel was clean, had friendly staff, free wifi, and a great location [and price]. I would definitely stay at the Hotel de France Quartier Latin again.

Paris: Sturdy Shoes Required

Monday was my first full day in Paris, and I was ready to get moving. I had to call an 86 on the flats, to protect my already blistered heals, choosing instead, to wear my treasured Clarks sandals [amazing for walking!]. You name the monument or sight in Paris and I’m fairly certain I walked there. I checked on Google Maps and estimated that I walked about 13.3 miles [21.4 km] that day, not too shabby [and that’s not including the roads I wandered down and time I spent exploring the Louvre, a feat to walk around in itself.] Here are some of the photos from my Monday self-guided walking tour:

Pont des Arts

The Louvre

The Louvre [taken via Instagram]

A great collection of time pieces at the Louvre, beautiful.

Me and my girl, Mona.

La Madeleine

Moulin RougeParis Opera HouseSunset Cruise on the Seine River

Eiffel Tower

Some live entertainment in Paris

Crepes for dinner!

Eiffel Tower at Night

After walking around all day these are the things I thought about:

  1. GRATEFUL + HUMBLED to have taken part in such an amazing day, life is good, and Paris is beautiful.
  2. Dumbfounded. How do all these Parisian women walk this immaculate city all day in wedges in stilettos? [I’ll stick to my flats and sandals, thank you!]
  3. Accustomed. Yep, I could totally move to Paris and be happy. Next step, Rosetta Stone for French!
  4. Don’t try to see it all in one day. Everything here is either beautiful or famous, or both. Solution? Just stay in Paris longer, clearly.
  5. Hungry. A problem I solved by ordering a chocolat [nutella] crepe and eating it while walking under and around the Eiffel tower, how amusingly French.
  6. J’adore Paris!

Though I could have happily frolicked the streets of Paris for a whole other day, I decided to jump train to Versailles. Marie Antoinette, perhaps you’ve heard of her, invited me to her home for the day ;) Plush and elaborate are probably the first two words to come to mind when thinking of how to describe the Palace of Versailles. After walking through the lavish palace it was completely obvious just how out of touch Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were with the people they ruled. Gold ceilings, incredible marble sculptures, a full scale opera house and cathedral, statues built with champagne bottles, master suites for both the King and the Queen, an art museum, a hall of mirrors, multiple apartments on the lower levels for visiting family members and government officials, and all of this with a stretch of lush gardens extending over thousands of acres for a backyard. I snapped hundreds of photos in Versailles, here are some of my favorite:

In the Hall of Mirrors

Marie Antoinette’s Suite

Modern art in the Palace

Beautiful ceramic clock

Marie Antoinette’s garden sculpture made from blue glass champagne bottles…someone knew how to party.

After touring the palace [a full days excursion] I stuck around Versailles a little while longer to get a better feel for the city, explore some antique shops, and a picturesque café for a cappuccino. By the time I returned to Paris it was sundown and I was hungry for dinner, but chose to take one last walk down the paths adjacent to the Seine river before calling it a night. I found an authentic restaurant on my walk home to the hotel and decided to treat myself to some authentic French cooking. I threw caution to the “weekday vegetarian” winds which I usually flow with and ordered roasted duck, potatoes, salad, and a glass of red wine. Easily the best meal I’ve had in months. I was completely sated at the end of the meal and ready to finish the stroll to the hotel, repack my bags, and rest up for the journey London the following day!

It was a quick three days in Paris, too quick. So of course it is on my to-do list to return someday, next time bringing a friend, family member, or beau along for the journey. The only advice I want to give about Paris is this:

Thanks for reading, au revoir!

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.

Travel Gets Easier, One App at a Time

Travel can be stressful, especially if you’re unprepared. However, in the world of Smartphone’s, tablets, and laptops, travel just got a lot easier. As a disclaimer I should state that I am an avid Apple consumer. Therefore, my reviews are of apps created and implemented on Apple devices, including my iPhone 4, iPad, and MacBook Pro. It should also be noted that I am a U.S. citizen and biased supporter of  Team USA, as you will see reflected in the apps I have chosen to download and discuss.

The past few months I’ve been gearing up to head to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. In preparation I have downloaded apps specifically designed for the summer games. If you’re traveling to London, or just want to keep up-to-date with what’s happening as the games progress, I highly suggest the following iPhone and iPad applications:

2012 Team USA Road to London Olympics – FREE

Direct from the applications description in the App Store: “The official Team USA 2012 Road to London application provided by the United States Olympic Committee. The app will follow the making of Team USA and their experience in London during the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games.

Key features of the application include:

  • Daily updates of who is making the team
  • Unique and relevant editorial content focused on a particular sport and athlete served daily
  • Custom-made “cheer” button which enables users to send a personal message to athletes via Facebook and Twitter
  • Athlete bios, photo galleries and video clips
  • Ability to donate to Team USA or support the team by purchasing official Team USA gear”

NBC Olympics + NBC Olympics Live Extra – FREE

The NBC Olympics app offers users the ability to “experience the best of the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games…Get prepared for the Games now by checking out news, video, photos for every sport and all Team USA athletes.” This app also gives users the capability to keep up with real-time results, schedules, and medal counts. It also boasts that “during the nightly Primetime Show televised on NBC, the app will feature a second screen experience that makes a great companion to the on-air broadcast.” Very nice, NBC. Did I also mention that NBC is offering 5,535 hours of Olympic coverage!

The NBC Olympics Live Extra app is similar to the NBC Olympics app, with the addition of live coverage from NBC’s online coverage and the option to set event reminders. Don’t want to wake up at 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 29 to watch Men’s Water Polo, but you’d still like to catch some of the action? Not a problem, the app has a DVR capability so you won’t miss a second of the Games!

London 2012 (Summer Games) – FREE

This is absolutely my go-to app at the moment! It provides a comprehensive schedule of the Olympic Games, information on the venues, interesting facts about each sport, and notable athletes. You can look at medal counts once they start racking up, as well as medal counts from the 2008 Games in Beijing. The app also lets users learn more about the countries participating in the Games. See any of the participating countries national flags, their population count, size, and major languages spoken. Overall, I love the simplicity and accuracy that this app offers, I highly recommend you download it to find out when your favorite sports are being played.

Fodor’s London Travel Guide – FREE

“Fodor’s makes it simple to discover the best of London. Find trusted reviews of nearby restaurants, shops, sights, and hotels with the touch of a button. From Buckingham Palace to the Tate Modern, we’ve got you covered on all the sights that London has to offer!”

Navigating London

Ah, the Tube! I’m no stranger to public transport: I lived in New York City for nearly four months, frequently visit my sister in Chicago where the bus and “L” [generic abbreviation for the elevated transit system that runs through the city] are the preferred methods of transport, and I’ve taken my fair share of rides on some good ‘ol Greyhounds. However, I can’t seem to shake the uneasiness that comes with navigating the London transit system. While in London I will be living an hour outside of the city. Of course, I’m guessing going anywhere in the city during the Games will take a solid hour of transit time, in which case I better up my estimated commute time to 90 minutes or more.

A couple of apps that are helping ease my apprehension when it comes to navigating London: Tube Map + London Transport Map, both of which help users navigate the Tube system and find stations. Tube Map also links up with Bus London, another navigation/travel app that helps consumers pilot the bus network, which will be a great help to me as I have to take a bus from my residence outside the city to a Tube station!

Keeping in Touch

I cannot say enough good things about WhatsApp [$0.99]. I was first introduced to it by a friend of mine who is from Germany, lived with me for a short while in New York City, and I will be reunited with during my time in London, where she has recently landed a job! WhatsApp is well worth the mere 99 cents it costs to download. The app provides the ability to text with others on WhatsApp, internationally, at no additional charge [you need to be connected to WiFi]. This app was developed before iMessage existed, which also lets you text internationally with other iPhone users when connected to WiFi. WhatsApp is compatible with all Smartphone’s, so those folks still using their Blackberry’s and Android’s can readily communicate with you during your travels!

Ah, Instagram! The app that’s taken the world by storm [not to mention sold for $1 billion just 18 months after its founding]. If you don’t have Instagram, it’s time to jump on this bandwagon. Instagram allows users to share images, as well as like and comment on others images…not to mention it’s fun and simple to use.

Staying Fiscally Fit

The best advice for traveling I have ever heard was this:

Lay out everything you want to pack. Now, take half as many clothes, and twice as much money.”

Fair enough, because anyone who has traveled knows it’s likely you’ll spend more than you planned, and that’s OK, but you’ve got to keep fiscally fit. In my experience two of the best apps for managing finances are Chase + American Express. Chase allows you to look at the balances in your accounts, manage your cards, even deposit checks. American Express also allows you to keep track of recent transactions and balances.

You should be aware of how much you’re spending once the currency converts. The best app I’ve found for this is Convert Units – FREE. This app allows you to see the most current conversion rates for currency’s, it also allows you to convert distances [miles to kilometers, for example], mass, power, pressure, area…the list goes on. The free version does get on my nerves sometimes, as the adds always seem to pop up at the most inconvenient times, but hey, it is free.

More Great Apps for Travel

Yelp! – FREE | Check in for awesome deals, user reviews + recommendations, LOVE Yelp!

 

Learn French by MindSnacks – FREE | Playing games and learning basic French! I’ll have to let you know how helpful this app actually is once I get to Paris and attempt to order from a restaurant or greet the locals. Wish me luck!

 

Free Translator + Google Translate – FREE

 

 

Packing-Pro – $2.99 | The verdict is still out on this one, I may have a bit of buyers remorse…only time will tell, I’ll get back to you.

 

iTrans NYC – $3.99 | Well worth the money! Best app for traveling and the iTrans company has apps for other cities as well: DC, LA, New Jersey, Chicago.

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!