The X-Mas Markets of Europe - Part Two

Last weekend it was off to Budapest, to experience another weekend of the Christmas spirit with the locals of the city. We had a Saturday afternoon flight and arrived at about 8pm for a 24 hour sprint through the city! We don't really mind the quick weekend as we really just walk around the historic district and the christmas markets and 1-1.5 days is all we need!

We stayed at one of the first easyHotels, a super-efficient room that looks like the inside of their airplanes. It is all we needed with a really comfy bed for €30.
That first night, we wandered around the town and market, took some pics, had some mulled wine, and ate at a winery who recently opened a cool cellar restaurant in the city.

The markets were very local and we were some of only a handful of american's we saw in the market, so it was cool to get the local flavor. Also, compared to Prague's slightly commercial market, the goods sold here were all certified by a board for handcraft and locally made; so we naturally picked up a few trinkets for our place.

The next morning we walked to the Buda side of the river up to the castle, visited the museum, and walked back to the market. It was a very pleasant day.

After visiting the market again, we learned the airport was on strike and we were worried about our flight and getting to work the next morning. We were a bit nervous that we'd miss the week of work if the airport was closed, but we found out we were okay, so went back and enjoyed some more mulled wine to stay warm! It was another great weekend, but if we had to choose again, it would be an easy nod to Prague, whose history, colorful buildings and architecture, and cheaper prices take the cake! Off to Munich tomorrow! Yippee!!!

Merry christmas everybody! We miss you!

The X-Mas Markets of Europe - Part One

Merry Christmas to all!!!!
Last weekend, Erin and I started a whirlwind adventure that will span the next several weeks celebrating christmas, probably the longest christmas celebration we'll ever have...you just have to seize the opportunity. Unfortunately, the weekdays are for work (myself trekking back and forth from Galway), while the weekends are for travel! Don't feel too bad though....I know you don't.

This past weekend we visited Prague on one of our now-infamous Saturday-Sunday trips that cost the same as a weekend on the town in Dublin. I had visited Prague with Jordan, Dann, and Dylan while traveling after our french program, but those were hazy college days (dare I say 7 years ago), so this would be a bit more cultural. And no better way to experience culture of a city than experiencing the christmas markets.
We arrived at about 11am on Saturday and hit the markets, where there are four very central markets in Prague's old town (creeping into the new town). We walked around with our first glass of mulled wine and mead checking out the food and trinkets for sale. The square was absolutely beautiful and we did a great job soaking up the atmosphere. The stalls themselves were a bit commerical, but it didn't deter from the ambiance. There is a massive tree in the main square and a stage where carolers from all over the country would come and sing in 30 minute intervals. It was very cool to hear the Czech christmas songs (many like ours just translated, many in english too:) The best pics we took were on the first night, when we went to the top of the old town tower and took pics of the market from above (like in the first pic). During the day, we stumbled upon a famous bar that has its own microbrewery and produces one of the world stongest beers at 12.6% (they say the strongest, but I didn't want to disappoint any other brewers reading this out there). U Medivicku (sp) is the name and the pub was founded in the 1400's....it was a really cool place with great beer. Erin had a cult favorite called Oldgott. We then wandered across the Charles bridge for a view of one of the coolest sights in Europe.Bridge at night with Prague Castle in the background.
The next morning I got up early while Erin slept and took a few shots of the bridge pre-tourist craziness. Erin and I then went to the castle and toured it, as well as St. Vitnus cathedral, an impressive church that dates back to the early middle ages, with the current structure dating to the 1400's. After wandering around Mila Strana (sp) and getting lunch at an amazing restaurant called Bar Bar, we were back to the christmas markets for some treats before heading home.

Only 4 days till Budapest!!!...and 10 till Munich/Austria/Kitzbuhel!!!!

Hop-Scotch Across the Atlantic

It has been a whirl wind month for us with trips back and forth across the Atlantic. I flew to DC for work for a few days and was lucky to be able to spend some time in Clarendon catching up with friends. Tear. Tear. Then the following week it was on a plane to MN. Lou was in Galway for a week, Dallas and MN for two and then back to Galway for another week.

So while we have no European adventures to report of late (stay-tuned December is jam-packed), we have had a great time seeing old friends, visiting family and exploring Dublin. I flew into Minneapolis and headed up north with Jamie and her boyfriend and was surprised to find Linsey had flown in from Palo Alto for the weekend. We celebrated my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary and took it easy, eating, sitting in front of the fireplace and catching up. Then, my mom and I went to Minneapolis for a night to visit new babies in the family and do drive-by house hunting.

Lou and I have decided that instead of dealing with the upkeep of a dog when we move back to MN next summer, we are going to live close enough to Meaghan and Ryan so that we can just borrow Bella when we want to go for a walk.

Lou joined me in Minneapolis for the weekend and we had nice family feast at Alissa and Jeremy's house. We threw a few steaks on the grill (brrr.....why do Minnesotan's love to grill even in the winter?) and Jeremy made a nice little coq au vin. It was Lou's grandparent's anniversary so they came over to celebrate along with David, Lisa and Jake, and Anne and Doug. It was great to see all of them as it had been over a year.

We both had to return to Ireland just a few days shy of Thanksgiving. Last year, we were distraught to find out that marshmellows, turkey and pumpkin pie are hard to come by in Dublin. Thanksgiving just wasn't the same without eating yourself into a food coma. So this year we swore we were not going to make the same mistake, talking to our families via long distance and drooling at the thought of football and leftovers. So I filled a suitcase with Thanksgiving goods from Trader Joe's, we special ordered a turkey and cooked a feast with our American friends Katie and Rob, and Katie and Pierre.

Lou carved the bird.

The gang.

Fall Has Arrived

Fall in Dublin has arrived, that means the days are shorter, the winds stronger, the leaves changing, work picking up, we have to occasionally turn on the heater. We haven't been away for a few weeks and have spent our afternoons on the weekend just hanging out and walking around. The traveling will soon pick up as December rolls around, but in the meantime, we are trying to explore Dublin as much as we can.

With Erin gone this weekend, Eoin, Cormac and myself went down to Sandycove and went for an October 26 dip in the Irish Sea. It was really cold at first, but once your body numbs from the coldness, it doesn't feel as bad. It was definitely the coldest water I have swam in. When living in Dublin, a dip in the Irish Sea is a must! BRRRR!!

The European Club

Over the summer, I have played a lot less golf than I envisioned, mostly because of the over-priced green fees and the inaccessability to any courses while not having a car. However, David, Joe, and myself got a 4 round ticket at the European club, a links course on the Irish sea. It is heavily discounted on a per-round basis from the €180 you'd pay for a single round, so we went for it.
Tiger Woods holds the course record at a 67, to give you an idea of the difficulty, and Paddy Harrington (who won two majors this summer) won the Irish PGA championship at a -1 for the three round tourney. We played the following day from the same tees as the Irish pros, which was actually my best of the four rounds, I think I shot a 93.

It is a beautiful course about 45 minutes south of Dublin in Britta's Bay in Wicklow. Probably the most beautiful setting combined with the most difficult course I have played. The two times I broke 100 (out of four) would usually drive me to put (slam) down the clubs, but in this case, it just caused me to shake my head with a smile. The European club got the best of me alright, with its massive pot bunkers lined with railroad ties that invade the narrow fairways, which is a better option that the knee high thickets that define the rough...but they were four unforgettable rounds!

L(ondon)SAT

A couple months back, when Erin was between jobs out here, she made the move and decided to apply to take the LSATs in case she ever wanted to do law school (something that always fit in with her degree in Poli Sci and career interests). Good idea I thought...even better idea given the fact the test is only offered in London and that meant a weekend trip is in front of us!!!

We arrived to a city we wish Dublin was more reminiscent of; tons of character in each neighborhood, affordable restaurants, a variety of beer options (YES), and lots and lots of cultural to do's! Not to say Dublin doesn't have (a little of) this, but London is exploding with energy.

I arrived in late Friday, meeting Erin at an old pub by our friend Rob's place, who graciously let us stay at his place this weekend while he was away in Ukraine (jealous). After a hand-pumped house bitter, we went to a romantic little french restaurant where we might as well have been in the 7th district a Paris. The food was about a 7, but the atmosphere was great! Erin and I don't really go out for food in Dublin (not worth the €23 an entree for average food), so this was a treat that didn't disappoint!

The next morning, we wandered towards notting hill via Hyde Park, taking the route Linsey took from the tube to her flat when she studied in London a little while back. This walkway should bring back the memories. We made it over to a pub near St. Pauls and Erin's testing site for lunch, allowing Erin to brush-up before the exam.

I dropped her off at the exam at Ironmongers Hall, which is the old trade guild established in the 1300's. The building isn't quite that old, but it was featured in Harry Potter's Goblet of Fire if you buffs can recognise below.

While in the test, I took the opportunity to explore the British Museum. I never realized that the British pillaged so many Egyptian and Greek artifacts. Nor did I realise that half of the Parthenon was in London! It was amazing to see so many egyptian artifacts that date from 1400 BC to 3100 BC. Very cool! The British Museum was followed by a little tour of several historic pubs of London, starting with the pub that exclusively sells the oldest brewed beer in London. If it expands, you'll notice this brewry began in 1639.
I then grabbed my next pint at the Seven Stars, which dates to 1609 and hasn't really been remodeled since. It had so much character and the bartender even let me sample all its hand-pumped cask beers.

The third, the Ye Old Cheshire Cheese, had its latest renovation in 1667 and was very quaint. This was my least favorite as the old part was packed and I was relegated to a St. Joseph-style (but much nicer and better beer - no icehouse on tab) garage-esque part of the bar (also packed). The ambiance was great and I have no regrets, however.

I then picked Erin up and we rushed to grab a quick cornish pasty for dinner and a half pint, and it was off to Spamalot, a broadway musical based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail that had as laughing all night! A ticket to the play at £15 was cheaper than a bus into the city on the Gatwick Express (£16.90) and about the same as a round trip bus ride to Windsor (£12.50). It was a great bargain and lots of fun. On our way home, we grabbed a pint at the Churchill Arms, a colorful bar littererd with pots and pans on the inside, and flower baskets on the outside. The following morning, whilst lashing rain, we headed off to Windsor, to see the famous castle of the Royal Family. After a longer than expected bus ride, we got in and toured the amazing (and amazingly huge) castle, which sprawls across the city.

Afterwards, it was a pasty for lunch and a walk down to Eton College, founded in the late 1400's....a very old and historic school.

It was then off to London and then to the airport, a successful weekend from many standpoints!!