Around the World in 137 Days

We've been home now for almost 3 months. It's taken me forever to write this final blog post....I was so good on our trip....somehow being in the real world has slowed me down. But in a way, I'm glad it took me this long as I've had a chance to reflect on our incredible adventure.

We were on the road for 137 days! I still can't believe I lasted that long. Seriously for someone who likes routine, it wasn't always easy. We traveled to 11 countries, stayed in 59 different hotel rooms, and traveled on 22 planes, 21 trains, 11 buses, 9 boats, 8 subway systems, and many more cabs, tuk tuks, and bikes than I can remember. That really just sounds insane! Luckily we both made it back in pretty good shape. We did have some great travel karma though - neither one of us got too sick, nothing was stolen, all we lost was a sweatshirt, and we hardly had any travel delays. We definitely got tired and homesick but we made it through....it helped that we had each other....and friends/family who met up with us along the way.

I really do have to say that the most important thing about a trip like this is travel compatibility....and lucky for us we travel well together. :) But I must say Darsh was a trooper when I had my moments of homesickness and just plain freaking out in general. Thanks Darsh - you will always amaze me with your ability to deal with the "crazy" me.

Since we've been back, people seem to ask the same questions so I figured I'd answer them here.

Is this something we've always wanted to do?
Well we both love traveling and I've always said I'd love to take a year off and travel....but honestly I don't think I ever thought it would really happen. We were given the gift of unemployment....at the same time. Things just fell into place and we took advantage of the situation. Yep - it really was that simple....well that and the fact that we don't have kids or a mortgage. :) No but seriously we both know how lucky we are to be able to do something like this and I'm thankful everyday.

What was our favorite place?

This is a really hard question as every place was so different. I can't answer for Darsh but I would say Siem Reap, Cambodia because it's so unique. Sunrise at Angkor Wat was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced and the Khmer people are so warm and have been through so much that you couldn't help but feel a strong emotional attachment. From a city perspective, I loved Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Barcelona. Then I also loved France and Ireland. You see why this is hard? I think I should just stop now before I list every city we visited!

What did we learn on this trip? Do we see life differently?

While I can't say that I had any "Wow this is totally life changing" moments, I definitely do see things from a different perspective. Now that I'm in the real world it's pretty easy to get back to your normal way of thinking....and living life in general....but I'm hoping that some of the "new" perspective I've gained will still stay with me.

You only live once....so just do it! And don't over think it.

We really only have one life to live so we might as well make the most of it. The over thinking - well this is hard for me. I over think everything. If I let myself, I can obsess about the smallest things. Honestly it isn't worth it....and it never changes anything. Bottom line - Life really doesn't have to be that complicated. Yes we will all face situations that we don't know how to deal with but in the end we somehow will figure out a way to deal....hopefully. That said, it's all about focus. If there is something you want to do....just do it. Everything else will fall into place. There were a million reasons why we shouldn't have taken the year off. Trust me I thought about them all - I'll be out of work for a year....what if I never get a job, especially since the economy is crap, what about the money?, shouldn't we save and buy a home?, we're getting older and shouldn't we settle down and have kids?, etc. It's never ending. And yes there are always reasons to go another path but it's all about what feels right for you. Everyone's path is different. I think we often forget that. I mean really if you had the opportunity would you want any regrets? Life ultimately is what you make of it.

See the world through the eyes of a child

When you finally stop thinking about all the unnecessary stuff, things are so much simpler. Once we got to that point it was amazing how much we really "saw". We were in the middle of countries not knowing anything - I mean we couldn't speak the language, we didn't know how to get around, we didn't know how to order food, we were forced to learn how to get by. It's kind of like a child experiencing everyday things. While this can get annoying at times it's such an eye-opening experience. We saw things in such a different light - we didn't know what to expect and we just let things happen. Sometimes it was good and sometimes it wasn't so good.... But in the end it forced us to look at things differently. We actually "saw" things that we would normally never see. Can you imagine waking up and seeing things as if it was the first time you saw them? It's pretty cool. We should all do it more often.

Appreciate what you have

This by far is the most important thing for me. Not "in a materialistic or what I've accomplished way". But the things I may have taken for granted at times - love and support from my beautiful family and friends, a home to live in, food to eat, clean water, freedom and the most amazing person I can share it all with, Darsh. I can go on forever. Not everyone has this which makes me sad but it's important to know because it reminds me of what I have....and what I am so thankful for.

So that's it. We definitely had the trip of a lifetime....and memories that will last forever. Thanks for reading!! Until our next big adventure. :)

xoxo

sej

There’s no Place like Home

After 11 countries and 59 different hotel rooms we’re on the first leg of our flight home (9 hours to New York and then another 6 hour flight to LA). Normally I sleep the whole plane ride but for some reason I can’t. I think it’s because I’m so excited to come home!! I can’t wait!! Don’t get me wrong – we’ve had a great time on our adventure but all good things must come to an end.

In a way I’m sad that it’s over because I’m just a softie and hate saying goodbye to anything/anyone…. but I’m really ready to get back to the real world. It’s weird to think that in a few hours we’ll be walking through the door of our LA apartment. I think the first thing I’ll do is lie on the couch and watch some good old American TV….followed by a good night’s sleep in our own bed. Oh and the best part – we get to wake up to watch Michigan Football….it doesn’t get better than that!!

But most importantly we both can’t wait to see all our friends and family very, very soon!! ☺

Back in Barcelona – It’s Like We Live Here!

We spent the last few days of our trip in Barcelona. This was our 4th stop here on this trip (although the 1st one was only at the airport). Crazy! It’s like we live here. We did all the normal things locals do – eat tapas, drink wine, do laundry, did nothing during siesta time….we even had visitors, our good friends Berni and Dan from Chicago!

Berni and Dan were celebrating their 2 year wedding anniversary and decided to come meet us…..Congratulations guys! We only spent a day with them but we did so much it felt like longer. Darsh was the best tour guide. Since our hotel (Barcelona Catedral Hotel) was literally right next to the Cathedral we took them there first and then walked around the Gothic Quarter and El Born. We stumbled upon a great find of a restaurant, Casa Delfin, which had a nice selection of tapas. After lunch, we went to the Sagrada Familia and then walked through L’Eixample so they could see Gaudi’s other masterpieces, La Pedrera and Casa Batllo. Finally, we ended the day with a stroll down La Rambla. We covered a lot of Barcelona ground in a few hours….we were all beat by the end! It was so good to see them – thanks for coming!!

Since we had already been to Barcelona we had lots of time to just chill and walk around the different neighborhoods while stopping whenever we felt like. We did make it to Casa Batllo, which was one of my favorites. It’s not at all like me – totally asymmetrical and wacky but so very cool. We couldn’t decide if it was more Dr. Seuss or Willy Wonka. We also finally made it to the Picasso Museum which did a really good job of telling Picasso’s life and how his style changed throughout the years….I also liked it because it was small.

By this point in the trip we were both pretty tired of tapas but we got a recommendation for Tapas 24 so we had to try it. I’m so glad we did. It was amazing! Really innovative tapas….and I’m amazed at the staff - it was packed but they were so on top of things! It was not the healthiest meal but totally worth it. Some of our other favorite restaurants the last few days were Les Quinze Nits (nice Placa Real location and great Menu of the day), Bun Bo (pretty health Vietnamese), and Udon (good Japanese).

Our last day we were hoping to do nothing but relax but somehow we ended up shopping for gifts all day. We really hadn’t shopped at all on the trip since we couldn’t carry much so it came down to the wire….and I really hate shopping! But we got it done and we ended the day with a fabulous meal at La Crema Canela. We randomly came across this place after doing our routine 1-hour search for a decent place to eat. I’m so glad we found it! It was so cute and non-touristy with great Mediterranean food and good wine. It was the perfect place to have our last dinner.

I really can’t believe we’re almost done. Wow! I’m so happy we ended the trip in Barcelona – It still is my favorite European city. Until next time! ☺

Gotta Get a Sweat On!

I know that I’m at a workout low when I choose a stationary bike over running outside by the beach (I love the beach but am soooo tired of running). Ugh! I’m not going to lie, working out (and being healthy in general) sucks when you’re on a long trip like this. I’ve been good….and I’ve been bad. I would say I’ve done some kind of workout 50% of the days on the trip….and probably made it to the gym about 25%. I think that’s pretty good considering it’s hard to keep up a routine when you’re on the road and most of the hotel gyms have been LAME. I will never appreciate Equinox more! ☺ When we haven’t had the luxury of a gym, we both do exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, band stuff) in the hotel room (this totally sucks) or I run outside (usually at ridiculously early times since it gets so hot). I guess that’s the price you pay for being neurotic about working out. ☺

Asia was much easier to be healthy. We walked a ton and the food was just better with a ton more healthy options. We both lost weight. Of course Darsh lost more despite the fact that his diet was made up of chocolate croissants, spring rolls, noodles/rice every meal, ice cream, and 4 beers a day (as opposed to my omelettes, papaya salads, occasional noodles/rice, fruit smoothies, and a couple drinks/twice week). In fact, Darsh was the most lean he’s ever been while I’ve lost all my muscle mass! Ugh Boys!! ☺

Europe on the other hand has been a nightmare! I have never eaten so many crappy salads with lame iceburg lettuce and processed meat. And I’ve stopped asking for dressing on the side because they often just don’t get it….so full fat it is! Not to mention no skim milk so full fat milk as well! Italy and parts of Spain (Basque region and Madrid) were the hardest….it’s been much better everywhere else. I just had to get used to eating more fat than normal....

While I generally try to be healthy, I do love “bad” foods….especially bad carbs so it makes it that much more difficult to refrain when there are so few options! I also like Happy Hour – who doesn’t when you’re on vacation? And of course you think of every reason in the book to be bad – “It’s my first night here” or “It’s my last night here”, or “Of course I need to have a crepe from France” or “Tiramisu from Italy”. Funny how your mind works to rationalize the bad stuff. ☺

When I was in Asia I thought I was going to come back in better shape. It was great. I was totally hardcore and all was good….and I still got to have fun! In Europe my goal changed to “Keeping the damage to a minimum”. Haha! That said, the weight I lost in Asia is back…and then some I’m sure. Yikes! But I’m ok with it. I’ll never go on a trip like this again – I can live it up for 4 ½ months of my life! There’s always plenty of time to reverse the damage when I get back….which will consist of a major detox/cleanse and hardcore daily workouts by the way.

I will say that despite the fact that I don't love running (at least for long distances), I was kept motivated by my iPod. I even rediscovered old favorites. Here’s the list that kept me going. Some are new, others are way old and cheesy but they got the job done. ☺

Let Me Think About It –Ida Corr/Fedde Le Grand
Waka Waka – Shakira
I Like It – Enrique Iglesias/Pitbull
Allez Ola Ole – Jesse Matador
Feel It – DJ Felli Fel/ T Pain/Sean Paul
Like A Prayer – Madhouse
Bhangra Fever – Midival Punditz
Tell Me – Diddy/Christina Aguilera
Lose Control – Missy Elliott/Ciara
Be My Lover – La Bouche
You Can Do It – Ice Cube
Aaja Nachle – Mychael Danna
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix A Lot
Escape (Spanish version) – Enrique Iglesias
Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls – Book of Love
Hoochie Mama – 2 Live Crew
Jai Ho – A.R. Rahman/Pussycat Dolls
Our Own Way - Klaas
Poker Face – Lady GaGa
Everytime We Touch (radio mix) – Cascada
It Takes Two – Rob Base/DJ E-Z Rock

Pit Stop in Valencia

Valencia was a perfect place to rest up from Ibiza. The Old Town is really small and walkable….and very cute! The only downside is the heat. I think it was some of the hottest temps we've ever experienced…I mean the slight breeze was even hot.

We stayed at the Melia Plaza, which was a great location but just ok hotel. We tried walking around during the day but it was so hot and most things were closed so we ended up just chilling in our room….too bad we didn’t have a pool! We did get to see the Cathedral, which has the Holy Grail on display. That was pretty cool. Darsh also walked to the City of the Arts and Sciences – which has a really modern, funky architectural style. I went shopping instead! ☺

It was kind of a bummer that many shops/restaurants were closed – I think it was more than just siesta which seemed to last all afternoon. I actually think a lot of stuff was closed for the month of August so the owners could go on holiday. We did however, have one of our best meals in a while at Matilda – very inventive, fresh Spanish food. We also liked Ichido for Asian food, which was a nice break from tapas.

Although it was short, Valencia was a nice pit stop before Barcelona….our last stop of the trip!!!!

Clubbing Ibiza Style

For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to go to Ibiza. We've been talking about going for years but somehow never pulled it off. So this trip we decided we had to go. This was much easier said than done....especially as it got later in the trip. We almost called it off....because we're beat and I just wasn't in the mood. But then we thought we may never get the chance again so we might as well do it while we can.

I thought the plane would be full of kids in official party mode. I was surprised though that there were actually a lot of families and non-clubbers. I guess some people really do go to Ibiza for a regular holiday.

We really hadn't thought too much about what we were going to do when we got there. We'd both heard of Pacha and Amnesia and some of the other popular clubs but we decided we'd go out for a bit and figure it out as the night went on. Luckily for us, this turned out to be pretty easy. We met two fun guys from Rome, Mateo and Lucio who told us Pacha was the place to go on Wednesdays. The waitress agreed and so soon we were all on our way....and it was double the fun as Mateo and Lucio came with us.

Soooo Pacha wasn't nearly as big as I thought it would be. The music was good, and it was packed, but somehow I expected more. For some reason I thought it was going to be the most insane club I've ever been to. Maybe it's because I'm older and missing things....I don't know.... That said we did get to see Erick Morillo and Kelis (the Milkshake girl) who were good. And it is supposed to be more about the music anyway, right?

We stayed out late enough for us.....although I do wonder how the after club places were (the ones that open at 9am). Do people really make it out to those? Yikes! We, on the other hand, did a whole lot of nothing the next day.

Glad we finally did Ibiza. It probably would have been more fun 10 years ago but at least we can say we did it!!

Down Time in Malaga

I was really happy to be in Malaga as it was time for some major down time. Malaga is on the southern coast of Spain with sparkling blue water, sandy beaches, mountains, and a cute, city center. We stayed at the Hotel MS Maestranza which was right by the beach and a short walk to the Old Town.

We didn’t do much in Malaga. Seriously, we stayed in bed ‘til noon every day, worked out, chilled at the beach, shopped, and ate. That was it….and it was perfect. There was a lot to do though if you wanted. The city center is full of great shopping, restaurants, and tapas bars. They even have great food options. Our favorites were Lechuga and Como Loco….both had great salads.

Despite not wanting to see any sights (only because we’re tired), we did make it to the Cathedral, which was really cool – huge and very symmetrical. We also went to the Alcazaba, Malaga’s Moorish, fortress. We even walked up to the top which was painful in 100 degree weather….but at least we got a double workout that day! ☺

I definitely will come back to Malaga some day. It was one of our favorite cities in Spain. Not surprising as it reminded us both of home.

Kicking it with the Hathi-Fritz’s in Andalucia

We got to Seville and were almost instantly greeted by our good friends Neesha and Adam. They came to Spain to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary….Congratulations guys! ☺ We all stayed at the Vincci La Rabida which was in the El Arenal area of Seville, pretty central to the sights and restaurants. Somehow we got ridiculously upgraded to a 2-story suite...we've had some good hotel karma lately! (unfortunately Neesha and Adam did not and their experience was not as nice as ours….bummer!)

We’ve known Neesh and Adam since our Michigan years and it was so good to see them! The first thing we did was chilled with some Cava and beers. Seville is pretty small and very walkable. It’s full of narrow, winding streets that seem to all interconnect. You are constantly looking at your map but it’s really hard to stay too lost for that long.

It seemed like things were quieter since there weren’t too many people out but supposedly August is the busiest month for Spain so we really didn’t know for sure. It could also be that we still couldn’t get the timing right with Siesta and the late-night dinners….

Seville (and much of Andalucia) was under Muslim rule (many, many years ago) and much of its architecture is influenced by the Islamic Moors. We loved the Cathedral and Alcazar. The Cathedral is the 3rd largest in the world and was built where the original Mosque was. It’s also where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Alcazar (palace to many Kings and Queens) was also very cool....it once was a Moorish fort. The detailed Islamic artistry prevalent throughout the Alcazar is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

The weirdest place we went was El Garlochi for a drink. There really is no way to describe this place except that it is freaky. The bar is full of religious paintings, statues, candles, coffins, crypts, and other weird stuff. I was too freaked out to even go to the bathroom! Some of our other favs were El Capote for a drink along the river, and Al Medina for good Moroccan fo0d.

After 2 days in Seville, we made it to Granada. We stayed at the AC Palacio de Santa Paula which we loved….great service and the best part - everything in our minibar was free...including 2 beers a day! The boys loved this!! ☺

Granada is also pretty small and very easy to navigate. In addition to tapas bars there are outdoor restaurants in plazas everywhere. As opposed to northern Spain there were definitely more food options here. My favorites were Gazpacho (which I had every meal) and Espinaca con garbanzos (spinach with garbanzo beans). It was nice to have things other than mayonnaise and salty ham on the menu!

The main attraction in Granada is the Alhambra and it was pretty amazing! A massive, red fortress surrounds the Palacio Nazaries, Alcazaba, and gardens which were originally built by Moorish rulers. Much of the artistry in the Alhambra is typical Islamic Moorish style – I loved this style – really symmetrical, detailed patterns on ceilings, columns, floors, and walls. Who comes up with the idea to build stuff like this - it's just unreal!

We visited the Albayzin area in the evening which is just up the hill from the city center. The Albayzin is the old Muslim Quarter. It’s narrow, winding roads are full of Hookah bars and restaurants....so fun! We walked to the top of the hill, had great mojitos at Natural Siempre (an outdoor cafe), and watched the sunset with the Alhambra as backdrop. It was magical! We finished up the night with a great dinner at Restaurante San Nicolas. We had the only table on our floor so it was like our own place....and we had a great view of the Alhambra! Yummy food, good cava, and great friends! Perfection! :)

Thanks Neesh and Adam for coming! Good times!

Mountains, Wine, and a Fortress

From St. Tropez we left the coast for the mountains. Our first stop was Aix-en-Provence. We stayed right outside the city center at Hotel Le Mozart which was another great deal as long as you don’t mind the 1-mile walk into town. Aix-en-Provence is a fun city with a large University population. My favorite description, from our friend Zach, is that it's a mini Paris. I’d have to agree – I thought it’s especially like the Latin Quarter and Marais districts of Paris. We just leisurely walked through the old town, watched street performers, and people-watched.

The next day we made our way to wine country. France is full of vineyards….everywhere you look. It made for a really pretty drive! We stayed at a B&B, La Sommellerie, in Chateuneuf du Pape which is right in between Orange and Avignon. It rained that day so we didn’t do our wine tasting tour by bike (we drove instead). ☹ The wine was good but the best part of our stay was dinner that night at La Sommellerie. The food was great, topped off by Darsh’s dessert platter, which unfortunately for us we finished! We hardly ate the next day to make up for it! ☺

On our way to Montpellier we stopped by Pont du Gard to see this massive Roman Aquaduct built in the 12th century. It was pretty cool! Luckily for us it was also a French holiday so they had free live music. We got there just in time for the “Electronic” set. Darsh snagged us two lawn chairs and we chilled for a few hours listening to beats. We both kinda wished we could have stayed longer but we made our way to Montpellier to do nothing and enjoy our splurge of a room at the Montpellier Pullman Antigone (I’m sure the town of Montpellier is great but “doing nothing” won.) It was nice to have a comfy bed again! You need that sometimes. ☺

We woke up the next day and forced ourselves to use the lame gym….but it did the job and we both felt better afterwards! We stopped on the coast at Palavas-les-Flots for lunch. It was actually one of the prettiest sandy beaches we’ve seen. And then finally we made our way to our last stop in France, Carcassonne.

Carcassonne is known for La Cite de Carcassonne, a massive fortress with an enclosed city. It is the grandest fortress/castle/medieval city we've seen! And it's in perfect condition. We got there in the evening so we could see it by day and night. It was awesome! We spent the night drinking French wine, eating French food, and finishing up with a Nutella crepe. Pretty fitting for our last night in France! :)

Almost Home....Yippee!!!!

I just booked the last hotel of the trip. And we have less than 3 weeks to go! We’re both really excited. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been amazing traveling. And we both realize how lucky we’ve been but we're homesick and tired. Although I will say beach time has really helped rejuvenate us.

I’ve never been so excited to sleep in my own bed, wear different clothes, and eat the best damn bean burrito (from Taco Bell of course) of my life!! Can’t wait to see all my peeps at home! Yippee!!

The Glitz and Glam of the Côte d'Azur

I’ll have to say we’re pretty tired right about now. Who knew not working and traveling could be so tiring! ☺ This is why coming to the Côte d'Azur (French Riviera) now was perfect timing. It is exactly what we needed – sun, beach and the most crystal clear blue water you have ever seen. And the best part is that our friend Zach gave us his France trip itinerary so I didn’t even have to think!

We first hit Nice for a few days and stayed at the Hotel Little Palace, a great little hotel about a 10-minute walk from the beach. This was a great find (great rates and well maintained….I don’t get how it is only 2 stars!) Nice has a great beach boardwalk, Promenade des Anglais, which I was very happy about as it allowed me to run! I really think running is the best way to see a new city….especially in the morning when it isn’t crowded. Honestly we really didn’t do much else in Nice. Just walked around the Old Town, hung out at the beach, read magazines, and relaxed!

Just outside of Nice, we went to St. Paul de Vence, a cool medieval town enclosed in stone walls. It was really cool driving through the mountains looking at this city…..which just looked like one gigantic castle from afar…..not to mention that everywhere you looked there seemed to be other castles and medieval towns. Inside St. Paul de Vence are tons of art galleries, jewelry shops, and restaurants.

On our way to Cannes we stopped by Antibes, which is know for it’s ridiculously insane yachts! The whole time I kept thinking, who can afford these yachts….and why don’t I know any of these people! ☺

When we got to Cannes, I instantly wished we had more time there. The beaches are beautiful….it’s the only sandy beaches in the French Riviera (all the rest are pebbly). Unfortunately we didn’t spend too much time on the beaches since we only had a night there….next time! We stayed at the Hotel Montaigne, which was about a 10-minute walk to the beach and Palais de Festivals, where the Cannes Film Festival takes place.

We ended up doing the opposite of “chilling” our one night in Cannes. David Guetta was playing at Le Palais, right on the beach, and while we’re both huge fans I really didn't want to go clubbing 'til dawn....can't say the same for Darsh. :) That said, we decided you only live once and it would probably be amazing to see him here. Soooo we made a night out of it. We headed to this cute little area with tiny streets (Rue de Suquet and Le Saint Antoine) that had restaurants lined up next to each other. We had drinks at Charly's, dinner, at L'Oulivie, and then headed over to Le Palais, which didn’t even open until Midnight. David Guetta finally went on at 2ish. He was amazing! I’m glad we did it….but we were tired the next day….my clubbing days are pretty much over! Yikes!

Let’s just say we moved slow the next day. Good thing all we did was drive to St. Tropez for some more beach time. St. Tropez is pretty glitzy. It has great shopping and again tons of yachts. I was on the look out for Diddy the whole time! I felt like it was full of high rollers….well I guess all of the French Riviera is to some extent. I’m pretty sure there were some French celebrities there while we were there (based on the millions of people staring and taking pics of one insane yacht). It was almost like we were home. Almost, but not quite. ☺

Irish Beats, Riverdancing, and some Chill Time

In Galway, we stayed at the Clayton Hotel which was a 10-minute drive from the center of town but it was a nice hotel so we didn’t mind….and it had a much needed gym! ☺ We spent the day walking around town, doing laundry, having a yummy lunch at Food for Thought (totally vegetarian friendly and mostly organic), and dodging rain with a pit stop at Quay’s for a mid-afternoon Guinness.

Galway is a great little town with shops, a ton of pubs, and cute cafes. It is known for its music scene and since we all love music we were on a mission to find some good Irish beats. Unfortunately by evening time it was pouring! So we went to the bar our car driver (and Lonely Planet) suggested even though we knew there were more local ones across the river (in the less touristy section of the city). But the bar, Tig Coili, was packed and the music was excellent….and honestly we wouldn’t have known if the peeps were local or not. ☺

The next day we made it back to Dublin. It was nice to drop the car off….I’m sure even nicer for Darsh. We had a relaxing day walking around Trinity College and Grafton Street, a great shopping street, and having lunch at Bewleys Café. We saw the Book of Kells sign but not the actual book as it was closed….oh well it's almost the same thing! This time in Dublin we stayed at the Conrad, which is South of the River Liffey, a really pretty, upscale part of town. (Our first night we were North of the River which I guess is the “keeping it real” part of town….definitely edgier!) I’m glad we could experience both.

We were lucky enough to get tickets to the Riverdance show at the Gaeity theater. It was AMAZING! It was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. The dancers feet moved so fast….unreal! My dad loves music and dance just as much as I do so it was great to be able to see Riverdance with him in Ireland.

Our last day in Dublin (and in Ireland) we dropped my dad off early morning so he could catch his flight back home and then we met up with Fiona and Kiran. We learned the story behind the “perfect pint” at the Guinness Factory and then drove around Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey, and Blackrock (neighboring suburbs just south of Dublin). Dun Laoghaire and Dalkey are super cute seaside towns (Bono lives in Dalkey…..we drove by his house!) And again, everything is so green and perfectly manicured!

We had dinner in the Dublin Hills at Johnnie Fox's, a really cute, traditional pub. We actually all had grand plans to go out on the town in Dublin but we were tired so ended up chatting away at our hotel. It was nice to just chill and catch up with Fiona.

I can’t believe our Ireland journey has come and gone. We really had the best time here. The culture and the peeps were some of the best we’ve experienced on our trip!

Thanks Dad and Fiona! xoxo

Living on the Edge on the Cliffs of Moher

Our last day of “being one with nature” we spent driving through the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren to get to Galway. We took a car ferry over the River Shannon to get to County Clare. This was a first for all of us– kind of cool sitting in your car while on a ferry. Driving in general wasn’t too bad although there were a few minutes of driving through roads barely big enough for one car. I mean we were toast if another car came the opposite direction. But we made it out ok and the locals are pretty good about helping you out.

I was really excited to see the Cliffs of Moher. These are the cliffs you often see in Ireland travel brochures. They were simply amazing! They are totally vertical limestone cliffs against the sea. And they are high….214 meters to be exact! There are protective walls all around the north end of the cliffs (so you won’t fall) but if you walk to the south you can walk pretty far without the walls. You can even sit on the cliff’s edge. Which in my opinion is just plain stupid….I barely even walked the south side. It was so windy I was convinced the wind would throw me over the edge! It was my dad that convinced me. I figured if my dad was doing it, I probably should too! :) Anyway they are just breathtakingly beautiful! Oh and the food at the visitor center was really good again!

The last part of the trip to Galway we drove through the Burren which is another National park but very different from Killarney (and the rest of Ireland). It’s very desert-like full of rocky landscapes, more limestone, and some beaches. We didn’t really stop but it made for a nice drive into Galway.

Being One With Nature in County Kerry

We used Killarney as a base for exploring County Kerry – Killarney National Park and Dingle Peninsula. We stayed at Larkinley Lodge, a cute B&B right in the center of Killarney. Thankfully everything was pretty close and we took a tour bus to Dingle so Darsh got a break from driving.

Killarney National Park is huge. It’s full of lakes, hikes, bike trails, and even a waterfall. Luckily, the day we decided to hike it didn’t rain much….although I was really cold. We did a 2-hour hike around Muckross Estate and Torc Waterfall. It was really pretty and great to finally get some kind of exercise.

The next day we toured around Dingle Peninsula. It was really nice being driven around because the streets are insanely tiny. Honestly I have no idea how the bus maneuvered itself around some of these roads. We also covered so much ground – we would have never been able to do this on our own.

The Dingle Peninsula is really, really pretty. It’s full of rolling green hills with some stone age ruins, stone walls, and some great beaches. We liked Inch – you could see some surfers braving the cold – and it was freezing at the beach! Driving through different towns I kept thinking I’ve never seen so much green! And everything is perfectly manicured. People really take care of their yards, lawns, even cities. (Fiona later told me that Ireland has competitions between cities for cleanliness….I totally think this is a good idea!) The Dingle Peninsula is also part of the Gaeltacht region (traditional Irish speaking region). So you see signs in Gaelic and some people speak in Gaelic….kinda cool and also weird for us because after being in non English speaking countries for so long we got used to speaking in English again.

Finally the food…..I gotta say I’ve been pleasantly surprised! They even had vegetarian options for my dad. It sounds weird but some of our favorite meals were at the Visitor Centers (in Killarney National Park and somewhere on Dingle Peninsula) – really yummy, organic food. We also liked Murphys (pub food with some healthy options) and Bombay Palace (good Indian). And if you want to listen to some good music, Scott’s in Killarney was pretty good.

Friends, Family, Guinness, and Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road

We walked into our hotel in Dublin and were greeted by my Dad! How fun! He had gotten there hours earlier, checked in, and had already explored the area. It was so good to see him (although it was a bit surreal)!

It was raining and we were tired but somehow both of us were totally energized. The second we got into the Temple Bar area (Dublin’s main party district) we both wanted a drink even though I swore I was detoxing. ☺ Just something about being in Ireland! Of course, our first drink had to be a Guinness. I’m totally not a Guinness drinker (or really any kind of beer) but it was actually really good….they seriously just taste better here!

The next day, our good friend Fiona came to meet us for a coffee with her son Kiran and niece Kelly. It was so good to see them….again totally surreal….even though she’s one of the reason’s we came here! It was a short visit and unfortunately all she did was end up waiting at the car rental place with us because they totally screwed us by giving our car away. ☹ We were both pissed but somehow it didn’t seem so bad since we had Fiona and our Dad there to hang with. ☺

Luckily after a 2 hour wait we were finally on our way. And of course, the second we got into the car it started raining….just in time for Darsh to learn how to drive on the wrong side of the road. Even though I wasn’t driving it was just weird! Fiona gave us the best advice though – just remember you (the driver) is always in the middle of the road.

Despite the rain and learning how to drive all over again we made it to Kilkenny with no problem....well thanks to our driver and handy GPS. Thanks Darsh for all the driving! ☺ Kilkenny is a cute little town and it’s main attraction is the Kilkenny Castle which was exactly what you would think an Irish castle would be – a huge medieval building with perfectly manicured grounds that went on forever. We also walked by St. Canice’s Cathedral which was a bit eerie in the late evening with a cemetery on its grounds complete with creepy crows….we didn’t stay long!

After a long day of driving we finally had a chance to sit down and eat at Grapevine, a cute tapas place. And then we just chilled at our B&B, Rosquil House. Our room was lovely, and the service phenomenal. Even better was the breakfast the next day. It was one of the best stays we had on our trip!

Paris - Take Two

They say you either love or hate Paris. The first time I was there (over 10 years ago) I hated it. This time I loved it. There is so much to do and it is just such a pretty city. And despite the fact that I’m completely horrible with French, people were beyond friendly and helpful. Based on our experiences they don't deserve some of the stereotypes they get.

After our stay at the Hilton we moved to a hotel in the Marais district. We really didn’t want to leave our nice, luxurious room but we ended up being quite happy with our room at the Hotel Sevigne. It was tiny….like Tokyo tiny but it was in a fab location and well maintained. The people who ran the place were great and it was an excellent deal….I don’t think you could get better in Paris considering location.

The Marais was the perfect place for us. It’s really central and full of boutique shops, small cafes, and a ton of restaurants. We just weren’t in the mood for French food all the time so it was perfect with a variety at our doorsteps. Our favorites were Momo Pizza (decent pizza), Takami Sushi (good for a sushi crave), L'as du Fallafel (great falafel….the line outside the place 24x7 tells you something), and Breakfast in America (real American breakfast). We also had an amazing dinner at Café El Sur in the Latin Quarter (Great Argentinian food….best steak ever!)

Since we had both been to Paris before and we’re getting TIRED, we tried to chill a little. But seriously it is almost impossible to relax in a city with so much going on. Even on days that we took it easy we ended up walking like 5 miles! We did visit the Louvre, (asides from the must-see Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, my favs were Napolean’s apartments, Psyche and Cupid and the rest of the Greek/Roman sculptures), Notre Dame Cathedral (still as amazing as the first time), Musee D’Orsay (our favs were Monet, Van Gogh, and Matisse), the Eiffel Tower (nice view but pain to get to the top with ridiculous lines), and Versailles (the hugest palace and grounds ever. I mean it took forever getting from the Chateau to the gardens….and we only saw like 1/10 of the estate!).

We also made a visit to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur, which is probably my favorite church in Paris. It’s set on a small hill and if you walk to the top you can see pretty nice views of Paris. It’s also fun grabbing a drink and people-watching in one of the cafes in Montmartre. We were lucky enough to see, Iya Traore, a street performer who blew us away with his free-styling football skills. I was so mesmerized I saw his show twice....seriously he belongs on a Nike commercial!!

Surprisingly even with 6 days in Paris there were things that we missed (Rodin Gardens was at the top of the list). And unfortunately I can't comment much on the late night scene....we tried to rally every night but just couldn't do it. But I'm pretty sure we'll be back!!

Au revoir!