featured – Archived Travels

Ireland

It’s been years since I’ve been to Ireland! I remember having tasty shepherd’s pie, kissing the Blarney Stone, trotting on horses through rolling fields, and roaming on the windy Cliffs of Moher.

It’s time to go back, and this time, to some cities I haven’t been to yet. Not to mention…I can drink now! Keep reading to see my adventure from Dublin to Galway and back with my good friend Kristen!

Day One –

After a stressful connecting overnight flight, Kristen and I finally made it to Dublin! We bought our Leap Card passes at the airport and then took the bus towards our Airbnb, which luckily was located right across from Temple Bar, a very pub-populated part of town.

After settling in, we explored the city with the only goal of beating our jet lag. First, we wandered around Christ Church Cathedral, the oldest functioning building in the city. If you’re a student, be sure to bring your ID for a discount and don’t miss the mummified cat and mouse.

Next, we stumbled upon The Queen of Tarts, which served fantastic pastries and other filling foods. We highly recommend the chocolate pecan tart if it hasn’t been sold out yet. Coming at an earlier time may provide more yummy options.

Once we got some energy back, we went window shopping for clothes and jewelry. We passed the Temple Bar pub and noted that we would return the next night. After receiving advice from the locals, we found the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre which was super fun to explore. Plenty of engagement rings and antique jewelry to look at. On the top floor there’s a cool clothing/jewelry place called Atrium.

Afterwards, Kristen wanted to see Trinity College, where according to her, is home to many noble alum, not to mention the Book of Kelly’s (we didn’t see it because it was closed at 5pm) We also caught a boring cricket game and tried to hype it up with our American cheering.

We stopped at the Gin Palace and had a gin and tonic with Dingle Gin, which is traditionally Irish, then headed out to dinner. On our way there we saw the Spire, which is considered the tallest sculpture in the world. We ended our night with dinner at Klaw, a poke place, but neither of us had poke. Regardless, the food was phenomenal.

Day Two –

We slept in late because we had some trouble with our jet lag. Once we got ourselves out of bed, we went to the Saturday Food Market near Temple Bar and grabbed some coffee and breakfast. During this time, we received unfortunate news that our sea kayaking trip in Howth was cancelled. Regardless, we decided to head over to the coast anyway.

Kristen and I were so delighted by this cute sea town. We took a boat ride to Ireland’s Eye and hiked towards the summit. We came across a little beach, some church ruins, many seagulls, and even a seal. Safe to say, it was one of the highlights of our trip so far. Also, it was so sunny out!

Once we got back, we strolled along the seaport towards the Howth Lighthouse, took a power nap, and headed to The Abbey Tavern for the tastiest fish and chips you’ll ever have.

Once we got back to our Airbnb, we showered and got ready for a night out. I had a pint of Guinness at the famous Temple Bar, then at the Stag’s Head, I treated myself to a shot of Jameson whiskey. Once I had all the essentials, Kristen and I went to Dicey’s, a very fun nightclub that is both indoors and outdoors. Highly recommend if you’re a young adult/college student.

Day Three –

After a rough night, we woke up early to catch a train to Galway. The view on the ride is absolutely iconic.

We only had a day to really explore the city of Galway since the next day we were going to do a tour of the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands. It’s quite small, so it was extremely manageable to see most of the city in a few hours, we even did a few laps! The Latin Quarter is so lively with musicians, pubs, and shops. There are also little alleyways filled with even more shops and artisan stalls.

We ate at 1520’s and enjoyed some traditional Irish food. We then walked along the river and passed under the famous Spanish Arch along the way.

The city was extra lively that day because Galway was facing Limerick in a game that we could only think was lacrosse. Unfortunately, Galway lost, but what a celebration it would’ve been. Everybody was gathered at Eyre Square watching the away game on a massive screen. We turned in early this evening due to our 10 hour day tour the next day.

Day Four –

We were in Eyre Square before 8am in order to catch our tour bus to Doolin. We had a wonderful tour guide named Peter and enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the way to the bay which we departed. We took a horse carriage ride around the Aran Island, Inis Oirr. My favorite part of the tour were the walls which were made by the original people of the island.

After the Aran Islands, we cruised along the Cliffs of Moher before docking and seeing them from above.

We made our way back to Galway, and walked around to kill time before heading to Taafes for some pints of cider.

Day Five –

We spent the morning making our way back to Dublin. Once we settled into our Airbnb which was less central and more suburban, we headed off to the Guinness Storehouse.

It is absolutely worth it and a graphic designer and beer drinkers’ dream alike. The tour was so wonderfully curated and you even get to have a pint at the end, which you can pour yourself.

After the tour, we went back by Temple Bar and walked around for a bit before heading home for the night.

Day Six –

We started our final day in Ireland with a visit to the National Botanical Gardens. It has a great cafe that uses fresh ingredients and the place itself has free admission! Honestly, it’s the biggest botanical gardens I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to my fair share. If you have the time, certainly check it out. While a lot of gardens are outside, there are plenty indoors, so a visit on a rainy day is completely doable.

After the botanical gardens, we trekked way north to the local village of Donabate to go horseback riding at Corballis Farm. Kristen rode Calvin and I rode Surprise along the beach.

It was scary to trot English saddle where you have no horn to hold onto, but it was beyond fun!

We spent our last few hours back in Central Dublin and stumbled upon St. Stephen’s Park. Since the city weirdly has no benches on the streets, it was a nice area to rest out feet.

Since we had flight in the morning, we went home a little more earlier than usual. Ireland was such a spontaneous trip, and it was more charming than I remembered. I’m glad I was able to come back to this gorgeous, kind island.

Norway

When I reflect on my travels to Norway, I think about Mother Nature. I think about her raw and authentic self. I think about how I would wake up every morning, step outside, and look up to the impossible cliffs scraping the sky. It was October, so it was frigid. Despite the cold, I swallowed the freshest breaths of air. The clouds sank into the fjords. Hundreds of waterfalls diving into the earth became my background noise for this trip.

After arriving in Bergen, my group drove three hour north to stay in a tiny town called Flåm. This bus ride became our introduction to the country as we moved through the valleys and bowels of the rugged landscape. We stayed in a youth hostel, whose cabins were a vibrant yellow. I discovered playful colors of bright red and yellow endure in Norwegian architecture.

After we settled in, we rented out our bikes and began our first hike. We climbed a dangerously muddy path up to a waterfall and had the pleasure to oversee the entire valley. I recall how thunderous the water sounded and how quiet everything else was.

After our tiring hike, we went to the only supermarket that existed in this tiny town. The selection was small but new, however, obnoxiously expensive. I was warned about prices.

The next adventure we went on was hiking down a fjord. We took the famous Flåm railroad thirteen miles up to Myrdal.

Then, we went ahead a walked five hours back to our origin. When the group’s pace broke up, I ended up alone. I was so happy to be alone with only Nature. Her companionship was so special.

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Although my feet felt like they had been rolled with needles and Lego bricks, I managed to stop by a small crafts store. There I bought some souvenirs for my parents and some wool yarn for myself (I’ve yet to knit anything – I’m too scared to waste it!).

Once we finished our long journey, we relaxed at the only pub that existed in Flåm…it was next to the only supermarket. The pub was called the Aeigir Brewery and looked like it was straight from Winterfell. I was geeking as I sat on fur pelts by the fire and sipped on my electric blue drink, which was called an “ice bjorn”…or something like that.

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The next day, we drove to a rope course, which was located right next to a waterfall. It had just rained so the course was crazy slippery. We were two stories off the ground and I certainly felt like I was going to slip and die. I dipped for the second half since my hands were numb from the cold wires I had to hold. Instead, I relaxed by a warm fire.

Our last big activity in this tiny town was to go out to the fjords on a boat. My god, it was SO cold (I didn’t bring my camera and my GoPro died so no pictures 😦 ), but it provided another one of those magical moments with nature. We saw a mama seal with her pup. We saw the village that Arendale from Frozen was based off of! There, I learned the sad truth about how climate change has changed this village’s way of life. No longer can they communicate with neighboring villages since the fjords don’t freeze over anymore. :,-(

The best part of the tour was when we turned off the engine and sat at a crossroads. It was so quiet, but also so loud. Loud with waterfalls and wind rustling trees. Our guide told us that this is the only place in the world where three fjords meet. This was certainly a place to find peace.

Before we left for Bergen, we made our way to a small farm where we sampled brown cheese, a Norwegian delicacy. The cottage was so homey and the view of the fjords was so unbelievable that I had to ask the hostess if waking up every morning to this was as surprising as the day before. After we were fed, she sang some Norwegian folk music and told us about the country’s legends. Then, we were off with bellies full of bread, meat, and cheese.

Once we returned to Bergen, we had about four hours to kill. Before we all split off, some of us rode the Fløibanen to view the city from above.

After this, I decided to roam by myself in the misty rain.

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I stumbled upon a very bright cluster of traditional wooden buildings which I later discovered was Bryggen, the old wharf. There I picked up some etchings as souvenirs for my parents travel wall at home! I also stepped into a steamy cafe and munched on some food before heading back to my group to go home.

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I want to end this post with a poem I wrote while exploring this breathtaking country:

The sky, swollen with clouds.

The fjords in a veil of fog.

The walls that cradle this valley

seem to vanish

into the sky and slice open the heavens.

You enter the behemoth from time to time

and traverse its bowels.

Man has smoothed out its belly.

Mother Nature continues to carve its skin.

Forests can no longer continue

up the steep face.

Snow settles there instead.

The valley is speckled

with little red and white houses.

Loose threads of cloud hang

low above the village

and gift its people smatters of water.

Mother Nature roars

with a thousand hushes.

The river runs vertically,

splitting into tributaries against the rocks below.

It then flows into the little town in the softest exhale.

The morning cold pokes needles at your fingertips.

Your breath swirls with the air.

The sky descends upon you.

This haze will surely swallow this little town

unless it cries out.

The sky, swollen with clouds.

The fjords in a veil of fog.

Denmark

“Livet må forstås baglæns, men må leves forlæns.”

Life must be understood backwards, but must be lived forward

In the month of August 2017, I began my journey abroad in Europe as a student. With a big red suitcase and an even bigger smile, I’ve taken with me an emotional baggage that has given me a unique experience. Despite the grief that has followed me to these unknown lands, I have learned, I have laughed, I have cried, I have discovered, I have spent (sorry mom), but I have never regretted.

In Denmark, culture is a little different from American culture. I’ve compiled these points into a concise list:

Couples always exhibit PDA – but the wholesome kind, especially hand-holding
Literally everybody has babies, and all the babies smile
Danes do not use sauce in pizza pies (tragic)
At the supermarket, it is important to set down the dividers on the conveyor belt…or else
Bike lanes. Bike lanes. Bike lanes.
Danes are humble about their success
Danes possess an accent that resembles (as the Swedish say) a potato being lodged in your throat
One similarity: Danes are just as crazy about Christmas as Americans are!

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By now, I know Copenhagen like the back of my hand. Shoutout to the 2A bus for always coming in clutch. Shoutout to Lagkaghuset for providing the best pastries ever. Shoutout to Netto for satisfying my munchies. Shoutout to the Metro for only going two directions. Shoutout to the architects for building such beautifully modern buildings. Shoutout to Paper Island for having the best food. Shoutout to Christiansvahn just because it’s my favorite stop on the way to my apartment. Shoutout to Tivoli for always ringing in the seasons with fun and festivities. Shoutout to Amagerbro for being my home for the past three months.

With that said, let’s get into the highlights so that those who want to visit this magical country can have some guidance –

Activities –

Tivoli Gardens
University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden

Nightlife –

Pumpehuset
Meatpacking District

Museums –

Nationalmuseet
University of Copenhagen Geological Museum
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Frilandsmuseet

Food –

Nyhavn
Paper Island (Permanently Closed)
Torvehallerne Copenhagen
Noma