Belgium part 1: Bruges

The weekend after our return from our trip home, we set out on another bank holiday weekend to Belgium. Since it's a smaller country, we were able to visit 3 cities in a short trip, the first of which was beautiful Bruges/Brugge. 

Bruges was a city I didn't know anything about until we moved. After arriving, I learned that it is a favorite of many, and we later discovered why. When we planned our trip, several people told us, "You've got to see In Bruges," which, not surprisingly, stars Irish actors. Well, I still have yet to see the movie, but we did take other suggestions for our trip! 

Similar to Amsterdam, Bruges is another canal-based city that is often referred to as "Venice of the North." Along with the canals, the pedestrian streets and medieval charm of the historic centre make Bruges incredibly picturesque. It's one of those places where you need to keep your camera out at all times, because you're met with a lovely scene every time you turn a corner. I have to restrain myself from posting the hundreds of pics I took!

The Markt

Our first day, we wandered the streets until we arrived at The Markt/Market Square in the centre, where we enjoyed our first beers in the sun. I'll just add that Belgian beers are my absolute favorite, so I was in heaven the entire weekend! My husband ordered a large and I said the same, to which the waiter replied, "Large? Are you sure?" I thought: yeah I'm sure, why not! When he delivered the huge steins, I realized why he asked. So, our afternoon started off well!

After Market Square, we walked around to see other sites, like The Burg (Stadhuis/town hall, Basilica of the Holy Blood), stopped for another beer at a great little spot, Cafe Rose Red, then explored the peaceful Beguinage area. 

Near the Beguinage is Minnewater Lake, or the "Lake of Love." It's already an enchanting area, but we were lucky enough to encounter a "double rainbow, oh my god!" (for any who missed the reference, look up Double Rainbow on Youtube... you're welcome). What does this mean? I think a rainbow, let alone a full-on double rainbow, on the lake of love means good things for us!

Next was dinner at Bierbrasserie Cambrinus for some great food and Olympics watching, followed by an evening stroll through the less-crowded squares. In the morning, we browsed the Sunday market before waiting in line for 30 minutes and climbing 366 steps (worth it) to the top of the Belfry for panoramic views of the city. 

The Markt (Belfry on right) at night

Oh Bruges, how I love you. I hope to be back again in the future. 

The next Belgian destination was Ghent -- stay tuned!

Christmas is all around... London

Even though I still have many trips to cover, I'm going to jump out of order here and talk about our recent trip to London. We visited for the first time -- well, my first time (B has been there a few times for work) -- a month prior, but I'll lead off with this trip because a lot of our time was spent at Christmas markets (my new obsession!). As Christmas is a week from today, these holiday posts have a diminishing shelf life!

If you're wondering, the reason we took 2 trips to London 4 weeks apart was to see friends. My old boss from the States was traveling there for a wedding and we planned to meet up. Also, London is just a fabulous city and it's a quick flight for us, so it's easy to do a weekend trip! 

We left on a Saturday and returned on Monday morning and had plenty of time. Sightseeing was out of the way from the previous visit, so we could slow down and enjoy the city, holiday festivities, and company of good friends.

Hyde Park

On Saturday afternoon, we missed a matinee showing of Wicked that we had planned on attending, but that simply meant we had more time to enjoy the afternoon before an early sunset. These hours were devoted to strolling through Hyde Park and sipping on Glühwein (German mulled wine) at the Winter Wonderland Festival.

Let me say, London knows how to do holiday decorations! The "Winter Wonderland" was like a typical carnival, times 10! There were lights everywhere, endless coasters/rides/funhouses, diverse food huts, drink stands and full fledged bars/clubs, live bands, etc. A favorite discovery of ours was a "Merry-go-Round for adults": an open-air bar, with a rotating carousel in the middle (with a bar in the middle of it too!). Brilliant. 

After our wondrous winter adventure, we met up with my friend and his wife for some drinks and quality catch-up time. I was so happy to see a friendly face from Chicago, in London of all places! The next morning, we reconvened and, with coffee and croissant in hand, walked around the beautifully decorated neighborhood of Covent Garden.

When our friends departed for the rest of their European excursion, we Tubed it over to Xmas market #2, the Cologne Market at the Southbank Centre. It's situated along the Thames, so market-goers can simultaneously devour their bratwurst and spiked hot chocolate, browse artisan "whosits and whatsits galore," and enjoy views of the London Eye and Big Ben across the river. So pretty at night!

Between friends and festivities, the weekend definitely put me in a great mood. Being in London, I kept singing the lyrics from the Love Actually song: "I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes... Christmas is all around me, and so the feeling grows!" As I close this post, I'm listening to it yet again...

"So if you really love Christ-mas... C'mon and let it snow!"

Beakers & Babies

A week from tomorrow, we head back to the states for the holidays. I can't believe it's that soon and I can't believe it'll be 5 months since we were home last. Our upcoming trip would probably have been our first, had it not been for a good friend's wedding this summer. It's a long trip home, but we're glad to make it for our loved ones. So, in preparation for our approaching travels, I thought I'd share a bit from our previous trip. 

My time home in July made me feel like a grownup, featuring Beakers and Babies... not to be confused with beaker babies or test tube babies. Our good friends, Sarah and Craig, dubbed "The Beakers" years before they made it official, got married in Ohio (actually in/near Dublin, Ohio, which was pretty coincidental). I was thrilled to be standing beside my college girls, synchronously crying, watching our good friend take her vows!

So lovely, right? It was great to be back home and share in the happiest day of their lives... Which brings me to babies. Nope, no babies for the Beakers yet (for anyone who was confused at the title haha)! 

Another dear friend, whom I've known since first grade (coincidentally another Sarah), had her first baby! She and her husband, Shaun, welcomed a baby boy the same day that my other friend got married. Big day for the Sarahs! 

As I'm rarely home, I had joked with her about working her birthing schedule around my visit. I tried to persuade her to put extra jalapeños on her burger when we went out to eat, strongly encouraged different oils, long walks and well, other things, ha. Luckily, none of that was necessary and she had her baby a week or two before her due date! I'm convinced the precious little guy was listening to me :)

So, even though I'm far away most of the time, I was lucky enough to be there for these important firsts... the first wedding of my college friends, the first baby of my friends from home. I'm not sure when we became these grownups, but I have to say I kind of like it! 

These joyous occasions, paired with much needed family time (including wedding dress shopping with my Mom, yay!), made for such a great trip! I'm so looking forward to being back with friends and family again soon. Now, who wants to get married or have a baby this time I'm home? Think about it.

Venice Itinerary

As I wrote this post and added a link from my Travel page (check it out for my posts on our trip to Venice and others!), I realized I'm really starting to like the look of it. I have 6 of our recent trips included, and there are many more to catch you up on! I feel so lucky that I've been able to do this and share in the excitement with my husband.

So, here's another itinerary for the list. Having spent a holiday weekend in romantic Venice, these are our tips...

When to visit: 

I don't usually include this in my itineraries, but thought it was important to touch on briefly. I'd recommend spring or early summer (we went in early June and it was perfect), or early fall. You'll still run into quite a few tourists during these times, but it won't be overwhelmingly hot and/or smelly, or flooding ("high water" season is Oct-Jan).

Where to stay:

This is pretty subjective in Venice, so I'll just say what we did. When we travel, we like to be somewhat close to the touristy areas (easy transit ride or walk), but far enough away in a more quiet neighborhood with a local ambiance. Our hotel was the Residenza Cannaregio in Cannaregio, the "Jewish Ghetto." I would recommend it, but have also heard Dorsoduro is a nice neighborhood too. Personally, I wouldn't want to stay in the heart of the craziness near Piazza San Marco, especially since the city is easy to navigate -- which leads me to....

Getting Around:

First of all, I'd recommend walking a lot to get a feel for the different areas of the city. One of the best parts about visiting Venice is getting lost in the maze and stumbling upon cool little squares, restaurants, shops, markets, etc. Aside from that, you can take the Vaporetto (water bus) or Water Taxis. Taxis are the fastest, but more expensive, so I'd go for a Vaporetto pass (from 12 hr passes to 7-day passes).

Gondolas:  These wouldn't be used for practical transportation, but I would absolutely encourage taking a ride. Gondolas are pricey, but well worth it! They are often cheaper with more people (up to 6) vs. a private ride, and you can always try to strike a deal with your Gondolier (extra if they sing to you, so up to you if you want it - I would just listen to the singing another time and save yourself the $$). Don't go on Grand Canal, but go on the smaller canals for a less crowded, more intimate experience. Go at sunset and take your camera (and a bottle of wine if you want!).

What to see:

Grand Canal/Canals/Gondoliers

Piazza San Marco: Basilica di San Marco, Campanile di San Marco (bell tower), Torre dell'Orologio

Rialto Bridge/Market

Museums: Many to see, but St. Mark’s Square Museums grants access to the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana on one pass. Also, the Peggy Guggenheim has been recommended to us!

Churches - plenty of gorgeous churches to check out!

Piazza San Marco

Last, but not least, take the Vaporetto for a day trip to the Lagoon Islands. Murano is famous for its glass, Burano for its lace and colorful buildings, and Torcello for its ancient ruins and tranquility. 

Burano

Restaurants/Venetian Cuisine:

It's Venice... there are tons of great places, so I'll just include 3 favorites:

Antica Trattoria Poste Vecio - we stumbled on this gem and later found out it's the oldest restaurant in Venice - I had amazing Lobster Gnocchi here (seafood is a big part of Venetian cuisine)

Vini da Gigio - restaurant in Cannaregio - excellent food, wine, and service!

Al Bottegon (also known as Cantinone Gia Schavi) - great lunch spot - cheap and delicious cicheti (little bites) and you can get wine to go (where we got our bottle of Prosecco for our gondola ride)

All I Want for Xmas is... a Work Permit!

I can't believe the holiday season is upon us... Cue the cheery music, shopping madness, ugly jumpers (for my U.S. readers, jumper = sweater), and booze filled holiday parties. I've started getting in the mood myself, lighting my "White Christmas" Yankee candle and watching Love Actually, Elf, and even New Year's Eve. 

I also went on a holiday mission with my friend, Michelle, to the Euro Store (equivalent of the Dollar Store) for Xmas decorations. Ours are boxed up in storage, but we both still wanted a little festive touch for our Dublin homes. I got 2 stockings, garland and gold pinecone ornaments for a DIY garland for the mantle, and red tea light holders for €7 - now I call that a successful trip!

While I was putting up my new decorations, dancing around and belting out Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" alone in our apartment, I started thinking about what I wanted for Xmas. My Mom asked me a few days prior, and I told her I didn't want anything, just wanted to be home with everyone (don't you just love when people give that answer? Makes it soo easy on you, right? Ha). I then jokingly said, "If you can get me a work permit, that would be great." 

For anyone who knows me well and knows about my nightmare of a permit application process, you know this is no joke. You probably want this for Christmas too, just so you don't have to hear me complain anymore! It's unreal to me that this year is winding down and I'm still sitting here, waiting for the Irish government to pick up the application (MY THIRD ONE) from the stack it's been sitting in for a month and give me the "OK" to start working.

I had NO idea when we moved that it would be this complicated and torturous an ordeal. Finding a job was not the hard part; the permit process, however, has been the most ridiculous thing ever. I'll tell you what though... What I've missed in professional growth this year, I've gained 10x in personal growth.

This year, I'm more grateful than I've ever been for everyone in my life. As I told Mom, I could care less about presents and I'm looking so forward to spending time with my family and friends, even for the short week that we're home.

Since the Employment Permits Office informed me that they "don't accept bribes," after I asked if there was any way to expedite the process for the umpteenth time, maybe I'll just show up at the office with a bottle of whiskey (that is, if there was a physical location), pull a Marilyn Monroe and sing Santa Baby...

"Santa baby, slip a [permit] under the tree, for me
I've been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight"

Thoughts?

A'Dam

About a month after our Rome trip, we took a trip to Amsterdam. One of the many perks of living here is that my husband occasionally travels for work and we often try to make it into a trip. So, B planned some work travel in Amsterdam and I flew over on a Friday and we made a weekend out of it. 

For many people, Amsterdam is synonymous with the coffee shop culture. While it may be a large part of the tourist attraction, there is much more to the city. One of the few cities referred to as "Venice of the North," Amsterdam is home to over 100km of canals! These canals, along with Dutch Renaissance architecture, intriguing museums, diverse cuisine, and laid-back culture, make this city one of my favorites.

 I met B at Schipol Airport and we took the train to Amsterdam Central Station. We split some Vlaamse Frites (fries!) in the bustling Dam Square, then wandered the canals in the Nieuwmarkt en Lastage and De Wallen neighborhoods. 

De Wallen is the infamous "Red Light District," where you'll find streets lined with scantily clad prostitutes (they're legal there) beckoning from windows, sex shops, and advertisements for "adult" shows. It's unlike anything I'd ever seen! Just a tip: don't try to take pictures of the prostitutes... they'll bang on the windows. Not speaking from experience or anything... Anyway, we got a beer and people-watched at dusk in Nieuwmarkt, then turned in for the evening.

de Dam / Dam Square

Red Light District

Canals at dusk / Central Station in the background

The next day, we walked around Jordaan (the charming neighborhood where we stayed), along Singel Canal for the Flower Market, and over to Museumplein (plein = square) and the Van Gogh Museum. Very cool!

We also met up with a coworker from B's office, who was extremely helpful and showed us around more of the city and invited us out to a party (it's always so nice to get the local perspective). In fact, she has since moved to Dublin and become a good friend!

Museumplein / Museum Square

That evening, we also went to an amazing Indonesian restaurant -- the tasty result of Indonesia having been a Dutch colony for more than 300 years. After checking out a local party, we made our way to Leidseplein for a fun night!

Leidseplein

Our final day, we saw the Anne Frank House... a somber, but very interesting experience. Then, we enjoyed the only sunshine on our trip (we brought Dublin rain with us!) and strolled through Vondelpark, Amsterdam's "Central Park."

It was a great trip and I'd love to convince my husband to book another work trip... until then, it's another check in our ever-growing European Bucket List!

Wedding Planning... from Ireland

As most people know, I got hitched on St. Patrick's Day of this year. When my boyfriend-at-the-time found out he received his position in Dublin, we decided to get married. It was a simple decision -- there was no doubt that we were going to be together forever (to be honest, I knew before I agreed to date him) and he let me know that he had already been planning to propose soon. It just sped up the process a bit!

Being the good girl that I am, I was a little unsure about veering from the traditional route. I try not to plan out my life, but I definitely admit I had the idea that we would be engaged for a little while (or at least longer than 3 days!) and, like most girls, I wanted the proposal to be a surprise. 

Well, even though I sort of knew it was coming, it made zero difference. It was wonderfully surreal and romantic, and just perfect. I still cried like a baby when it happened, again when I retold the story... oh, and again at the ceremony...

Now, I love our unique tale. It's the best of both worlds. We got to have a fun, quick ceremony (literally 1-2 minutes!) and day of celebration in Chicago with family, but we're still planning a traditional wedding for the summer. It took the stress away from the moment and let us just focus on committing our lives to one another.

NOW comes the stress. Whether you've planned a wedding or not, anyone can agree it can be a major production. I know everyone says this, but I'm really not the girl that has imagined her wedding since she was little. I don't care much about invitations, flowers, programs... all the things you don't think about until you're forced. Thank god for Pinterest!

And if you think planning alone is difficult, try doing it from another country! I'm trying to schedule fittings and tastings while I'm home for 1 week over the holidays, when all I really want to do is kick back with family and enjoy those activities at a separate time. I can't just fly home and meet with people, and will probably not be home again until a week before the wedding. I'm reduced to Skype calls and e-mail contacts in the meantime. It's a challenge!

Luckily, I have family and friends that are more than willing to go out of their way and make our lives easier in all of this. To those people, I'm so appreciative! 

Quite frankly, I sometimes think we did it right the first time around -- cheap and painless! However, I know it will be worth it when the day comes. I can't wait to walk down the aisle with my Dad, stand with my best friends at my side, have my first dance with my husband, and, of course, dance my ass off at the reception! Most importantly, we'll get to share our happiness with all our loved ones. 

For now, I'll do my best to relax and enjoy the planning process! I'll keep you all posted on how that goes...

Rome pt. 2

Part 2 of our Rome trip (see Part 1) was equally eventful and amazing. We spent the first half of our second day touring the impressive Colosseum and the Roman Forum. 

It's mind-blowing to think the Colosseum was built by hand in 70-80 AD, and that people used to lose their lives in that arena for the sake of amusement. When we were inside, I couldn't help myself from repeating one of my favorite Gladiator lines, "Are you not entertained?!"

View of Colosseum from Palatine Hill

Next to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, an area that was once the center of ancient Rome, now filled with countless ruins of important government buildings, temples, statues, etc. In some instances, a single pillar is all that is left of a massive structure. One can only imagine what the forum looked like in all its glory!

After we explored the Forum and the inside of the Colosseum, we met my friend Kate (who we joined for Thanksgiving in Portugal), who had taken the train up from Naples to visit for the day. It had been 5 years since we'd seen each other, so it was great to catch up and meet her gorgeous little one! The 4 of us had a late lunch and visited another incredibly old but well-preserved building, the Pantheon (built in 126 AD as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome).

At a cafe for lunch

 Sadly, Kate had to catch the train back home, so we parted ways and got ready for our last night out on the town. Again, we met up with our friend, Gina, and shared a bottle of Prosecco on the rooftop terrace of her hotel, Intercontinental De La Ville Roma (beautiful!). We toasted to our last night in Rome, overlooking the tops of enormous cathedrals as the city lights began to twinkle. 

To top it all off, a dinner recommendation led us to the lively little neighborhood of Trastevere, where I had the most authentic, fresh, and unbelievably scrumptious pasta I've ever had in my life at Hostaria La Botticella. On the advice of a local, we continued on to Testaccio for a taste of the Roman nightlife... leading to a late night!

The next day, we did our last bit of sightseeing, then relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine-filled piazzas and got our final fix of pizza and gelato before heading back to Ireland. As legend has it, I tossed a coin over my shoulder into Trevi Fountain, so hopefully I'll return to Rome again some day!