Mini Travel Guides

Sometimes, the best European travel planning just isn’t enough.  Sometimes, no matter what city you are traveling to, no matter what travel tips you have followed, no matter how prepared you are the unexpected happens.  Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but often times, it is the unexpected that makes the trip.

So it was for me when I was traveling through Ireland recently.  By car.  Which, as an American used to driving on the right hand side of the road, was a bit new to me.  Couple that with the narrow roads of the Dingle Peninsula in south east Ireland, and the driving in and of itself was an experience.

I managed to get myself lost a few times on those back country roads, and it was on those back country roads that the unexpected happened.  Twice.  First, I stumbled upon a sheep herder moving his sheep from one field to the other up a small windy road.  Watching the slow, but methodical way he managed his sheep and his dogs was fascinating.  I was completely transfixed by the whole process.  Having driven past thousands of sheep while in Ireland, I was for some reason not prepared for the actual herding.

Half an hour later, I was once again transfixed by sheep.  Driving slowly along the road past the occasional farm house, there were often sheep grazing on the side of the road.  I learned early on that slow and steady was well worth it.  It was a good thing, because I was suddenly faced with a sheep who decided he didn’t like the VW Golf I was driving in.  He came galloping down the road, a crazed look in his eyes, staring me down.  It was hilarious and intimidating all at once.  He veered off to the right as I slowed to a near stop.  Disaster had been averted, I just wish that I had a picture…

Dublin and Guinness often times go hand in hand. Especially for young men (and women for that matter) in their twenties looking for ideas from a travel Europe guide. And so I found myself wandering through a snowy and icy Dublin on my way to St. James’s Gate Brewery, home of Guinness.

The tour is actually through the Guinness Storehouse, a building that once housed part of the brewery but is now home to what is essentially a Guinness museum and marketing tool. Flashy exhibitions give a brief history of Guinness, the ingredients in the beer, the equipment used, and of course, a number of old advertisements.

The tour itself was not all that impressive so I can’t really say it’s one of my top European travel tips.  Mostly because visitors never actually see the brewing process. Never actually see the yeast being added. Never actually see the Guinness being produced. It is a historical look at the Guinness brand, an interesting one, but not one that shows the magnitude of the world’s largest brewer of stout. Maybe you’d have more fun on the Dublin Ghost Bus Tour?

That being said, the end result was well worth the entrance fee. At the very top of the Storehouse is the Gravity Bar. A circular room with walls that double as windows looking out over Dublin. Quotes from famous Irish works of literature can be found on the glass. Along with the view, you’ll be treated to a pint of Guinness, straight from the tap, straight from St. James’s Gate Brewery. And that, despite the underwhelming tour, is hard to beat.

Dublin is known to be a haunted city with a great history of supernatural occurrences. The Dublin Ghost Bus Tour is one of my Europe travel tips as it takes brave visitors on a tour of the darker side of Dublin. Riders on the bus will learn the legends about how Dracula came to be, they will visit the infamous haunted steps and have an opportunity to stand in the middle of Dublin’s most haunted graveyard as they learn about the art of body snatching. The tour lasts a little over two hours and costs 25 Euros per person. Tours can be booked online or up to an hour before departure.

There are many beautiful and interesting places to see in Dublin, such as the Guinness Brewery Tour and even plenty of free Dublin attractions but if you’re one for spooks then this will be one of your Dublin favourites.

In my opinion, the spooks offered on the Dublin Ghost Bus Tour are more cheesy rather than scary. My girlfriends and I took the tour and had ourselves a hoot. The hokey ghost stories and the live storyteller made us laugh which made our experience quite pleasurable. The highlight of the tour takes place in a cemetery where the storyteller shares tales of body snatching and robbery. While the tour may seem a bit silly, it was a great way to learn the history of Dublin from a different perspective. The legends shared are ones that have been shared among the Irish for centuries. And the information about Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, is completely factual and quite interesting.

If you’re only in Dublin for a few days, I wouldn’t worry yourself with trying to get on the Ghost Bus Tour. However, if you’re in town for longer and are looking for a fun evening activity then I would suggest hitching a ride on Dublin’s only haunted tour bus.

About 5,000 years ago, the people who lived in what is now Ireland’s Boyne Valley, built vast monuments to honor their dead. Newgrange, about an hour’s drive from Dublin, is the best known.  This United Nations World Heritage Site draws 200,000 visitors per year.  If you’re interested in ancient mysteries, prehistoric Ireland’s Newgrange is a must.

Newgrange is a huge mound of stone and turf about 44 feet high, with a long inner passage leading to a burial chamber. Experts estimate that it would have taken 300 workers at least 20 years to build the passage.  Outside the base was once a circle or curve of more than 30 standing stones, some of them 8 feet high; 12 stones are still standing.  During the 1700s much of Newgrange was removed for building material, but it has been restored, including a replica of the original façade of white quartz.

The stones of Newgrange are beautifully carved with spirals and other symbols, including the famous triple spiral marking the entrance. Inside, excavators found immense stone basins, cremated bodies, bones, and bits of flint and pins, all evidence of ancient rituals. It’s an eery, marvelous place, but the most remarkable aspect of the site is its astrological significance. It is probably the world’s oldest calendar clock. A roof-box at the passage entrance is aligned with the winter solstice sunrise, and every year, on the solstice, the sun’s rays precisely illuminate the dark chamber. It lasts for about 20 minutes at dawn for a few days around the solstice, although today, because of changes in the tilt of Earth, the rays do not reach the deepest recess of the chamber.

Needless to say, the winter solstice is a popular time of year to visit.  Winter visitors are now allowed in only by lottery, and more than 30,000 applications are submitted yearly for the draw of 50 names. Forms are available at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre.  At any time of year, access to the Newgrange Passage Tomb is by guided tour through the visitor center, located near the village of Donore, County Meath. The last tour of the day is 90 minutes before the center’s closing time. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and vary during the rest of the year. Wear sturdy walking shoes and bring rain gear – this is Ireland, and you know what makes it so green.

Several hotels and B&Bs dot the landscape. Newgrange Lodge is an old but updated farmhouse just opposite Newgrange. Its 7 acres overlook the River Boyne and the ancient sites. Breakfast is provided, there is a dining area, and you can order a packed lunch. Ash Cottage, in nearby Navan, is a bed-and-breakfast with comfortable rooms. The town of Navan has restaurants, pubs, shops, and a movie theater.

Kathleen Verigin, a noted leader of sacred site tours, takes small groups to Ireland every year in mid-April. Her Triple Spiral Tours are reasonably priced and include a visit to Newgrange.

I had seen the New Europe Tour guides playing the Pied Piper in Berlin in the spring of 2009.  Actually, I just wandered by as the tour guide was making a final pitch for tips.  When I saw the company was offering tours in Dublin, I was intrigued.  Mostly because they bill the walking tours as free and historical.  And if there’s one thing I love while traveling it is free history.

The tours start every day at 11 and 13 and meets at City Hall.  No matter the weather the tour must go on.  We tested this theory on the icy streets of Dublin, and while the city itself was running out of grit, the 20-25 of us in the group managed to trek through town with no broken limbs.

The walking tour of Dublin focuses on the main attractions such as Dublin Castle and Trinity College.  It is a cursory glance at the sights themselves, but the stories and history told give a great overview of the city, everything from the Viking history of the 800s to the 1916 Easter Rising.

Our guide, Christopher, did an excellent job of mixing the history of Dublin (and Ireland) with a healthy dose of pride in the city he grew up in.  In the end, they stay true to their word, and the tour is free.  Of course, tips (as mentioned above) are greatly appreciated and after a nearly three hour tour of the city, I was more than happy to give a few Euros.

The tour gave a great introduction to the city and helped to focus the remainder of the trip.  Plus, having never been to the city before before, the tour was a great way to get comfortable with the streets of Dublin and which sights were worth revisiting.

In Ireland, a nation known for rebelliousness, Cork is known as the rebellious county. The Blarney Stone is located  in the area (8km from the Cork City), and according to legend, those who kiss the stone are afforded the ability to deliver eloquent, empty flattery. Thus, not only are Corkonians prone to shaking a fist at authority, but they’ll give speeches as they do it.

Cork is the largest of Ireland’s counties and is also the most southwestern — which means that the tip of Cork County, Mizen Head, is the closest Ireland ever gets to the continental United States. Cork City is the third (or second, depending on how you look at it) largest city in Ireland after Dublin and Belfast. The city is built on an island in the River Lee and spreads out across several hills. The people are known for their humor, rebellious nature and ability to suck down good beer. It is a fun place to spend a few days or a few weeks. Like most cities in the British Isles, Cork was founded by a monk in the early centuries after the death of Christ. His name (St. Finbarr) and his flock survived the Vikings, the English, famine and mass migrations to stand, today, as a great place to go pub crawling and sight-seeing, lick the Blarney Stone, or do some cliff hopping in one of the smaller towns near the coast, like Goleen or Skibbereen.

In Cork City, some of the more famous sights are the Shandon Steeple, on the north side of town, and St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, the massive triple-spired cathedral built on the site of St. Finbarr’s first monastic school. The Shandon Bells at the top of the steeple ring out across the city daily and it is supposedly possible for visitors to choose from a list of melodies and have them broadcast across the city. If anyone manages to do this, please write in and let us know.

At the mouth of the River Lee sits Blackrock Castle, a stout castle that was built for defense, but now is breached by legions of foreigners each and every day. The Cork Heritage Park at Blackrock is a good place to spend a day. Visit the Old Gaol to see what happened to those foreigners back when Blackrock Castle was doing its job; the Gaol has an audio tour describing all of the things guards and inmates did together during their stay.

One of the best things about Cork is getting out into the countryside. East of Cork are farmsteads and rolling hills, stretching all the way to Waterford (and north to Dublin). To the west is the coast and home to some of Ireland’s wildest coastland and fastest Irish speakers.

The West Coast of Ireland is a wild and rocky stretch covered in moss and scrub brush — a perfect place to watch the Atlantic begin its assault on Europe. The sandstone hills melt down into coastline bays and pirate coves and you can easily get lost in a “faerie” world if taking a hike through this area. There are several small one-pub towns along the coast that offer up bed and breakfast accommodations,– like Barelycove and Crookhaven.

Larger, more famous towns like Bantry and Kinsale should be on everyone’s itinerary in this part of the world. Bantry Bay is a beautiful little port that twice was the staging point for a French invasion force (both of which failed). The old Earls of Bantry lived a good life and their house is on display, as are the statues of Jame II and Wolfe Tone, the ill fated rebels who died fighting the English as they waited for the French.

Kinsale, farther down the coast, saw its fair share of rebellious behavior as well. But now it is a refuge for those who love yachting, gold, and gourmet restaurants. Gourmet food abounds in County Cork, from fresh “fruit of the sea” to stuffed, organic pigs from Cork City’s English Market. The county’s reputation for good food has elevated the game of all of the restaurants in the area and that is just good news for all of us visitors. Irish Pubs, naturally, need no introduction from me; they will always be perfect, somehow.

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Kenmare, Ireland, founded in 1670, is a well-preserved little town set at the foot of the Cork and Kerry mountains. Here the River Roughty meets a sea inlet that reaches deep into the Kerry coast. People who marvel at the natural beauty of the area and the attractive town with colorful houses call it the “jewel on the Ring of Kerry,” as it is on the popular Kerry loop tour.

Kenmare bustles with activity in its shops, restaurants, and pubs. On Sheep Day, when animals are brought in for sale and auction, it’s even livelier. Pubs abound, and you’ll find plenty of music. As in most of Ireland, signs in the pub windows invite musicians to join in.

The entire region suffered in the mid 19th century because of the terrible famine, and in 1861, the Poor Clare nuns arrived with a plan to help. They taught the craft of fine lace making and developed a business for selling it.  Kenmare became known for the intricate designs of its exquisite lace; Queen Victoria owned pieces of it. You can still buy it and see how it’s made in Kenmare Lace, on the town square next to the tourist office.

Kenmare has several good restaurants. Mulcahy’s is one of the best, with smooth service, top-quality cuisine, and a homey atmosphere.  Examples of the creative menu offerings are the Kerry lamb with pistachio crust and chicken with thyme aioli.  Also recommended is D’Arcy’s Oyster Bar & Grill. You’ll find a table near a fireplace in this cozy spot, and great seafood.

Before sitting down to a fine meal, though, you’ll probably want to do some exploring.  Take a look at rural Irish life in a former time—it was not so very long ago—at Molly Gallivan’s Cottage & Traditional Farm. The stone buildings, animals, peat-burning fires, and the garden are fascinating to 21st century visitors. Also on the grounds are a tea room, craft shop, and “Druids’ Path” which leads to Neolithic stones. Molly Gallivan, who owned the farm, was a widow with seven children. An enterprising woman, she supported her family by selling produce, handspun woolens, baked goods and, mostly, “poitin,” a potent and illicit whiskey they called Molly’s Mountain Dew.

There are dozens of marked walking trails in the area, boat trips into Kenmare Bay to see seals and other wildlife, and numerous water sports, from windsurfing to canoeing.  A golf course is adjacent to the town, and four miles away is the Ring of Kerry Golf and Country Club, with broad views of the bay. Fishing is popular, too, in nearby lakes and rivers.

Several stables provide horses for rides into the mountains or along the coast.  Bicycling is a pleasure on the level roads, through a picturesque landscape. One excellent bike ride is the Beara Peninsula, starting from Kenmare. There are several places along the way where you can stop for lunch and a pint.

Kenmare has a wide range of lodgings, including hotels, farm stays, cottage and apartment rentals, hostels, B&Bs, and campgrounds.  The classic Victorian-style Lansdowne Arms Hotel is in the heart of town, offering 26 comfortable rooms and a pretty dining room, the Quill Room.

A short walk from town is the 20-room Brook Lane Hotel, small and quirky, with modern design and warm hospitality. It features a bistro, a bar, and a lounge. Another easy walk—about 10 minutes–from Kenmare is Abbey Court B&B. The Ceallaigh family’s home is set on two acres with gardens and views of Kenmare Bay. Guests receive the full treatment at breakfast, with a four-course Irish meal: juice, cereal, breads, bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, eggs, black pudding (blood sausage with various fillers), toast, fruit, cheese and yogurt.

Before leaving the Jewel on the Ring of Kerry, be sure to visit one of the largest Neolithic stone circles in southwestern Ireland. Right in town, it’s an evocative site of mystery and speculation.

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Discussions of Irish beer usually begin and end with one word: Guinness. There is no doubt that Arthur Guiness’ great creation is the most famous beer in the world, let alone in Ireland. But there is much more to the beer scene on the Emerald Isle than just the meal-in-a-glass that draws all the headlines.

Of course one cannot simply ignore Guinness when dissecting Irish beer. In the Eighteenth Century, Arthur Guinness opened a brewery producing porter, a style borrowed from England. But to avoid a tax on malted barley, the Guiness brewery used unmalted barley, producing a drier variety, now known more commonly as stout. The stout is an important part of Irish history as it was the principal beverage for the ordinary citizen for many years.

Elsewhere in the United Kingdom, the advent of pale ales began to drive the market away from stouts and porters, but Ireland remained a stronghold. This bastion of dark, heavy brews was due to the enormous success of Guinness but also the emergence of Murphy’s (previously known as Lady’s Well until 1983) and Beamish as worthy domestic competitors in the smooth and creamy world of dry stouts. Both Beamish and Murphy’s come from County Cork, so there are regional preferences in stouts as Guinness is made in Dublin.

Irish stouts are very frequently served at or near room temperature. Americans, unused to warm beer, are frequently stunned by this practice upon visiting Ireland. For those unable to handle the lukewarm style of the Irish stout, Guinness does brew a version of its famous draft in an Extra Cold version. The temperature of the stout will be familiar to American tourists, though it does take a little away from the authentic experience of a Guinness Draught.

Like many other countries, the infiltration of pale ales eventually caught up with Ireland and now roughly 60% of beer sold in the country is of one pale variety or another. The most popular lager in Ireland is made by Harp, a very new entrant on the Irish beer scene. Having been brewed only since 1968 and in Dundalk, Harp represents a totally different type of beer drinking experience than its much older counterparts. But Harp does serve a deliciously crisp and clean lager and rivals any beer in the British Isles in quality.

Falling somewhere in between stouts and lagers are Irish Reds. These beers are named as such because of their reddish color derived from roasted barley, rather than with caramel coloring like American reds. The largest brewer of these reds is Smithwick’s, based in Kilkenny . It is the oldest operating brewery in Ireland, going strong since 1710. Smithwick’s has a wonderful red hue and a smooth finish, much like a stout. There is much more of a complex taste involved in an Irish Red than with either a stout or a lager. MacArdle’s Ale and Messrs. Maguire’s Rusty Ale are other reds that are not hard to find in Ireland but would cause a longer search back in the States.

As is the case with Scottish beer, Irish brews are best enjoyed in the company of locals at a pub. Many American tourists have been to St. James’s Gate , the Guinness brewery in Dublin , and many more will follow. But to truly get the most out of the beer experience while in Ireland, head for a pub, ask for a pint and enjoy any of the brews native to the island.

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Update 16 November 2009: The lucky winner is Lucy Whittington author of Lucy Loves Australia. Also found on Twitter as @LucyWhittington. Lucy was the only entrant to correctly name the location of my Twitter background photo as the Zone Pyramids, near Marone, Italy (close to my favourite Italian lake, Iseo). However here’s her answer to the tiebreaker question, What most appeals to you about visiting Dublin?, “Admiring the architecture, a proper pint of Guinness, and the chance to jump on the DART to Howth for some sea air (OK and the shops appeal too!).”

Lucy will enjoy two nights accommodation on a B&B basis in the Arlington Temple Bar Hotel in Dublin with Irish Show and meal on one night and a 30 euro credit at one of the tables with its own beer tap. Two x 2 day Dublin passes courtesy of Visit Dublin. A 3 course evening meal with a bottle of house wine at the Gallery Restaurant at the The Church.

However there’s another chance to win a weekend in Dublin in the Pour Your Own Pint online game. Any player who can score 100 will be entered into the draw to take place at the end of November, to win the prize of spending St Patrick’s Weekend 2010 in Dublin.

Competition:

The Europe a la Carte Blog Twitter competition (4) launches today. To win you have to correctly identify the location in the background photo of my @karenbryan Twitter page. I’ll be giving clues on Twitter during the competition to help you work out the background photo location. You’ll also need to answer the tiebreaker question.

The destination displayed on the Twitter page background has been written about in the Europe a la Carte Blog. You must leave your answer as a comment on this blog post, also answering the tiebreaker question. The tiebreaker kicks in if either no-one gets the destination correctly or if more than one person gets the correct destination. The tiebreaker enables me to choose a winner by judging the most entertaining and/or insightful answer.

The Prize:

The short break to Dublin comprising of three parts:

Part 1: Two nights accommodation on a B&B basis in the Arlington Temple Bar Hotel in Dublin with Irish Show and meal on one night. The Arlington Temple Bar is part of the Louis Fitzgerald group on Twitter as @LouisFitzgerald.

You can arrange your stay at any time up to 30 December 2010, subject to availability. The winner of the Europe a la Carte Twitter Competition (4) will also receive 30 euro credit at one of the tables with its own beer tap. You can start practising for your stay by playing the Pour Your Own Pint online game. Everyone should try their hand at the game, as any player who can score 100 will be entered into the draw to take place at the end of November, to win the prize of spending St Patrick’s Weekend 2010 in Dublin.

Pull you own pint table at Arlington Temple Bar

Part 2: Two x 2 day Dublin passes courtesy of Visit Dublin. Dublin Passes includ free entry to over 30 top attractions such as Dublin Castle, Dublin Writers Museum and the Guinness Storehouse. It also covers transfer from Dublin Airport to the city centre on Aircoach.

Dublin Castle Gardens

Part 3: A 3 course evening meal with a bottle of house wine at the Gallery Restaurant at the The Church. I had lunch at The Church when I was in Dublin in October 2009, the food’s great and it’s an amazing building. You can follow @thechurch_ie on Twitter.

How to enter:

1 Click through to @karenbryan Twitter page.

2 Decide on the location of the background photo. It’s in Lombardy in Italy. Follow me on Twitter @karenbryan for some more clues during the week. To follow me you need to click on the Follow button just under the small photo of me at the top left of my Twitter page.

3 Return to this blog post and write a comment with the name of the location in the Twitter background photo and the answer to the question, “What most appeals to you about visiting Dublin?”

Exclusions:

Members of the Europe a la Carte blogging team can’t enter the competition (as they can read the comments in blog admin).

Closing date:

Competition entries by blog comment must be made by midnight GMT on Sunday 15 November 2009.

Good luck and look out for some more great prizes in future Europe a la Carte Twitter competitions.

There are many great free attractions in the Irish capital of Dublin. It’s easy to get to Dublin from most of Europe and there are generally plenty of flight deals.  If you plan to visit several paid for attractions, you should investigate the Dublin Pass.

I visited three of the free attractions in October 2009 which I’ve described at the start of the post. Then I’ve listed some other free Dublin attractions with links.

Free Dublin attractions I visited

City Hall Rotunda

City Hall was constructed in the late 18th century as the Dublin Stock Exchange. It was purchased by the City Corporation in the 1850s. Entrance to the Rotunda is free of charge, downstairs in the vaults there is a multi media exhibition about History of Dublin with an admission fee.

Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane

Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane houses a collection of modern and contemporary art. The main building itself Charlemont House is a work of art with beautiful glass ceilings. My favourite paintings were “Un Matin” by Monet and “Aloe” by William Leech.

A Francis Bacon exhibition, which will run until March 2010,was being set up during my visit, so part of the Gallery was closed.

Chester Beatty Library

Chester Beatty Library is an absolutely amazing place that I’d highly recommend. It’s situated in Dublin Castle Gardens. The focus is on religion and culture with displays of paintings and manuscripts. I particularly liked the Japanese picture books.

When I visited in October 2009, the temporary exhibition, MANI: The Lost Religion of Light, was running. It was fascinating to find out about this religion which almost supplanted Christianity as it spread east and west from Persia.

Chester Beatty Library ground floor water feature

Other free Dublin attractions

National Botanical Gardens

Irish Museum of Modern Art

National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology & History and Decorative Arts & History

National Photographic Archive

If you’ve visited any of these free Dublin attractions, I’d love to hear your opinion of them. Or, if you know of any other great free attractions in Dublin, please let me know and I’ll add them to the post.