Posts Tagged With: ireland

The Last Trip to Dublin in 2012

Posted on January 14, 2013 by emilyeneurope
Dublin, Ireland, Surprise Party, Travel

My hostess, bridesmaid and great friend Lauren!

Happy Monday! I’m only feeling chipper this morning because of coffee and the extra 30 minutes I gave myself to get ready so that I wouldn’t be rushing out of the house. This is actually one of my New Year’s resolutions – to get up a little earlier in the morning in an attempt to start the day right. I feel like it will make me more positive and productive. So far, I use this time to feed the cat (and myself) and then play with the cat under the warmth of a soft blanket. You gotta start somewhere!

This past weekend we had absolutely beautiful weather. However, when I woke up today and as we travelled to work, it was freezing. Well, freezing by Spanish standards – really, really cold but still sunny. This cold front got me thinking about what I wanted to share today. Whenever I think of cold, I think of Dublin, and last November I took an epic trip up to my old home that was never documented here. Better late than never, right?

I’d caught wind last October that a surprise birthday party was being thrown for one of my girlfriends and that the whole gang would be attending. What a better way to see all of my old buddies in one place! I called up my good friend Lauren to see if she’d have me for yet another weekend, and not surprisingly, she said yes. See, I always stay with Lauren, she’s come to visit me in Spain, and after my engagement to Matt, she became one of my bridesmaids! So it was really a no brainer. :)

Out to brunch the morning after the party.

The weekend tripled as a birthday celebration for my friend, a way for me to celebrate my birthday (I went up the weekend after my birthday), and an engagement celebration with Lauren since she wouldn’t be able to make it to the parties in the States like my other friends and family. We started the weekend with great one-on-one catching up – Lauren cooked us dinner, the two of us had drinks at a pub around the corner that played some great, classic music, then we finished the evening by meeting her boyfriend, Andrew, at another pub for a Guinness and a bit of live Irish jams.

Saturday was the surprise party and boy was it fun! Lauren and I started the night by having dinner with Andrew at a fantastic Japanese restaurant in the city. We had a big meal, sake and then were off to Eli’s for the bash. To say that our friend was surprised is an understatement. When she entered the room and saw everyone, the look of shock and happiness was just so genuine that it made me so glad to have been there to see it. From there the evening just got better. Not only did I get to party with all of my old friends from when I lived in the city, I even made new friends in the process. We laughed, we visited and the next morning at brunch we had some pretty funny stories to retell.

All in all it was a fantastic weekend. I enjoyed dinner out the next night with my good friend Karen, with whom it is always wonderful to see. My lovely hostess even planned a day out for the two of us that included…wait for it…wedding dress shopping! Obviously, I did this again with my Mom and sister while I was home, but it was great to be able to partake in some festive wedding traditions with one of my bridesmaids and to get an initial idea of what I like.  I was a bit bummed when the weekend was over; I always get a feeling of nostalgia when I visit Dublin. I had such a wonderful experience when I lived there that when I go back for a visit, it feels like I’m going home in a small way.

Dublin, Ireland, Surprise Party, Travel

All together again.

Categories: Travel | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Home-made Pizza

Posted on September 27, 2012 by emilyeneurope
Morrison's, Gibraltar, Spain, Pizza Delivery, Pizza-Making Kit, Dinner

Our home-made pizza straight out of the oven!

Here’s the thing about Spain, and in particular, the town we live in – delivery pizza doesn’t exist. Go on, I’ll give you a moment to think about that.

Pizza is just not the same over here. In Ireland, we had Domino’s, and we could even order the pizza online and then track the order like the Domino’s back home. Who doesn’t love to order a pizza for delivery on a rainy night, or for a football game, or just because? Well, after a year of living in Spain, we’ve done tons of research into the ability to order pizza to the house, and it just doesn’t seem to be an option. The pizza places we’ve contacted either don’t deliver, or won’t deliver to our town, Alcaidesa. Therefore, we’ve come up with our own solution: home-made pizza!

Don’t get too excited, though – I don’t make the dough on my own. That’s just a feat I’m not willing to tackle any time soon. After all, how many baking posts have you seen on my blog in all 200+ posts? I actually discovered a pizza-making kit at Morrison’s that works time and time again. It includes the dough, which just needs to be rolled out, and the sauce. It makes two small, square pizzas and any time I make it over to Morrison’s in Gibraltar, I pick it up. The expiration date on it also allows us to keep it for awhile before needing to use it, so I usually stock up on a couple. ;)

Last night, we pulled out the pizza-kit for a quick and easy dinner. Though not the same as delivery, we still get to choose exactly what goes on the pizza and the preparation is simple. We put together a simple combination last night – cheese and salami. We also sprinkled a bit of oregano and red chili flakes on top for added flavor. Thanks to our convection oven (which are a staple in Europe), the cook time was quick and we were eating in no time. From start to stomach, the process most likely took the same amount of time that a delivery would have with an end result that was just as yummy.

Morrison's, Gibraltar, Spain, Pizza Delivery, Pizza-Making Kit, Dinner

Cooking away in the convection oven. Seriously, everyone should have one of these.

Categories: Food | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

I Guess This Means Summer is Over

Posted on September 26, 2012 by emilyeneurope
Rain, Europe, America, US, Ireland, Gibraltar, Spain, Rock of Gibraltar

The view from our bedroom patio. Usually you can see Gibraltar clearly from this vantage point. Not today…

I am one happy girl today – it’s raining! When I woke up this morning, it felt unnaturally dark, or at least darker than it usually is at that time in the morning. As I stumbled to the bathroom for my shower, I noticed the sound of water hitting pavement. Though I was confused for a second in my morning haze, wondering how the shower started without me, it only took a moment to realize the sounds were coming from outside. I rushed to our upstairs patio – lo and behold, the first, hard rain since spring. I couldn’t see the Rock of Gibraltar through the thick downpour. I am officially the crazy one that craves drizzle, or thunder, or a hard downpour.

However, I think this brings a great opportunity to explain something to my American friends. In the US (for the most part), rain doesn’t hinder your day-to-day comings and goings like it would if you lived in Europe. I know that if I were still living in Texas, I would simply cover my head or use an umbrella for the brief run to my car, and then from my car to my place of employment. Many places have parking garages that allow you to stay dry. There are sky-walks in major cities that connect hotels and hospitals to huge shopping centers.

Over here, it is a much different experience. Take today for example: Matt and I drove to the border as we always do. The queue to drive into Gibraltar was far too long to wait in, especially since Matt had a meeting to make. Therefore, we had to go with our daily routine of parking in the dirt parking lot on the Spanish side of the border. Because of the downpour, the dirt parking lot was now a mud parking lot, scattered with puddles the size of small ponds. We parked in the rockiest area we could find and prepared ourselves for the long walk to the border. We zipped up our wind breakers and I tied the hooded part tight to my neck. For good measure, I wrapped a scarf around my head as well – I wasn’t going to let the rain ruin my hair. We then trudged through the mud and water to the border.

Rain, Europe, America, US, Ireland, Gibraltar, Spain, Rock of Gibraltar

He gets me.

By the time we made it, our shoes were already soaked through. Sure, I have boots I could have worn (we did live in Ireland after all), however we were caught off guard by the downpour this morning and didn’t have time to search through our winter/Dublin stash. I’d thought ahead, though, and threw a second pair of shoes into my bag for the office before leaving.

At the border we had to walk with the traffic, because a menacing pool of water had formed in the narrow stretch of pedestrian walkway, making the path impassable. Once on the Gibraltar side, we still had at least a twenty minute walk, or we could wait for a cab or take the bus. Waiting for a cab would mean standing in line in the rain. Taking the bus would mean walking a bit further in the downpour, but we’d be drier faster once on the bus. We chose taxi, because the line wasn’t very long, and we were sharing a small umbrella. When we finally made it to the office, I swapped out my shoes, took off my wind breaker, and was happy to find that my hair was still in order and most of me was dry.

Keep in mind that while I was living in Dublin, this was more of a daily occurrence, but there were some differences. Add whipping wind that doesn’t allow you to use an umbrella. Add a walk to the tram, then a twenty minute walk through the city to the office. Add cold and frigid temperatures. In Europe, it’s not so easy. You cannot simply hop in your car and drive door to door. I am a huge proponent of public transportation, however days like these remind me that life is quite different over here. I am by no means complaining – take the first sentence of this post as proof! However, I thought it would be fun to share how different something as minor as going to work can be when the culture doesn’t allow for the ease or preference of staying dry.

Categories: Musings | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

200 Posts and Counting

Posted on September 25, 2012 by emilyeneurope

I’ve hit an achievement on the blog space. Last week, with my book review of Nothing to Envy, I officially reached 200 posts. I cannot believe it. On a day-to-day basis, I write this blog almost mindlessly, meaning that I’ve become so accustomed to sharing my European experiences with you, that it’s second nature now. However, when I saw that I’d written 200 posts, I thought back to the reason I started this blog. The memory of making that great leap of faith (and let’s face it, love) to Ireland was so exciting and scary, that I could think of nothing better than to document it for all of my friends and family back home. I’ve gone through some tough times, but a whole lot of great ones as well, and I’m just so glad that I have this blog to look back on my European experiences.

Now, I don’t really have anything special prepared to celebrate this occasion. Therefore, it feels appropriate to just continue on as normal and share our Spanish experiences of the weekend. I basically spent the weekend documenting our activities through the food we ate – do not read on an empty stomach. ;)

200 Posts, European Experiences, Spain, Spanish, Ireland, Tapas

On Friday night, Matt decided to try his hand at making sushi. He’s actually done it before and was successful, but we’re taking baby steps. The first time we had vegetable sushi, this time (what you see above) he made “Texas” sushi. We call it that because there is cooked beef inside! We’ve actually had something similar to this at a restaurant in San Diego, so I asked if he’d try to recreate it. He marinaded the beef in teriyaki and rolled it with fresh veggies. It was delicious.

200 Posts, European Experiences, Spain, Spanish, Ireland, Tapas

This next culinary treat is one of Matt’s favorites – cream cheese and bacon bit crescent rolls. If I can find the crescent roll dough at Morrison’s in Gibraltar (it’s not always in stock), I buy a bunch and we splurge on the weekends. They are so easy to make, so we had them on Saturday for lunch, and then again Sunday evening to munch on while watching NFL football.

200 Posts, European Experiences, Spain, Spanish, Ireland, Tapas

I had to share this picture – this is one of my new favorite beverages for the weekend. Shandy is so light and refreshing with a low alcohol content, therefore I’ve deemed it the perfect poolside drink. Unfortunately, I don’t know how many more poolside days I have in the near future – it’s certainly starting to feel more and more like fall around here. Behind the Shandy is the book I’m currently reading, titled Shantaram. It’s taken me a little while to get into, but it is starting to pick up – I’m sure a book review will be in order once I’ve finished it.

The below is strictly for your entertainment (as well as mine). I locked him out of the house Saturday night after he gave me attitude. I was kind enough to allow him to continue watching football, though. ;)

200 Posts, European Experiences, Spain, Spanish, Ireland, Tapas

*Not pictured: we had a fantastic meal at a restaurant/tapas place down the road that we’d never tried before. Among the dishes we enjoyed were fried goats cheese with a rose petal purée, a tapas portion spinach and ricotta cannelloni, mini hamburgers, and a red wine beef and rice stew. We’ll be going back.

Categories: Musings, Nightlife | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Love Letter to Dublin

Posted on April 24, 2012 by emilyeneurope

Dear Dublin,

Ireland

I love you.

Ireland, Rain, Hail

Even when you rain and hail, and I have no umbrella.

Ireland

Yet, because of your incessant rain, everything is green and colorful and beautiful.

Ireland

Especially because no matter the age, a pint at the pub with mates is more than acceptable…

Ireland

…it’s required.

Sincerely,

Ireland

Emily

Ireland

Categories: Musings, Travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mundane Musings: A Year Ago in Pictures

Posted on March 9, 2012 by emilyeneurope

Almost exactly a year ago, my parents came to Dublin to visit me. It was their first trip to the Emerald Isle and I was so excited to show them my home and what Dublin has to offer. Hopefully, someday we’ll all be able to go back and bring Melissa with us, but see even more of the country than we did last spring. Until then, we have some pretty great memories from the first trip, and I can’t wait to share my new home with them soon.

Me and my pops at Trinity College. This was the first day of their trip and of course Dublin welcomed them with plenty of rain. We still had a great time!

We went to the Powerscourt House and Gardens for a stroll on one of the beautiful spring days.

My handsome father at the oldest pub in Dublin, The Brazen Head. He is also sporting his new Irish cap.

We saw Christ Church Cathedral.

We went to Drogheda to see St. Oliver Plunkett’s head and shrine. Apparently, we are distantly related to him, so this was on the “must-see” list.

We went to one of my favorite restaurants in Dublin, The Port House. On a sidenote, I think this could quite possibly be the cutest picture of my parents ever!

Ireland, Dublin

And we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day! In fact, this will be the first year in a couple years that I’m not in Ireland for Paddy’s Day.

Categories: Musings | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Superbowl Monday

Posted on February 7, 2012 by emilyeneurope

You don't like my sheep pajamas? Well too bad...because I've got matching pants and slippers.

Even though I’m a day late on my Superbowl post, I think it’s worth using this year’s big game as an example of how much things have changed in a year. As if moving to another country wasn’t enough, this year’s Superbowl was the final nail in the coffin of change, for lack of a better phrase.

Let’s start with this year. I know I keep mentioning it, and it’s certainly not because I’m looking for sympathy, but last weekend I was coming off of a week of the flu. Therefore, our Superbowl plans were pretty simple. We grilled hot dogs outside in the warm sun, munched on chips and queso, and ultimately lounged around all day watching saved American television shows. I Skyped with my family for a bit, Matt enjoyed a cigar outside, and I had my first taste of alcohol since my trip to Dublin. While the Superbowl is known for it’s beer, we cannot get Bud Light or Miller Lite, so we chose the next best thing – champagne. And when kickoff finally happened around midnight our time, I was fast asleep in my sheep pajamas. I’ll give it to Matt – he stayed up and watched most of the game.

American Embassy Ireland, Indianapolis, Rooney

In my black and gold getting ready to head over the Embassy a year ago.

Cut to last year. The Steelers were playing the Packers. It just so happened that the owners of the Steelers, the Rooneys, are the American Ambassadors in Ireland. It also just so happened that Mrs. Rooney is the honorary president of the American Women’s Club of Dublin, an organization with which I spent most of my time. I received an invitation to the Superbowl viewing party at the American Embassy, to which Matt and I did not hesitate to attend. While there, we were given Superbowl Special Edition Terrible Towels and the Marines hosted. It was pretty awesome.

Last year’s experience was such an amazing opportunity that I’ll remember for a long time to come. I couldn’t believe I was among the group chosen to attend a Superbowl viewing party at the American Embassy, where the owners of one of the teams works every single day. Yet, this year I was perfectly content to sit at home. Chips and queso are a family tradition in our household for the Superbowl, so reenacting that certainly made me feel like I was at home. And as always, video chatting with my parents makes my day. I look at last year as a once in a lifetime opportunity; now I take the chips as they fall, and I’m happy to say that with Matt by my side, it was a pretty good day.

Oh, and can I get a heck yeah for the Giants?! When your hometown team (the Colts) loathe the Patriots, and the quarterback for the Giants is Peyton Manning’s brother, it’s an easy decision regarding the preferred Superbowl winner.

Categories: Game Day | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ghost Town

Posted on January 15, 2012 by emilyeneurope
Irish Pub, Gibraltar, Guinness

A look at O'Reilly's from our seat outside the other night. I can't wait until it warms back up and the live music comes back!

It is an interesting task figuring out what to do on the weekend in our neck of the woods. I’ve mentioned before that there isn’t a tremendous amount of nightlife in our area, especially this time of year. The Costa del Sol is a very popular second home hotspot, especially for people living in the U.K; this place gets mobbed with vacationers from May until August. Yet, when the summer season ends, the beach bars close up and more than half of the population scatters until the next year.

This proves problematic for the rest of us who live year-round. I’m convinced that the only two restaurants in our little town are closed until the warmer months return; we drive by from time to time to check. Therefore our weekends are a bit hit-or-miss. We were lucky last weekend, because we had gatherings to attend both Friday and Saturday night. However, this weekend Matt and I were left dumbfounded for something to do. I’ll take you through it…

Since I finished my first full week of work since moving here last Friday, I was exhausted. Yet the weather was being cooperative that day, so Matt and I decided to grab a Guinness at our favorite Irish pub in Gibraltar, O’Reilly’s. At most pubs around here, if you ask for a Guinness, they’ll give you a glass and the canned version of the famous stout. Not at O’Reilly’s. They pour a proper pint of Guinness from the tap, just how we like it. Granted, it’s not as good as the Guinness straight from the source in Dublin, but it’s the best we’ve got around here. So, we sat outside and visited, enjoyed our beverages, and had a relaxing Friday night.

O'Reilly's, Gibraltar

A much deserved Guinness after a long week!

Saturday was a beautiful day, but we were content to lounge around the house. With my return to work, I don’t get to spend as much time in the house as I used to. We decided to catch up on some of our favorite American television shows and a bit of American football. In the evening, however, we were ready to get out and about. What to do in the winter months around here? We made our way up to the San Roque Club to enjoy some champagne and sushi! Kamakura is a fantastic Japanese restaurant around the corner from our town that is famous for fresh sushi and delicious main dishes; our favorites are the tempura roll and teriyaki beef medallion dish. Matt and I always have a great time and last night was no different.

Terra Sana, Laguna Village

A view from lunch at Terra Sana on one of the beautiful days earlier this year.

Today, Sunday, I was all amped up to go shopping in Marbella. Shopping here is not an easy task, either. There are few clothing stores I like in Gibraltar on Main Street, but only a few. The closest thing we have to a mall is called La Cañada in Marbella. We’ve been once before, but we don’t go too often as it’s a good 30-40 minute drive away. Todo, I don’t think we’re in Dallas anymore! Well, today I woke up with the promise of fluorescent lighting and mobs of people, only to drive 40 minutes up the road and find that it’s closed on Sunday. CLOSED ON SUNDAY?!?! Deflated and completely depressed, I forlornly stood in the parking lot staring at the beautiful mall.

In an attempt to salvage my ruined day, Matt took me to my favorite little beach-side village on the coast, called Laguna Village, for lunch. There is a bit of shopping there, but not the kind I had set out to do. Luckily, though, there is a fantastic little restaurant called Terra Sana that specializes in organic food, wraps, and smoothies. I absolutely love their California wrap – it’s got the best blend of flavors and it reminds me of American cuisine. We sat outside right next to the sea, and though it was cloudy, made the most out of our altered day.

As we made our way home I suggested we stop at the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for homemade hamburgers. Since we’d be watching American football this evening, I wanted an American staple to go with our plan. Can you guess what happened next? Yep, the grocery stores are also closed on Sunday…

It seems that during the winter months the Costa del Sol turns into a bit of a ghost town. Matt and I will have to make some adjustments living here, more than we already have. Shopping and grocery store runs will have to happen on Saturday, and Gibraltar might start looking like a more appealing nightlife destination. That, or we’ll just have to do some more traveling!

Gibraltar, Guinness

The inside of our preferred pub in the area, O'Reilly's. I love the map of Ireland on the wall in the back.

Marbella, Costa del Sol

Laguna Village, home of the best wraps along the Costa del Sol!

Categories: Musings, Nightlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Adjustments

Posted on January 5, 2012 by emilyeneurope

Taken just a week ago. As you can see, the sun is shining and I'm without jacket.

I am no novice to moving. Now, I’m not like my mother, who moved so much growing up that I can never seem to remember every place she has resided. However, I wasn’t born and raised in the same place. I went from Indiana, to Ohio, to Texas, to Oklahoma, back to Texas, to Ireland, and now to Spain. Everytime you move, you have to make adjustments to the culture, the weather, and your surroundings. When I thought moving from Texas to Ireland was a culture shock, I could have never imagined what it would be like to move from Ireland to Spain…

1.) The Language: I studied Spanish when I was in college; I minored in it actually. Yet nothing quite prepares you for day-to-day conversations. The Spanish in each region have their own slang and accent. When we moved down here, I knew it would be a struggle, because I haven’t used what I learned in college in a few years. As time is progressing, it’s becoming easier and I’m not afraid to go places where I know I’ll have to be ready to speak Spanish. And Matt is finally remembering that onion is “cebolla,” not “caballo.” The first time he tried to order a hamburger without onion, he ordered it without horse…

2.) The Food: Okay, tapas are an amazing invention. Let’s serve food in smaller portions, at lower prices, and people can order more variety and share! In theory, it’s a great idea. However, in our neck of the woods, there does not seem to be a plethora of tapas restaurants. In fact, when we’re not in Gibraltar, there aren’t a ton of restaurants in our area, period. That’s been a huge adjustment to make. In Ireland, we lived within walking distance of a town centre with quite a variety of restaurants, and were a 15 minute Luas ride from the city centre. Luckily, I love to cook and I’ve been doing so a whole lot more. And when we do find a neat tapas spot, I’m one happy girl.

This picture was taken a little while ago. The only difference today is the temperature. It still looks the same outside.

3.) The Weather: I miss rain. Is that silly? I’m like Goldilocks – in Dublin I missed sunshine. In Spain I miss rain. Will this blonde find a place where the weather is just right? For those of you who love sun, the Costa del Sol lives up to its name. We have had the most incredible weather since we got here. It does not seem normal to have sunny weather in the 60s during December and January, but that’s our reality. I cannot complain too much, though. I simply think back to the snow storm around this time last year in Dublin and I miss rain a little less.

4.) Coffee: I’ll keep this short and sweet. Texas has Starbucks. Dublin has Starbucks. Now, I no longer have a Starbucks. While they’ve got some nice cafes in our area, I would give anything for a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte right now.

When I have more pictures of our neighborhood and home, I’ll be sure to share which adjustment has not been hard to make. Until then, I’m studying as much Spanish as I can, actively searching for the best restaurants in our area, leaving my umbrella at home, and learning to love just a plain white coffee.

Categories: Musings, Travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rain, Rain, Please Don’t Go Away

Posted on October 24, 2011 by emilyeneurope

Rain, Rainy DaysThere is absolutely nothing like a good rainy day, especially after weeks of sunshine. Rainy days are even better as the end of October creeps our way and scary goodness enters the picture with Halloween. I might even have to attribute some of my love for Dublin to the frequent rain. Sure, it got a little old there, but days like today make me miss the daily showers.

Today is absolutely the most perfect day for downpour, because I’ve got the best rainy day activities planned. It started with a cup of coffee with a friend in the comfort of her warm living room. There is nothing like hot coffee in the cool morning to compliment drizzle. Next, I plan to tackle loads of laundry, and while those wash, I’ll be baking brownies. And the brownies aren’t just for my rainy day amusement. Tonight, I’ll be joining a group of girls for a scary movie night – my favorite! The brownies are to help calm our nerves as creepy crawlies cover the television screen. Could our rainy day have occurred at a better time?  I think not! It is the perfect setting for a night of horror.

In the last month, I’d say I’ve definitely changed my tune about weather. While sunshine is nice, this rainy weather certainly does not disappoint me. Now, if only we could get a little thunder and lightening…

Categories: Musings | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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