TRIBUTE TUESDAY: Food in Dublin

Sounds about right.

When I would tell people back home that I was going to Dublin, their first response was usually, “You might lose weight there, the food is probably so bland.”

That statement is both true and false- while I have been losing a little bit of weight, the food is anything but bland. After being here for a little over two months, I have had the pleasure of discovering the gems that come out of Dublin's cafe's and restaurants and for the most part, I have been very pleased.

So what is it? Why is the food here so good - if not better - than at home?

I always wondered how Ireland and other European countries could be so much less obese than the US with all the great food and heavy drinking, but it’s the kind of food and the lifestyle that makes a huge difference. Yes, we drink a lot here. What would Ireland be without it? But why has my waistline been shrinking? The only exercise I do is walk to and from work, which is about an hour a day, and maybe a couple of 45-minute runs on the weekends with some strength exercises thrown in between – less effort than what I did at home when I had personal trainer and went to the gym 3-4 times a week.

But along with the walking, I have realized that the freshness and types of food available are much better for you. The fact that they don’t overload the most basic food items with sugar, replace good fats with bad carbs, and fast food is typically a fresh sandwich from a cafe, it’s easy to eat well.

The only way I can describe it is that it is so incredibly fresh, I feel like my taste buds have been re-awakened and reformed. The cuisine isn't much different; there are many different food infusions from all around the world where one can essentially try anything.

Want Malaysian? Sure! Italian? Why not?  Thai? Right down the street! Mexican? Irish people love burritos - no really, outside of a kebab store they have a huge sign saying WE SERVE BURRITOS.

And in all honesty, the traditional meat and potatoes are actually really good, especially when they are seasoned, boiled, braised and dressed delicately to the point of your mouth nearly melting away. But what I have noticed about here is that there aren’t nearly as many huge chain restaurants, the portions are hearty but not overwhelming, and the flavors are much less diluted.

Also with grocery shopping, I've realized that I have to go much more frequently because food spoils faster  here. The reason why is because there are much fewer preservatives, and it’s more fresh than most things you can find in the stores in the US. This had me thinking about food in America, and why obesity is 3x as high there than it is here in Ireland. Understanding how peoples' eating and living habits are in both places makes me understand the issue a bit more.

For a more in-depth explanation on how food shapes our lives, check out this video- being an American abroad, this definitely rings true.

So without further ado, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite places to retreat, savor and indulge. The options of places to eat are endless and I've had far more positive experiences than negatives, but these  are my top 7 favorite places to grab a bite in Dublin:

Hugo's
The food. The wine. Ohmygod EVERYTHING is phenomenal. If you want a mixture of traditional food with fine European cuisine, this is the place. The wine menu is packed with imports from around the world, and each plate is suitable for any palate with maximum flavor imaginable! My favorite dishes are the venison sausage and the gluten-free raspberry brownie!

The Winding Stair
Cafe, bookstore, and restaurant all in one-- when I first learned about The Winding Stair, I couldn't have thought of a more perfect place to gather, enjoy food, and socialize. Located right on the River Liffey, the views of the Ha'Penny bridge from the quaint dining area upstairs makes for a comfortable ambience, while the food is the true highlight. My favorite dish: The fish sample platter

O’Neill’s
This place is the definition of Irish. This place is great for an Irish breakfast, an after-work pint, a hearty meal, traditional Irish music or a night out. It's an old place in the middle of the city with tons of Irish memorabilia around its 3-floor interior and always has something going on. The food in particular is served buffet-style with mostly meat-based meals, so come hungry!

The Porterhouse
This place, like O'Neill's is a great place to kick back, have a beer, and enjoy some pub food. The Porterhouse brews its own beers, and has some delicious food to accompany it. Although it's not too healthy (contrary to my whole previous spiel), it's definitely a treat that's unique to Dublin while at the same time making us Americans feel right at home in a sports bar environment. The after-work platter is to die for, both figuratively and literally. But hey, sometimes we cave

Il Segreto 

This restaurant and cocktail lounge is a little more upscale, but the price is worth every bite and won't leave you hungry afterwards. With arguably one of the best gnocchi dishes I've ever had, I would recommend coming here in a heartbeat! The cocktails are fantastic too, and I can say I was quite pleased with my passionfruit mojito... seriously though, where else can you find one?! However, because it is pricey, I can't say I frequent this place but it is definitely a treat!

The Port House
If you want excellent tapas, an old Spanish port atmosphere, candlelight dining and a full wine list, this place is for you. Everything here is small, from the space to the plates, but don't let that change your opinion on the food-- everything from the pintxos plates to the queso and pescada dishes pack only the most savory flavors. Not recommended if you're clostrophobic/need a lot of light. My favorite: The Berejena con queso de Cabra (eggplant and goats cheese on bread crumbs) and the paella.

Chopped
For healthy food fast, this is one of my favorite grab-and-go places. Think salad bar-meets-Coldstone and this is your place. You can make a salad from any of their main ingredients or have a menu-specific salad, where they take everything to the cutting board and chop it in front of you before giving it to you in your little to-go box. Soups and sandwiches are also available, and the options are always endless. Quick, delicious, and healthy!

And last but not least: Pablo Picante
Close to my office and a hangover-curing miracle worker, this place makes me reconsider ever going back to Florida when I have life-changing burritos nearby. Everything is delicious and it has won numerous awards/hearts throughout Dublin. I love you Pablo...

London- Defying odds and re-instating my belief in God

 

This weekend Alisha and I somehow made it to London. Not that we didn’t plan our arrival, we did... but our arrival just didn’t go according to plan. Here’s a rundown of events and what was going through my head before hand, and why it was an utter miracle from God with a few magic charms thrown in from Harry Potter himself to get us there...

Dublin- Thursday Night
9 PM: I’m convinced that I shouldn’t go out. We all know those stories of the people that miss their flights because they’re too drunk/unprepared, so if anything, I mean, I guess I’ll go out for a beer. That’s it though.

9:30 PM: Ok well Megan’s going out, Alisha is definitely going out... I have a bottle of wine, I’ll just stick to that. I can make it home before 2, our flight leaves at 7:45 AM so we can just take a nap and go, or just not sleep at all and sleep on the plane.

10:15 PM: Somehow finished ¾ of my bottle of wine.

11:30 PM: Head out to The Village, a club that is all too similar in wasted youth to the strip in Tallahassee. This isn’t going to end well. I need to drink something stat to make this place and these stumbling people tolerable.

12:45 AM: Mission accomplished, feeling buzzed.  

1 AM: Samba dancing with a Brazillian

2:30 AM: Finally home, I think I’ll go to bed.

3 AM: Nevermind, skyping with Haley back in Tallahassee is obviously more important!

4 AM: I’ll take a short nap, put my timer on for an hour so I can get up, throw some stuff in a backpack, and we can leave by 5:30.

6:00 AM: Rolling over in bed, looking at my phone...

FUCK.

My phone was on vibrate. WHY AM I SO FUCKING STUPID? I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

6:00:10 AM: Running out to the living room to find Alisha passed out awkwardly on the couch

“ALISHA. GET UP. WE HAVE TO GO TO THE AIRPORT RIGHT NOW.”

“What time is it?”

“6:00, let’s go.”

“Wait did we already miss it?”
Shit, I think she’s still drunk.

“No, get up! I’m going to call a cab.”

6:05 AM: My backpack is packed with random things I found lying around and whatever I didn’t take out from Galway. Hope this works.

6:25 AM: Cab arrives

6:50 AM: Arrive at Dublin Airport. Gate closes at 7:10. We’ll make it. Whew.

6:55 AM: Enter line for security. It's longer than it would be if every teenage girl ever decided to meet Justin Bieber. Shit.

7:05 AM:  Alisha keeps saying we’re not gonna make it. I start to believe her/want to cry/punch her for being negative because deep down I couldn't accept missing a flight to a city I've been wanting to see since... well, since I first heard British accents.

7:08 AM: A polite British guy around our age comes out of nowhere asking if he can cut us in line. We tell him we’re late too, figure out we’re actually on the same flight, and the three of us cut everyone to the front. Angels do exist!

7:09 AM: Body search. Thanks metal bracelet for giving me even more unwanted attention.

7:10 AM: The earliest I have ever sprinted since high school track practice. I can’t breathe; I have a backpack swinging, clunky boots, and haven’t had water since lunch time yesterday. This is what death feels like. We’re not gonna make it.

7:15 AM: We arrive at the gate and there’s still a long line of people going through the gate to board-- and we’re not the last ones in line.

7:25AM: We board the plane as casually as everyone else who probably arrived at the airport the minute we woke up.

We made it... we fucking made it.

***

As we landed in London an hour later, you can imagine how exhausted we were. Thankfully, there was a Costa Coffee just waiting for us with beautiful soy lattes and paninis. To add onto our exhaustion, we realized very quickly to the painful reality that is the British Pound.

£60, should be enough right? Not much more than the euro, which is only a little higher than the dollar... So if I convert it, that’s like... ohshit... $97?! I wonder if I can find Ramen noodles here.

That being said, we were frugal and decided to see London the cheapest way possible—just seeing it. We simply took our time and traveling talent to the streets and saw the good, the bad, the beautiful, the weird, and the people that make London London. That night we took it easy, walked down to the Eye, Big Ben and Parliament, had another culture shock by getting margaritas at a Latino restaurant near our hostel in the sketchy area of Elephant and Castle where we were (once again for me) patted down before entering a restaurant bursting with salsa music and murmurs in Spanish. I felt like I was right back in Miami, while Alisha wasn't quite sure how to feel about the culture inception. After using some basic spanglish and waiting forever, we got our margaritas. And don't let the size fool you, that little thing did us dirty. Rewarding at least, it was a refreshing end to the day.

The best things come in small packages

The next day after a good sleep, we were off on our adventures. We passed through Westminster, Soho, and even got to meet up with my friend and sorority sister, Rima, who has been living in London for the past few months. We had some coffee and sweets, and she outlined all of the places we could visit that would be fun and interesting on our dingy map from the hostel. 

Westminster Abbey

Tralfagar Square... Lions galore.

Rima and I after catching up in Soho!

Once again, standard Ivy pic.

 I’m not going to lie, London was definitely overwhelming. The city is massive, the people are much more diverse than they are in Dublin, and the lifestyle pace is much faster. But I think we made the best decision by just taking in the sights, smells, sounds, and food for the two days we were there. Even people who have lived there for years haven’t seen all it has to offer. I can't wait to go back some day (and spend much more time there) because it really has a lot to it, and it boggles my mind to think that no two experiences in a city of this size, depth, and diversity are exactly alike. Two days definitely weren't enough, but I'm satisfied knowing that I have an urge to come back after a weekend of just sensing the little things that make London so incredible!

Finally got to City Centre the first day, and here's the eye!

London in a nutshell...

Alisha at the Eye!

Three little birds

Big Ben, Parliament, and a whole lot of exhaustion/excitement

The London Eye up close

Had to get a photo in the booth!

She's in a glass case of emotion

#Cheesy

Primrose Hill- One hell of a walk, but one hell of a view

Just coming home to Buckingham Palace after our long day out!

Ugh, couldn't open it... Alisha's trying now

Buckingham lit up!

Crappy iPhone night pic... whatever, we saw the Tower Bridge lit up, and it was magnificent!

Galway Round Deux: The Tour, The cliffs, and The Vodka

Saturday afternoon Alisha, Megan and Dave and I packed our bags and left for our second trip to Galway. For those of you who don’t know, our first trip was... well, it needed to be redeemed. In a nutshell, organized trips where you take a nauseating mini bus where the driver thinks he's in Fast and Furious and you only get an hour at the main destination while you’re supposed to “sight see” in the Irish countryside is NOT ideal-- especially when the wind and rain make you wonder why you ever got out of bed in the first place.

However, in our one hour in Galway, we all realized it was a really cool town and we wanted to go back, especially because the Cliffs of Moher were only a short ways away. If you’re unfamiliar with the cliffs, they were also in Harry Potter as you can see here:

Our trip started off on a bus... we know, we didn’t want to take a bus either, but it was only €10 each way, it had wifi and was non-stop. It was actually pretty comfortable, and before we knew it, we were back in Galway! People from all over Ireland and Europe come together in Galway for the nightlife with drinking, dancing and trad music, which we were very much looking forward to. After checking into our hostel, we went straight to the off-license liquor store to get some drinks and mixers to start off our night. 

We started off our night at Monroe's, a bar we were assured would be great for the traditional Irish scene. However, as soon as we got there, we realized it was all old people and we wanted to leave immediately since it appeared we got there too early. I was already about 7 shots of Smirnoff deep from our drinks at the hostel, and I needed to finish my beer. I didn't hesitate to channel my inner college freshman, and proceeded to chug my entire pint of Hoegaarden and then some of Alisha's beer since she's gluten intolerant and couldn't finish it.

And that’s about all I clearly remember from the night.

But here's what I vaguely remember/know went down:

• We moved onto this pub called The Spanish Arch where we went the first time we were in Galway 
• As the band on stage was singing “Sweet Home Alabama” I vehemently tried to get the singer and everyone else around to say “Roll Tide Roll!”
• I don’t even like Bama. 
• We moved on to another pub called the Skeff, where I concluded that I should not drink anymore for the rest of the night 
• I sobered up a bit through excessive some dancing at Karma, the main club in Galway. 
• I may have thought kung fu was ok for a little bit
• Supermac's is God's gift to mankind and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's basically a food court of every good drunk food chain known to man, and it may have saved my life. 

As you can imagine, I felt like the charter bus we had taken to Galway had somehow found me again and ran me over 12 times by the next morning. Shit. How am I supposed to climb a fucking cliff when I can’t even climb out of bed?

Super excited for the cliffs!!! Guess who's jumping first?!

However, after a latte, a muffin, and some extra greasy fries from McDonald’s, I was good to go. I always have to swallow my pride before getting on a tour bus and acting like a total tourist because it reminds me all too much of Key West where people would arrive in droves off cruise ships, busses and the like, and completely tear through the town. Luckily, it was a beautiful day out and the tour was very well-done. We only burdened one small town with their one open pub on a Sunday for lunch, but the food was delicious, everyone was polite, and I think the pub owners get excited when they get business in their one stoplight town.

As we were on our tour, we stopped at Poulnabrone, a site from the neolithic era, we saw a few castles, and eventually arrived at our destination at the Cliffs of Moher. And Holy Mary Mother of God, were they amazing. Photos don’t even do them justice:

Poulnabrone Tomb

First view of the Cliffs of Moher

Standard sorority sign shot

Just peeking over the edge...

Looking back at the trail

Another standard: handstands

This was a view from the furthest point we went

That crouching photographer was making me nervous

YOLO

Bracing themselves... Dave pushed Alisha over shortly after this photo, and Megan just laughed.

A brief stop at the mini cliffs- not as high but still beautiful!

Sunset at the mini cliffs

Couldn't have thought of a better end to the day!

The country view returning back to Galway

And then, this judgmental cow... He made my day.

Post-Grad Life Doesn't Have to Suck

Don't be Ron Burgundy.

I know I said this before, but I’m going to say it again. Post-grad life does not have to suck. I can’t help but think back from time to time before I left FSU where people would ask me, “OMG how could you want to leave FSU so early?! These will be the best years of your life!” If you ask me— if getting shitfaced 4 nights a week, worrying about how to pay for the simplest things on a budget, going to classes that really don’t prepare me for the real world and crying over a failed test that really has no impact on my life whatsoever— if this is the best my life can get and it’s over at 21, that is one very depressing life. Yes, college was a blast. Yes, there are memories that I will never forget (and the ones that are difficult to remember) and the level of responsibility is the lowest it ever will be in my entire life. Yes, joining my sorority and studying abroad and meeting incredible people that have changed my life forever is something that I will always fondly look back on... but I am so happy to be starting something new.

Now, I’m not going to say that being a big girl is all of a sudden rainbows and sunshine... sitting in an office really does suck. Sometimes I’ll just stare out of the window and Google all of the things I would rather be doing than just sitting. Unfortunately, there are more things in life that I know I’ll have to do that I don’t want to do, where it is completely out of my control.

BUT! I still have the freedom I did in college (if not, more so because I’m really not tied down by any other commitments than my internship) and I can still choose how to live my life. Once I leave the office at 6, it’s a free world out there.  And, *spoiler alert* I can still drink like I did in college and it’s totally cool because my tolerance is higher and I can now be picky about my drinks.  
Nice knowing you Skol, but my new friends Jameson and Ginger are waiting for me.   

And even though I’m sitting in an office, it has allowed me to come up with other things that I would enjoy doing in my free time and my time after this internship is over. Hell, I’m in Europe, I can go wherever I want on this little continent on the weekend and still make it back to my building on Aston Quay by 10 am on Monday. And not only am I able to travel, but the people I work with are actually pretty cool and I appreciate talking to them about how they see the world through Irish eyes. We also work with groups that volunteer abroad (where many of my co-workers have done so themselves), which has inspired me to look for volunteering options as well.

I can feel my perspective expanding, even if I’m not doing the most exciting things in the office. I also have time to read things that interest me, rather than cram whatever crap information I’m assigned to read for my classes. Wait, I can use this brain to think for myself?! Weird!

I know I’m going to have many more challenges thrown my way, and I know that I’ll always have happy memories of FSU. But every day I feel like I made the right decision to leave early, more so than the days before—and I’m excited to choose which way my life goes as I get out of the institutional box that I was shoved into since age 3.

With that, I have been thinking—never peak. Ever. Always leave at your best, and don’t extend your stay. We all know the girl who peaked in High School, or the frat star that decided to never really leave college, and we pity them. I’m all for making the next stage of life better than the last as I get older and less stupid. I’m becoming more comfortable with the fact that I really don’t know much at all, and I don’t expect to know all of the world’s secrets by the time this life is over, but it doesn't hurt to be conscious and curious to experience what else is out there.

And I’m gonna stay curious.

One Month Later

Dublin's most famous bar

I'll admit I have been horrible at blogging during my time here. Honestly, working at a desk all day makes me less than thrilled to go back home and start writing more... however, I feel like I would regret not recording my experience, especially since I’m using only my iPhone to take photos that wouldn’t be as good quality as the ones I would’ve taken with my brand new camera before I broke it in Colorado last month (I swear God doesn’t want me to own a camera... I’m pretty sure that’s #5 to go to camera heaven).

That being said, I am now wrapping my head around the first month I have spent on the Emerald Isle, so here is what I have come to experience so far:

I've gotten established at a 40 hour/week job. I have been privileged to work with Comhlamh, an NGO dedicated to good volunteering practices abroad and executing proper trade policies from the EU to the Global South (to us Americans, that means developing nations). To find more about what I do, feel free to visit volunteeringoptions.org.

I've gotten a hang of the Irish terms: lift= elevator, boot=trunk, jumper=sweater, queue= line (and queuing is the verb for lining up/standing in line). Terms like grand, lovely, cheers, getting on well, and more for common expressions are very catchy and I’ve found myself unintentionally using them in conversation more as I spend time here.

I've realized I have an accent... and it’s pretty strong. And the more I talk with Irish people where I’m the odd one out, the weirder I think it sounds. “Haaaai my nayme’s kaytie, yeaaaah I’m frahm a-mayera-cuh.” I'll just stop talking now. 

I've become aware of American stereotypes, and that people will profile. Some bus driver counted the change out loud for €2.15 and told me which coins to use as I was putting it in the change collector, as if I couldn't possibly know how to add... I had to bite my tongue to not tell him that I knew my head from my ass and my cents from my Euros. This is one of a few stupid instances where I have been stereotyped outright, but it's definitely becoming less of a shock and more petty than anything now. In case you don't know, we are assumed to be stupid, fat and loud, which I’ll admit, really offended me the first week. However, most people are extremely friendly and if you show some sort of competence and don’t live up to the stereotype, it’s very easy to get along. It seems that every place has a stereotype for where you are from, but it’s hard to pinpoint it when people are speaking another language around you—that’s probably why I didn’t pay much attention to the way we were stereotyped in Turkey or France when I lived there. In general though, Irish people like Americans and they pay a great amount of attention to our politics and sports. I was not prepared for questions on either whenever I went to the pubs, so in an attempt to not look ignorant, I have been keeping myself updated on current events in both fields so I can accurately answer any questions they throw my way.

I've realized that organized bus trips are NOT for me. After one horrible paddy wagon trip to Galway (where we only spent an hour), and reminiscing on the terrible bus trip to Atlanta with my Alpha Phi sisters last November (we all remember those horrible 16 hours that was really only supposed to be 10... anyway, I digress), I have got to say that I am completely OVER IT. Between the rain, bumpy roads, and the fact that we only spent an hour in Galway when we thought we were going to spend the day there, it was not exactly my ideal trip. However, the scenes from the countryside were absolutely breathtaking (from what we could see), and Galway city is something that I will definitely return to because it deserves much more than an hour of anyone’s time.

If you are unfamiliar with Galway, it is what the locals deem as “real Ireland” that hasn’t been as industrialized or globalized as Dublin. It has a true traditional Irishness about it that I can’t even describe. I took a few good pictures, and hopefully this weekend I can go back to take many more!

 

Now, most importantly...

I have found myself falling in love with Dublin and Ireland more and more every day. If I had to give it a word, it would be charming. Everything about this place is just that. The pubs, the lively accent, the trad music resonating throughout the streets on a Saturday night, the small towns in the country, the way that people say lovely, even if it's over the smallest things— it really is just charming. The weather is grey, it does rain all the time, work can definitely get tiring (especially when you are cooped up in an office for 7-8 hours a day with rain constantly drizzling down the one window)... but thankfully, it is in no way depressing and the energy of the city isn't dampened by the weather-- and that’s exactly what I love about it. There is nothing like walking out the front door of the office and into a whirlwind of people bustling down cobblestone streets. The sights, smells and sounds are so alive and stimulating that I can't help but be engaged in my surroundings every second of the 25 minute walk to and from work. 

Unlike everywhere else I have been, I feel like I am just now getting established to the way of life here. A month is good for adjustment, and I’m glad that I’m not just leaving as soon as I felt adjusted like I did the other two times I went abroad. It reminds me of my favorite quote: “Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.” – Andrew Zimmern 

I have two more months here, and I am so excited for my upcoming adventures and getting to know Dublin at a local level. I plan on blogging more and once my camera is fixed, there will be many more photos to come!

Trinity College

My view from the office

In St. Stephen's Green just being...us...

Irish Countryside