Annik
Annik Joined: April 26th 2008
Logged in: November 23rd 2010
Logged in: November 23rd 2010
Travel Blog Posts
My old house.
New York, New York. Oh how I love thee! Some 11 years ago I visited New York in some crazed 30 hour visit that, whilst leaving a lasting impression, didn't really give me the best picture of New York. I had found out then that New York was manic, frantic and really just plain disturbed, but I didn't see the quieter side, the relaxed vibe that is hidden from the hideous Times Square or the peak hour rush. I hadn't a keen interest on returning and when the opportunity arose, whilst I did jump at the chance, I didn't think it would be more than a rehash of my previous adventure only with better company, better weather and with me being a little bit wiser... I really didn't think I'd fall in love with the place ... read more
Dinner.
Had a lovely time visiting family in Madrid... was totally spoilt by Aunty Karin and Tash. Was great to actually go to a city and not rush around like a tourist, took great pleasure out of just relaxing over a meal or wandering around the streets. Anyways, here are some photos...... read more
The wonky tree
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if it didn't include my travel buddy extraordinaire Naomi, a semi frozen turkey, dodgy stuffing, countless Ferrero Rochers, the lack of kitchen utensils, a Christmas decoration from Denmark, Friends and Scrubs on telly, a massive bon-bon, Journey's Midnight Train, presents galore, a wonky plastic Xmas tree and the lingering promise of snow to no avail on Christmas day. Needless to say that we both had a good time, despite the fact that I did threaten to throw the turkey at Naomi... but don't worry, I just said it in my head and didn't act on it. And no food poisoning, which is always an added bonus. After all the Christmas festivies and the lure of the Boxing Day sales, Naomi and I caught the train to Edinburgh for Hogmanay... and what could ... read more
Tivoli Gardens
Oh what a beautiful, fairytale like city! So after spending a night in London, Naomi and I caught an early plane to Copenhagen and we were lucky to spend time with Karin and Jimmy, who were our gracious hosts, tour guides, chefs, baristas, chauffeurs and translators. We were spoilt! We visited the Botanical Gardens and Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Art) before spending the evening at Tivoli Gardens, which was stunning at night, as the photos show... and we had so much fun being sillier than usual, enjoying the christmas markets and playing numerous games- I won a Christmas decoration for hitting a rubber chicken into a moving basket! Joy. :) The following day we went for a walk around town- going to Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square,) Hans Christian Andersen's statue, Rundetårn (Round Tower) ... read more
Praca do Commercio.
Ola! Well my friend Rebecca was going to Lisbon with her mother Pat for a weekend as part of her travels before heading back home, so when she asked if I wanted to join her I jumped at the chance. After an early start (getting up at 3am to catch flights is never fun, especially since I am a procrastinator and end up going to bed at midnight as I will find something to do rather than pack my bags!!!) I landed in a very humid Lisbon and was excited for the weekend that promised much- my last taste of summer! So after doing some shopping in the lovely streets of the Baixa area, I was reunited with Rebecca. And what better way to catch up than over a coffee and Pasteis de Nata (custard tart)... ... read more
Sacre Coeur
Just posting a few pics from the weekend away to Paris with Naomi. Had a great time, as I always do with Nomes, having a relaxed weekend by just "experiencing" rather than sightseeing. And since we are such big kids, we also spent a day in Disneyland, because that's just what you do.... read more
On the way to Mykonos
Spent 10 glorious days in the Greek islands- Mykonos, Paros and Santorini- thanks to a friend of mine having his 30th Birthday there. Flew into Mykonos via London, and totally fell in love with the sunshine! 30+ degrees and constant sun was something I’d almost forgotten after spending the summer entirely in Ireland. So spent a lot of time lazing in the sun and just relaxing during the day and going out dancing at night (Mykonos is THE party island.) Absolutely love the greek way of life- the food is amazing and sitting in a cafe drinking a frappe was a great way to while away an afternoon- not a fan of ouzo though, although Mastica was a nice alternative. From there we caught a fastboat ferry to Paros, a real quiet island known for its ... read more
People's Park Dun Laoghaire.
We were all blessed with amazing weather for the long weekend. It's funny that here in Ireland it seems that everyone is obsessed with the weather, and I'm jumping on that bandwagon even though I try not to. So it was sunny and in the mid 20s. On the Saturday I went shopping with my housemate Monika into Dublin where we got a little excited in H&M and then wandered around Temple Bar, etc. It was nice to have a girlie shopping spree. Sunday I just chilled around Dun Laoghaire and Sandycove- watching all the pale Irish people sunbake at the beach and in the People's Park. Nothing like frying yourself to the crisp! (And I looked out of place in my jeans, tshirt and cardigan.) On Monday I went to Kilmainham Jail, which was fascinating. ... read more
Bray- looking toward Bray Head.
It was a gorgeous day and the first time that it was actually somewhat warm, so off I went to Bray to do the Bray-Greystones Coastal Walk. Bray and Greystones are in County Wicklow, which I haven't been to before, and is easily accessible by the DART (train.) Bray and Greystones are quite cute little towns in their own right, but the coastal scenery made them fade in comparison... but I'll let the photos do the talking. The walk is 8km long and stretches around Bray Head between the two towns, and it was busy with tourists and locals.... read more
Howth!
After being very busy organising a job, housing and the like, I decided that I should go out and do some sight seeing, especially since it was a sunny day. So off to Howth I went. Howth sounds like both, btw. It's a short DART (train) ride from Dublin, on the opposite side of Dublin harbour from Dun Laoghaire. Howth is basically a fishing village and its very cutesi. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, here are the photos...... read more
