Monday, June 25, 2012
A year ago today I was at Dingle Peninsula, Republic of Ireland, happily giving my soul to the Atlantic at Coumeenole Beach.
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The beach was pretty awesome actually. The Dingle Peninsula in general was freezing - wind, rain, you name it, it was shocking. In June. One girl on my tour managed to slip and get soaked in the tide when we got on the beach. I did not envy her. I considered just staying back and not worrying about it because I didn't want to have sandy feet (I know right? I'm ridiculous) - but I managed it with one foot and escaped with minimal sand. A triumph at the expense of some laughs, but I did it! The legend goes I have to return in 20 years to reclaim the part of my soul it took. I felt at the time as I still do now that it already had a bit of it anyway; the chill of the water was bearable and I savoured that moment.
That was day two of a three-day Southern Rocker with Shamrocker; yesterday a year ago was another major bucket list item ticked off.
Since I was able to string comprehensible words together (at the ripe old age of four, I had teething problems), I've been known as a loud and fast talker. I think I've mellowed in the last couple of years (although some may deny that), but kissing the Blarney Stone for me was about having that gift to pull out really good wit on the spot and improve my communication for whatever journalistic tasks I would face in my life. I was said to have given it a huge pucker smack in the middle.
The tour would also take me and at least 40 others through Killarney, Dingle, Ennis and the Cliffs of Moher before getting to Galway. A great few days; I hung out with a great bunch, met some interesting locals and got a real feel for regional Ireland.
I hopped off in Galway instead of returning back to Dublin (I'd spend two days there anyway) and met some great people on what I'd have to say was my best (travel) pub crawl. There were ones before and there have been ones since, but a small group in this instance worked a treat and everyone got along. And got sloshed. Good times.
My six days in the republic were the last of my nine-week solo voyage. I would next meet my family in Heathrow Airport, where I had time to think about how well (overall) it had gone, and what a perfect ending I'd had with Ireland. But that new chapter was about to crash through, and while I thought I was ready I had no idea what would hit me so suddenly.
***
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| Where those at the forefront at the Easter Rising were executed, Kilmainham Jail, Dublin |
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| Jonathan Swift's resting place in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin |
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| Me giving Blarney Stone a good ol' peck |
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| First ever pint of Guinness - look at the rings on that one! |
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| Cliffs of Moher |
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| Galway, looking from the Claddagh side of the river |
Monday, September 05, 2011
Backstory: in 2010 my bff Penny came up with the idea of eating McDonald's in every country across Europe (because she had a fleeting thought the food o/s wouldn't be up to standard) - but we got there and she changed her mind. No-one else in our group was game so I carried it through. For most of these samplings I was on a Topdeck tour.
I first felt like Morgan Spurlock in Super Size Me because I was eating it so regularly - at least every second day while on the tour - and hoped it wouldn't affect my health too much. Actually... that was a slight lie. I wasn't too concerned.
I should add, I went on this odyssey only to discover the specialties - the 'limited time only' specials, or something unique to the country. No Big Macs for me. So now to the photos.
After six months of not having a bite (okay so I had a hash brown at Athens Airport when I first got over there) I had my first 'McDo' meal, as they call it in France, in the restaurant that's part of the Louvre complex. I discovered that the French don't eat small and I was forced to buy a medium meal. To be blunt, the chips weren't great (however they were less salty than ours) and the burger appears rather plain. The bread was interesting, but the filling was merely beef, cheese, tomato and actual slivers of onion (not the tiny chopped up things in a lump). For its similarity to a cheeseburger, I give it (and the meal) 5/10. Good to taste the familiar beef again but an average start.
Although we couldn't really do that much in Vienna because it was a Sunday (aaargh), I still only found little time to find myself a Maccas lunch because everyone else had already eaten. Although I only picked a snack as such, what a snack it was - Cheesy Broccoli Nuggets. The pack gave me six bites of gooey goodness - warm and indeed cheesy on the inside. Never seen anything like it before. Perfect snack, but six wasn't enough! 8/10.
Bratislava was only a day-stop; we only spent 60-90 minutes there - and 3/4 of that was in rain. But it cleared up by the time we ventured from coffee to continue my quest, and it was so worth it. Complete with delivery to your table, this Maccas offered a taste of Greece (the food I missed so much at this point) with a Beef Tzatziki burger (and crinkle-cut herbed wedges). This is my style. With the usual culprits as well as fetta cheese, tzatziki and a herbed bun, this was unbelievably tasty even after having eaten a decent amount of the stuff over the past week and a half. With the mouth-watering wedges, I'm going to say this was perfect, if a bit messy. 10/10.
By the time I got to Budapest I'd seen these on a few menus, with different meats. And heaps of the tour peeps had seen my photos and were aware of my quest... which made me more persistent to explore the menus. I went with the beef McWrap, and although small it had a lot of flavour. The tangy yellow sauce went well with the beef and the strange mix of stuff (is that mango in the picture? It's been a while, I don't remember that...) packed a punch. On the run this worked easily, 7/10.
We stopped through on the way to Prague at this McDrive (although we sadly didn't fit through the thing being on a bus and all - but to be fair the seats inside were fairly accommodating). Notable for its similarity to the Slovakian menu (Beef Tzatziki burger and all) - I wonder why... oh and according to Irishman Chris it was the first along his travels to have Double Cheeseburgers. Well spotted. I went for prawns and their 'special sauce.' Point lost for having to pay extra for the sauce, and another for the prawn itself being miniscule in relation to all the (badly amazing) crumbing around it. But the sauce was between tartare and aioli and suited, and the prawns tasted fine from what was there. Fine as a really light snack but fair average. 5/10.
The most fun I've had at McDonald's in a long time. Probably since I used to play 'the pickle game' with my brother and cousin, trying to see who'd step and possibly slip on our dropped cheeseburger pickle... ah those were the days. ANY-way, after 3:30am we found this open on our way home... and the menu was SO impressive. I settled on a two snack burgers; the first an Italian-style chicken burger, crumbed and with Napoli sauce. Something similar was once released at home as a proper burger and this was just as tasty. Then... the Nurnburger. Three small sausages and mustard in a flour-dusted bun, a likely homage to their apparently famous currywurst. Definitely an acquired taste, but good quality meat. I managed to polish off 1.5 of these. Italian: 9/10. Nurnburger: extra point for most patriotic, fun item I've ever seen. 8.5/10.
After being in Athens for five days I manage to come around full circle and try something which I thought was completely crazy at their airport. The picture above shows a burger. This particular burger contained a prawn pattie. Yes, a prawn pattie. It didn't have an overpowering fishy taste but with the regular fillings and sauces eating it still had a strange feel. Was neither here or there. 5/10.
***
I ended up having Maccas brekky back in Melbourne Airport on the final stopover with one of their wraps (new for the time, seems the local menu shook things up too). Lament the missed op of trying a pork, a breakfast and a UK option. And I should probably go a Big Mac too on my next run. But the quest in 2010 was a lot of fun. I can only imagine the possibilities of what I'd do next.
2011
Walking down Orchard Road for the first time, even at night the humidity was getting to me. There's a LOT of McDonalds stops along the shopping mecca, and I was rather intrigued by one of their dessert cafes just off the main strip. I've still never seen anything like it! First treat of the trip (and definitely not the last) was a Supreme Milo McFlurry. An explosion of chocolate goodness, Milo and ice-cream have always gone together. Perfect mix, and the last time I would see Milo for a fair while. 9/10.
My meals in Belfast had no room for McDonalds so I settled for a Drifter McFlurry. Now, I'd never heard of the chocolate before so thought it sounded safe enough. Turned out to be too safe for my liking - wafer pieces and a 'toffee' sauce (*cough* caramel) didn't do enough to make a strong flavour for the ice-cream. Bored. 3/10.
Gosh I loved Galway. First stop there was McDonalds as I still hung out with tour-mates before they continued back to Dublin without me. The UK had the wraps you see here, but while Scotland and England had them as daily specials, in Ireland you could pick what you wanted whenever. Win! Vegetarian wrap with chickpea pattie was my healthiest McDonalds meal so far. Sweet chilli sauce complimented the packed flavour of the pattie while cucumbers evened out the spice factor. Rather full, I was happy as Larry. 8/10.
Still feel like I have unfinished business with this place. Trying one of the other wraps was purely for mealtime, but the Chicken Caesar Wrap was pretty good. Crispy chicken, decent bits of bacon. Well prepared. 8.5/10.
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5/12/2011
Not so long after all... turns out Maccas celebrated 40 years in Australia earlier this year with some celebratory returns to mark the big occasion.
My big move to Dubbo meant I was eating a bit more junk than desired as I settled in and found a place. But what I ate was nothing short of substantial. It's been a while since these came and went but the memory forever lingers...
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
So I adored Edinburgh. From the outset it amazed and it didn't fail me at all. The vintage shopping, the vibe, the haggis, the history, the people (a very good looking guy promoting a kilt shop managed to make the thing look almost sexy)... dare I say I felt a real pull? Like an 'I would happily live here' pull?... The Highlands and Loch Ness are stunning, very glad I did a day trip from Edinburgh there. There were only three of us Aussies – for once we were outnumbered! Thought we glimpsed Nessie for a second just quietly...
Through to Glasgow the drizzle continued. Not as much going on there but still a nice city. The West End area is nice and I did my best to involve myself in the festival that went on throughout June. And their vintage is just as good – buy of the trip: a 2 Pound tartan blazer-style jacket. WIN.
Ah. And then there was Ireland. Nine days of absolute intrigue, happiness and... shenanigans as Pa so succinctly put it. Belfast is fascinating: I was nowhere near as informed about the issues there as I thought, and a Black Cab tour (where they take you through the 'Peace Wall' to the Protestant area and back through the Catholic side showing you murals and explaining the history from both sides) rendered me speechless. The Titanic tour (it was built there, remember?) was fun though, got an awesome King of the World shot where it originally stood in the docklands. Thanks Rebecca! Met up with the lovely Emma twice, whose family had me over for a traditional Irish home-cooked dinner (Topdeck 2010 represent) and wandered the streets aimlessly with almost-local Mark (almost got me peed on by a bird over a bridge he did ;D) before spending my last day on a trip to Giant's Causeway and Derry – where the murals there are just as interesting although the unrest isn't as prominent, but standing on the street where innocents were shot on Bloody Sunday was pretty overwhelming. Our guide in Derry was so blunt (but sympathetic) about it, we were all just a bit stunned.
Dublin isn't nearly as bad as what some have perceived it... sure it's touristy, but not in a bad way – I didn't notice it all that much. Plus I like touristy places – Gold Coast anyone? There's a shiteload of stuff going on and I realised straight away that one day was not going to be enough. And that didn't even include the Guinness tour. Sacrilege you cry? Hardly – I only tried my first half-pint of the stuff the following night on tour. Yes, I did another tour after much deliberation – trying to get to a Gaelic football game and do my own itinerary, or three days with strangers on a Shamrocker trip seeing places and sights I had no idea about? I picked the latter, although wishing I'd done more research into the Gaelic game. Fail. Buuuut no regrets about the tour – it was a blast with a great, well-rounded group. We first went to Blarney Castle (where I gave the infamous Blarney Stone one helluva puck for the gift of eloquence). Then Killarney for the night to share in some shenanigans with one-man show performer Pa as he told us stories of the pub he raised before it was to close (downing ¾ of a pint of Guinness at least five times during the show was the work of a genius). Some of the dirtiest jokes I think in existence were said in there. I gave my soul to the seas the next morning at a beach whose name I can't remember, and fully intend on retrieving it in 20 years time as the legend goes. I knew I'd return well before getting to this anyway, it's that amazing. The night in Ennis saw traditional music and bar-hopping with our restless leader. Day three was the Cliffs of Moher before I left the tour in Galway instead of returning to Dublin.
Galway. Wow. What a city. So much expectation and it ended up living to its hype. The newly-created (I think) pub crawl helped towards that though... what an awesome group, and an unusual crawl. We learnt an Irish jig, and I now know sculling a pint of Guinness is never a good thing. But tour guide Joanne would've been proud, she was so jealous I left the tour early for the place. Haha I've revelled in having small groups for pub crawls throughout my time here, you get talking to everyone more - and feel comfortable dancing like a crazy-woman by the time you get to the club. Not that I care too much because I do that anyway... haha let's just say the day-trip to Westport I intended on doing the next day had no way of happening. Another reason for me to go back I guess!
Dublin take two saw me go to Croke Park (at least to see the stadium on a tour if not for a game) and catch up with some Galway buddies – shout outs to Zonja, Vicky, Boyan and Max, the latter two entertainingly driving me back to London the next day. My last solo day was incredibly relaxed with that drive... I was in a good place, which I needed before a long wait for my family in Arrivals at Heathrow.
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