Trunks and Trails: South Africa // Part 1

Good day, everyone :)
Summer is over, sad face. We're into September now which means back to reality and back to wading through college work and life and not being able to use the excuse "but it's summer" as a viable excuse to be a bit lazy 😂
September is also when I have my birthday. The 21st, to be exact. So I'll be looking forward to that and I'll be looking forward to going back to Sligo in a few days and getting out to Strandhill, Rosses Point and seeing friends again, so it'll be a pretty hectic month!
But on to the blog post!
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So at the start of the summer, right after I came back from Erasmus, it was a quick change over before I was on the road to the airport, heading to South Africa!
I returned to Ireland on the 7th of June, a Wednesday and on the 10th, a Saturday, I was packed up and ready, with my family, to head off again.

 Preparation

The preparation for South Africa began pretty much as soon as we were told about the trip. As this was a family holiday-style trip, amazingly paid for by my father, it was his idea to go there in the first place. So to get prepared for South Africa, it was a case of researching the areas we were going. Listing what we could go and see, what we would like to do and make sure we have all the necessary items, medicines and accessories for the trip.

1. One of the key things to get done before going to South Africa was to make sure that we were all appropriately and carefully medically checked and vaccinated. Things to get vaccinated against were tetanus, hepatitis and typhoid. Being in Spain, it was a bit of a task to find a place that would vaccinate against, basically, tropical diseases. For anyone travelling abroad to a place that may require vaccinations, check out this website to find a tropical medicine bureau/clinic near you: https://www.tmb.ie/
2. In the month that we travelled to South Africa, June. It was winter time in South Africa. Now once we got there, it was 30 degrees celsius, which for an Irish person, is far better than any day in our summer. So for me, the essentials needed for the trip were items such as shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses, caps and light shoes. Whilst there, we were treated to some odd looks from the locals. They were in body warmers and long pants, calling it cold.
3. Travel Agent documents/information. Travelling via a travel agent, as we did. Keeping an eye on your documents and making sure you have all times, dates and information correct, and it'll make for a less-stress time.

The Trip

Saturday, 10th of June. We left home in the early afternoon. The travel plan was to, instead of driving to Dublin, was to drive to Galway and take the bus from the Galway Bus Depot to the airport, direct. We took GoBus from Galway airport. I find GoBus to be a good, direct transport from the airport. It saves money for those driving and it also gets you to the door of the terminal building sufficiently and punctually. Our flight was leaving at around 15:45, we made it to Dublin airport just after 2:30 so we had enough time to check in the bags and get ourselves something to eat. We quickly made it through security and weren't waiting too long before our first flight was boarding. 

The first leg of the journey was a quick flight from Dublin to London Heathrow. What I love is that it takes about 45 minutes to fly from Dublin to London. Enough time for a powernap! For the first flight, we took an Aer Lingus flight. It was my first time flying with Aer Lingus, actually. For the flight over, I can't really review or say much about the service because I was already asleep before take off...

But 45 minutes later we were touching down at Heathrow Airport and shuffling through the transfer area to sit and wait a few hours before our next flight. Heathrow Airport is quite cool, I think. A bit pricey in some places, but it has a lot of stuff to see and a lot of restaurants, so when you're stuck in Heathrow on a layover, it isn't hard to find something to pass the time. It's worth going into WHSmith  and maybe pick up something to read because the next leg of the journey is the big one.
The next leg of the trip was from London Heathrow to Johannesberg Airport in South Africa. We boarded the aircraft, got everything settled and sorted. For

me, it was my first experience of a real long haul flight, so it was quite fun to see tv screens, blankets and food being served on the aircraft, I mean it made the trip feel a bit more luxurious. We weren't taxiing to the runway and setting off. Flight time- Just over 10 hours. The start of the trip is the amazement stage where we picked through the movies and music, ate our on-board meal and tried to sleep. We flew from London to South Africa with South African Airways who provided a nice service, a comfortable flight and the food was not too bad! Here is some advice for if you're going to do the long-haul trip:

1. Travel Socks: You'd be quite surprised, as even I was skeptical about whether or not to wear travel socks, as in my head I was thinking "Damn, I'm not an old man, I don't need to wear travel socks". For me, a few hours into the flight and my legs started getting sore and the compression in the cabin was making my feet swell a bit but the socks kind of contained it and made the flight just that bit more comfortable. I'd recommend when doing the trip to pack a pair of travel socks, just in case.
2. Neck Pillow: One of the things that made the flight a whole lot nicer was the fact that I had brought my own travel neck pillow. When I sleep on a plane or bus or other transport, my neck really gets strained. A great investment for those long haul and even short haul flights is a travel neck pillow. I purchased my memory foam neck pillow from Primark/Penneys for only 4 euro. 4 euro well spent! For info on the Primark/Penneys neck pillow: https://www.primark.com/en-ie/product/memory-foam-travel-pillow,d1181102620150104
3. Download Movies/Shows: Although South African Airways provided almost up to date movies, music and tv shows, there was only limited selection. Don't be totally reliant on that, download a couple episodes of a show or a couple movies. I mean, for a 10 hour trip, you could definitely start and finish a season of Game of Thrones!

We arrived in Johannesberg like a bag of weasels. Tired, grumpy and hungry, thankfully we didn't have long to wait for our last connecting flight. After we collected our baggage, we moved through the Or Tambo Airport until we were greeted by a rep from Travelchoice, the travel agency we booked through. Helpfully, he guided us from gate to gate and gave us all the information and necessary ticketing we needed to pass through the airport. After getting through what felt like the 10th security check, we were then waiting for our next flight. Johannesberg to Nelspruit. The airline we flew with was the South African Airways subsidiary airline, AirLink. A jet sized aircraft was what was carrying us from Johannesberg to Nelspruit. Another 45 minute flight, the crew on-board treated us to a little gift, a luggage scale, from AirLink for their 25th anniversary. 

We landed in Nelspruit Airport and it was such a sight to see. The airport was basically a hut with a woven roof, tractors were pulling the luggage trailers and the warm air was awesome. We weren't long in the airport, we gathered our bags and moved through to meet our car transfer. Travelchoice's transfer drove us from Nelspruit Airport to Hazyview town, a good 1 hour drive.

Hippo Hollow

The layout of the vacation was to get the relaxation out of the way before we got on to the activity side of the trip. We got to our accommodation for the relaxation part of the trip, Hippo Hollow in Hazyview. Thatched roofs and huts surrounded the entrances, a couple of peacocks walking around the place and we were immediately greeted by the concierge as we got out of the car. The one thing that worried me was that when were getting the keys to our rooms, we signed a waiver basically saying that we are constantly surrounded by wild, dangerous animals so don't be stupid and get killed. 

We got to our rooms. Nice, airy huts with a small kitchen area, lots of bedroom space, a very nicely designed bathroom and access to the terrace/pool area as well as a barbecue area on the back porch. After getting our stuff sorted, changing clothes and showering, we were ready to check the place out and get food. Not sure what to expect on the menu, we were happy to see that they had regular food likes burgers, paninis, pizzas and other assorted foods like that on the menu. We sat on the patio which overlooked the river and also looked up to the hills where we could see elephants roaming around, having a jolly old time. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging in the bedrooms, regaining strength and energy. There wasn't even enough energy to go to the pool, to be honest.
In the evening, we went to the main reception where we were ushered to another part of the resort. Along the trail there was little bonfires lit and we were given a cup of some sort of beverage. Hoping it was alcohol, it was downed but however, it was not. It turned out to be some sort of banana pureé kind of drink that did not go down well. We entered this sand pit area where there were other guests seated in the audience area. We were given a bowl of spicy popcorn and waited.

Not too long after sitting down, loud drums started going off. A posse of dancers came out and started moving to the rhythm. Their dancing was mixed with some traditional singing. The dancing was very cool but also a bit out of the ordinary for us. A lot of shaking of bodily parts, legs flying everywhere, but it was very entertaining and a good welcome for us.
The rest of the stay in Hippo Hollow included a lot of eating and relaxing by the pool. But of course, we were in SOUTH AFRICA so we couldn't say no to a few activities during out relaxation time.

Panoramic Tour

One of the things in our many list of things we wanted to do was do a panoramic tour of the surrounding areas. Nelspruit, where we were, was

surrounded by amazing viewpoints, waterfalls and scenery. Through our concierge, who booked the activities, we were set up with our driver who was going to take us on our day trip. 

The day of panoramic touring came and we were set up with a Mhangele Luxury Tours driver who was happy to greet us and take us on our way. The plan of attack was to start with one of the furthest landmarks and work our way back to Hazyview. We drove up to places like Graskop and Sabie to see some of the beautiful views. Graskop was our lunch place on the way back but first we went past Graskop

The first stop on our drive was up in the Blyde River Canyon. A place that looks down into deep forest and really amazing bodies of water that was just picture perfect. Not staying long in any of the places we stopped we moved along. In the Blyde River Canyon parking lot was a lot of souvenir stalls, and of course, being very bad with money, I bought a little wooden elephant. Along the tour we saw many waterfalls, forests and high looking points that looked all over Mpumalanga. Some of the places on our Panoramic Tour included:

• Lowveld View
• Berlin Falls
• Bourkes Potholes
• Lisbon Falls
• The Pinnacle 

Of course, one of the most beautiful viewpoints we got to see was God's

Window. Probably one of the most stunning views I have ever seen in my life. The air up there was so fresh and the view was like nothing I've seen before. The dense forest and the sun shining through the valley, the name was truly fitting. If anyone is going to Nelspruit, go and see God's Window. It's just fantastic.

On our way back to Hazyview, we stopped in Graskop for our well deserved lunch. Looking at the views can be very famishing work, let me tell you. And as you all know, I never decline food... We stopped at one of the best eateries in Graskop. Harrie's Pancakes. We sat out on the veranda with our drinks. The menu was incredible. All the pancakes and waffles you would want. Savory or Sweet, they had all the combinations you'd want. My sister and I ordered the white chocolate waffles and my father ordered a savory pancake. Reasonably priced, the food was very very tasty. Dutch bacon pancakes. White chocolate waffles. Ugh I was in

heaven. But alas, it didn't last forever and we made our way back to Hazyview. 

The only downside I can say is that the driver we had, it wasn't until after the tour was finished that he mentioned that he didn't have a card machine and gave us our bill. So, it was inconvenient to have to try and find an ATM. Other than that, really, it was a great experience.

For more on Mhangele Luxury Tours, you can contact them at: mhangele.tours@gmail.com

And to see Harrie's for yourself, check out: http://harriespancakes.com/

Elephant Whispers

As I mentioned above when we arrived at Hippo Hollow, we were having lunch and we could see elephants roaming around the hills. Well, adjoining Hippo Hollow is actually an elephant sanctuary which does deals with Hippo Hollow and allows guests to come up for a morning and see the elephants, so obviously we had to do it! 
We woke up excited to go and see the elephants. They're an animal I would

definitely associate with like, exotic and sub-Saharan holidays. If I dreamed of going on safari, elephants are definitely on the top of the list. Luckily my dream came true. Gulping down my bran muffin and croissants, we were led across the bridge that joins Hippo Hollow and Elephant Whispers by one of the Elephant Whispers' staff. 
We got to the main shop/office area and the first thing we saw was the fattest dog but probably one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen. A big loaf of bread laying in the shade. We went to the office area so we could sign the disclaimer saying that we'd be surrounded by elephants and we're responsible for our actions. We signed and waited for the guides to come and get us.
Shortly, a guide brought us to the main arena-like area where they had six elephants waiting to greet us. Literally such fascinating creatures. Hugely intelligent but also very friendly. I was surprised at how close we could get to

the elephants. They brought one or two of the elephants forward and laid them down so we could understand more about the physiology and life of an elephant in the wild. Absorbent skin, huge satellite ears, bristley hairs on them and really weird texture to their skin. My favorite elephant had to be Tembo. The 3.4 metre giant who weighed like 6 tonnes. We had our elephant pellets and were able to ask Tembo to do some commands. Lift his leg. Shake his trunk. Take the hat off your head. All in the name of food. An animal after my own heart, to be fair.
After the in-depth look at the elephants, we got what we all came for, a ride on the back of an elephant. It has to the one of the coolest things ever. Sitting and feeling the weird way the elephant walks. Seeing the area surrounding our resort on the back of an elephant. It was really really magnificent. We got to ride on the back of Tembo, so we were 3.4 metres off the ground and it was awesome! 
A little tip for riding a 6tonne x 3.4 metre elephant... Wear something you can be flexible in. It hurts.

You can see more about Elephant Whispers here: http://www.seasonsinafrica.com/adventure-activities-in-south-africa/lowveld-activities/elephant-whispers/


The rest of our time in Hippo Hollow was spent eating, drinking and lounging. But after our activities, it wasn't long until we were onto the next stage of our African adventure!

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Be sure to stay tuned for the next part of the African Adventure!

Second Semester: Trips, Plans and Advice

Hey there, people! It's been since before the New Year that I last posted. You know, I had to do some fun and interesting stuff to share with you guys and I'm also not the best at time management. It's been a fun couple of weeks! I've had a few weeks to discover some stuff in Madrid and time to look over some of my previous posts and instead of #NewYearNewMe, I'm going to try my best to

continue the format of my posts i.e Personal experiences, Bucket List locations etc but also add more travel tips, student travel advice and helpful hints for prospective travellers.
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Let's start where the last blog post left off. So in my last blog post I was packing up and getting ready to leave Ireland and get myself back on Spanish soil once again, After what can only be described as an eventful first semester, the excitement for the second semester was building, to say the least. As with travelling home for the Christmas period from Madrid to Ireland, the whole day of the 29th of December consisted of travel. From Tuam town to Galway Coach station by car, from Galway Coach station to Dublin Airport by GoBus (http://www.gobus.ie/). Then into Dublin Airport where the time to wait for boarding to begin was spent drinking water and a caramel frappuccino in Starbucks because you know, a healthy balance and all. Boarding didn't take too long and the time it took to board and then take off was quiet quick and it wasn't long before we were speeding down the runway and hitting the air. The flight was easy enough with very little turbulence but nothing a bit of sleep couldn't fix.
The first day and a half in Madrid consisted of finishing up some work for university. And on the 31st, spent the evening deciding what my plan was going to be for the NYE celebrations. So much to do in Madrid and my Facebook notifications filling up with promotions and offers for the many different clubs and parties that were happening all over the city of Madrid including Joy, Le Boutique and Teatro Kapital, Madrid's biggest nightclub and also some invites to house parties with friends to ring in the New Year, My actual plan consisted of travelling to Plaza del Callao, just off the Gran Via where one of the huge, brightly lighted Christmas trees stood high in the center. I arrived at the Plaza and stood at the head of Calle del Carmen, looking down to Sol, at the

Real Casa de Correo. It would have been near impossible to go to Sol, as so many people lined the square and streets I arrived at 10 minutes to Midnight, met a friend and waited patiently for the chime of the clock striking 12. The countdown went by and the Real Casa de Correo was lit up with the lights from the fireworks being let off from its roof. The fireworks were fantastic and really something I'm glad I experienced it. After the firework display, it was a quick rush to the metro to make our way to Villaverde Alto, the end of line 3. The rest of the night was spent in the suburb of Getafe with friends and friends of friends, And let me tell you, it was quite a late one!

That was my New Years Eve, spending time with friends and enjoying the friendly celebrations for the first hours of 2017. From then until the weekend of the 15th I spent primarily alone as the people I had spent the first semester of my Erasmus in Madrid with were with not back in Madrid, were in Madrid studying or left the city for good. The time spent on my own however made for some much appreciated solo travel time in which I got to look around different areas of Madrid at my own pace and really discover the city I've been living in for months. One of my more genius ideas of exploration was what I describe as "Seeing the world without leaving

the city" or also know as Embassy Hunting. As the capital city of Spain, Madrid hosts the embassies for a plethora of countries from every continent. So I took it upon myself to start a self-guided walking tour. Transport card in hand and the street/number of the buildings, I made my way to town, got myself a coffee at Faborit (One of my favorite cafés in the city) and walked up and down the

streets of Madrid, browsing in stores, spending time looking around different areas, finding great places to relax and eat and also find as many flags and emblems of international countries I could manage.  The tour brought me mostly through the area of Salamanca which plays home to big name brands like Versace, Valentino, Armani etc. and is close to the Plaza de Colon, a fantastic plaza from which you can possibly the biggest Spanish flag I've ever seen. Italy, Bolivia, South Africa, Albania, Luxembourg... the list of embassies goes on! This walking tour, "Seeing the world without leaving the city" is an amazing idea to workout, see Madrid and feel like you're seeing the world. I took my time looking around and it took up a good few days.
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That was what I had done, tourist wise, up until the weekend of the 14th and 15th. The welcome days for new Erasmus students was on Friday the 13th, so obviously there was a lot of new Erasmus students and considering that a majority of my friends from the first semester weren't back or weren't gonna be coming back, I decided to join the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos' Erasmus Student Network's trip to Toledo and make some friends. 
The Erasmus Student Network or ESN for short, is and has been one of the best parts of the Erasmus experience as it is a group of volunteering students who organize trips and events for the erasmus students, which is amazing on the first couple of weeks as it helps students integrate with each other and is

probably the best way for the students to make friends. The first trip organized was to the town of Toledo, about 40 to 50 minutes outside of Madrid, in the Castile-La Mancha province. Toledo is infamously named the "City of Three Cultures" as it is famed for the co-existence of the people of the Muslim, Christian and Jewish religions. Toledo is also a famed town for its metal works and most notably its production of bladed weapons, which, from walking around the city, are now very popular items on sale.

The trip to Toledo was priced at €15. And on the morning of the 15th of

January, the students who were going gathered at the Ministerio de Agricultura, near the Atocha Renfe station. It was an early start at 8:30 am which meant that I had to leave my area of Madrid at 7:30, and pray that the connecting Metro's in which I had to switch at were running on time. I made it there for 8:20-ish and we waited in the cold morning air until 8:50-ish when the bus would arrive. Spain Bus provided the double decker bus that would seat the amount of students going. So in the half-an-hour period we had waiting, it was as you would expect in a group of new people. Everyone glancing around at the new faces, huddled in the groups of the people they knew. 
I can't quite recall who said it to me, but it's a statement I find to be very true: "Making friends as an adult, is probably the hardest thing" and because I was Mr. Billy No-Mates, not knowing anyone at the meeting point, I was nervous

about talking to the people.
The bus journey wasn't so bad and didn't take too long to get from the Atocha meeting area to Toledo. It was quite nice on another note, that when a majority of us arrived at Atocha, it was just coming into the dawn and as we were getting on the bus, the sun started to come up. So it was nice to see that on the first ESN trip. The bus hummed with the sound of people getting to know each other, with a faint sound of people snoring. It was an early start, after all!
We got to Toledo at around 10am. And the sun was up at this stage, so it made the views all that more amazing. 

The first part of the trip consisted of a panoramic view of the canyon that surrounds the town of Toledo. As we drove around the canyon, looking as the sun hit the landscape, the bus driver explained in both Spanish and English the significance and some history surrounding the landscapes, as we drove past. It was quite interesting to see and at one point, the driver let the whole group out to look at and take pictures of the landscape. In the cool air, it was quite amazing to look out at the town, the canyon below and the river cutting through. It was enough time for our individual pictures and an ESN group

picture.
The next part of the trip, the bus driver let us out at the bus rank just outside of the town. After what felt like an endless amount of escalators cutting through the landscape to bring us to the town, we arrived in Toledo. Most people were devoid of breakfast, considering the early start, so the first stop was to the Plaza Zocodova to the McDonalds for a coffee to keep us awake for the day. We were on a 15-minute schedule for the coffee break. Then the tour started. The first stop was the Museo del Ejercito, which was sort of a military museum, showing how the police were uniformed and other stuff related to the law enforcement like weapons and ancient structures. 
Moving on from the Museum, we made our way around the town, to the different neighborhoods, related to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions, the visits of the monarchy and the Pope. The rest of monumental visits included visits to the Synagogue of El Transitio, a 14th century synagogue, the Museo del Greco and then to the grounds of the Santa Iglesia Cathedral, one of the most important Cathedral's in all of Spain. The significance of the architecture and

buildings in Toledo holds a lot of significance in the history of Spain, according to the tour guide. It was really a great experience to see this place. The trip was fantastic as during the walking tour, we would all start talking with each other and making friends. Starting the trip as Billy No-Mates, I ended the trip with Billy With-Mates. 
The rest of the trip consisted of eating pizza with a group of friends, drinking coffee and making friends with the new group of friends, talking about how we all found the trip and what was to be excited for in the semester ahead. I guess making friends on the trip makes this current semester less of a lonely adventure as now there are people to share the experience with, travel with and live the Erasmus life with!

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The new semester has now begun, it's the first week, so we're all walking around a little lost, making sure we're in the right class and confirming the classes we wish to take. It's a great time as well for us students to mingle, take part in integrational activities and make friends!

• Toledo ✔

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This year, keep watch for tips and advice on different tourist topics

Until the next post; Read, Like, Share and Enjoy

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Email: david.keane8@gmail.com

December: Almost New Year!

Hey Guys! It's December 27th! Christmas Day has been and gone and so has Boxing Day. Hope you all had a great holiday, ate lots and drank yourselves silly. New Year is fast approaching and I, for one, am totally excited to check my Facebook and Instagram on the 1st of January to the #NewYearNewMe posts. I might even contribute!
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I began writing this blog post on the 21st, which was last Wednesday. The process began on my flight from Madrid to Dublin, on my way home for the holidays. The day started quite late, to be honest. Waking up late after having a few friends over for some farewell drinks! That turned into a late... or maybe

an early one. But after a late start, packing had to be finished and everything finalized before leaving. The flight was at 17:35 so we left at 15:30 for the metro. Living in the area that we are, it took us the guts of 50 minutes to reach the Terminal 1 station, traveling up line 9 towards Columbia and then switch to line 8 towards the airport. Getting through the airport was simple enough. Once you get off the metro and go through the barriers, you go up the escalator and literally keep walking straight and you'll arrive at the security gate. The lines weren't that tedious either. Simply made it up to the detectors quickly, passed through. However, I was stopped. Random frisk search and all that.
The other side of the security gate, it was then 16:45. After a quick look in the duty-free in the airport, we moved along towards the gate. As usual with Ryanair, the terminal wasn't so close but not incredibly far. Good way to burn

off anything you ate in the morning! We made it to the gate at 17:15, with boarding expected to start soon. In the end, after getting our bags transferred to the holding, we boarded at around 17:45/17:50. Take off time was then, in turn, 6pm. No complaints however, the flight itself was relatively smooth!
We landed in Dublin at around 8pm, Irish time. The disembark was quite quick also. They had us out of the plane not 15 minutes after landing. It was great then to come to Irish Immigration as you could see everyone coming home for Christmas and passing through the border to get onto Irish soil. It was one thing I was excited for, to be back on Irish soil, even if it was for a few days. Baggage claim was quick enough too. Then it was up and out through arrivals. As the doors opened into the public, a choir of singers were caroling outside the door, making the welcome home feel very warm. With no time to ponder the singers or anything else, I walked out to the bus station which was out of the terminal building. From the bus stop, I took the GoBus from Dublin Airport to Galway Coach Station, which took 2.5 Hours exactly. Departing the airport at 9 and arriving at 11:30. At just €20, it was well worth it, with free wifi and charging stations on-board.
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So enough of my day of travelling and more about what I experienced over the past few weeks in Madrid, right?
Since my last post talking about how another month has been in Madrid, its been quite a crazy time with exams starting from the 1st of December. With my few days of freedom, I headed back to Ireland for a few days as I want to ring in the New Year in Madrid and have a little while to myself to do some independent exploration and get some work done.
Over the last month, I mean, as an Erasmus student, it wasn't purely study time

of course. I had to keep enjoying myself and my experience in every aspect possible. The last month or so saw a lot of exciting and amazing experiences. One of the things to happen at the end of November was the release of another movie in my favorite film world: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" as part of the Wizarding World of J.K Rowling. It was, and I dare say, a magical experience. Obviously, going to a movie in Spain, you're hoping the movie will be in English. Thankfully, I found and came upon a theater "Cine Princesa" near the Plaza España and Gran Vía (Line 3 on the Metro). This cinema, you pay €9:20 for the ticket but expecting that it is the original version of the movie in a Spanish theater with Spanish subtitles, it's quite an okay price. The movie itself was fantastic. I grew up watching the Harry Potter series of movies, so with more exploration into J.K Rowling's world of magic, it's safe to say that I am delighted!
More exploration was done throughout Madrid. One of the most therapeutic things to do in Madrid is, considering I have my transport card which works on bus, metro and cercanias train, is to pick a random metro station and to travel and walk around that area. Coming across cool stores or fun things to do. In the past few weeks I've visited and found some nice places which were: Nuñez de Balboa, Puerta de Arganda, Bilbao, Avenida de la Paz, Callao, Goya and

Velazquez. Madrid is a fantastic city to get lost in. No matter which way you go, you're never too far from a metro station. One of the biggest tourism niche markets in Madrid is shopping tourism. The city has a magnificently vast variety of stores from International, national and local brands and retailers. Exploring these or any area randomly, you discover these gems. One of my favorite places to meet with friends is a place called "Casa Parrondo". An Asturian Sidreria. Sidre is a type of apple wine. At first, admittedly, I was apprehensive about the taste of apple wine but the taste, atmosphere, the consistently good company, the friendly waiting staff and FREE TAPAS! As I have stated in many blog posts, food for me is an emotional experience. We went so frequently that the staff put a picture of me and my friends up on their wall, You know, next to the famous people. #Famous

In the last weekend, on of the cool things I went to see was the Christmas Market at Matadores in Legazpi, a former slaughterhouse and now a cinema

center. This was an International market and what was so cool was that it had stalls from all different countries and nations. I'm talking Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Vietnam, Philipines, South Africa, Columbia and so many more! If there was ever a reason to want to travel the world, this market would kickstart it. I filled my belly with Gluhwein, Belgian lager, Danish cookies, Soutg Africa Amarula, Greek pastries and Italian panettone and so much more. There was a stage which displayed dances and artistic pieces of local tradition from different countries.
These were some of the great things I discovered in Madrid over the past month. Writing this, I'm close to finishing my packing to head back to Madrid for another semester! So much more to come. For now, time to enjoy the New Year festivities!
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Italy: Where I Want To Go- Part 2

Following on from my Part 1 post on where I want to travel in Italy, this Part 2 will look at other places I want to travel to in the boot-shaped country. 

As I have stated in my previous post, I have been to Italy once before. Whilst being in Italy in June 2014, I flew into Rome but however I did not stay there. From Rome, I traveled to the Adriatic side of the country to the region of Marche, in the paper-making town of Fabriano. From Fabriano, I traveled to the coastal town of Senigallia and the religious town of Assisi in the Umbria region, bang smack in the middle of Italy. Being in Italy for 2 weeks, I did not travel much within the country, regrettably. I do hope to return to Italy and I wish to travel around and see different places and immerse myself in the culture, art, cuisine and scenery of Italy. Having friends in Italy gives me an added desire to visit the country and the possible insight into places that wouldn't be especially popular. 

In my first post, the three places I wrote about were: Rome, Venice and Genoa. Popular, well known places and destinations I am sure to enjoy. In this post, featured destinations will be: Florence, Naples and the region of Puglia. These are more places I'm anxious to visit also.

Florence:

The City of Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany. Historically, Florence appeals to me as it is said to be the birthplace of the Renaissance and also the home of the Medici family so I am sure these facts enrich the art

culture and history in Florence. Called "The cradle of the Renaissance", Florence boasts many pieces of architectual beauty and heritage sites. There is so much to see and learn about in Florence, I'm incredibly anxious to visit. It is kind of a must-visit place in Italy. Places in Florence I wish to see are:

• Uffizi Gallery: Commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici, a member of the Medici family to display grand works of art. Because of the vast size of the collection that has been gathered from the renaissance era, The gallery boasts so many masterpieces and amazing stamps of history including: Leonardo di Vinci's "The Annunciation", Michaelangelo "Tonto Doni" and Caravaggio's "Bacchus". The most represented and an artist whose work I want to see is Botticelli and his "Primavera" piece of art. 
• Ponte Vecchio: A medieval-stone closed bridge over the River Arno. The
  
  bridge has stalls and stores, which back in medieval times was a common thing. Dating back to 996 in documents, this structure is a big part of Roman history and trade culture. A commemorative statue of Benvenuto Cellini was built in 1900. Benvenuto Cellini was a master sculptor and goldsmith of the area, to this day, the bust of Bevenuto still remains. I think seeing this historic part of medieval Italian trade culture would be incredible.
• Piazza del Duomo: I've heard people talk about the heart of Florence, how amazing it is and anyone who has traveled to Florence that I have spoken to have said the the Piazza del Duomo is worth seeing as you would be in the heart. It is one of the most visited places in Europe and the world. From this piazza, you can access many amazing historic buildings including: Florence Cathedral, Baptistery of St. John, Giotto's Bell Tower and other well known buildings.

Florence is one of the top places on my bucket list for traveling in Italy. It's one of the prominent destinations in Italy and I'm dying to visit!

Naples:

After Milan and Rome, Naples is the third largest city in Italy and the capital of the Campania region in the south east of the country. Like Florence, Naples,

during the Renaissance and also the Enlightenment eras, played an important part in history. In the immediate vicinity of Naples contains a plethora of historic and culturally significant landmarks. The cuisine of Naples is world-renowned. Naples is recorded as the home of pizza and being a coastal city, I'm sure the seafood is quite tasty too! And you know me, food is an emotional experience! Besides the food, I am looking forward to seeing a few sights in Naples:

• Via Caracciolo: A walk along the Mediterranean coast, there is nothing better. According to what I've heard and read, walking along the Via Caracciolo, you are immersed in the cool sea breeze and refreshing Mediterranean sunshine. There is all sorts of street food and vendors in the area also, so dining whilst looking out at the coast sounds very appealing! I really want to take a look down around the Via Caracciolo as it seems very picturesque. And food reasons.
• Catacombe di San Gennaro: These catacombs have been carved out of volcanic debris and rock that form the Naples hills. Rooms and rooms of burial tombs in a labyrinth formation carved out through generations.
• Pompeii and Heculaneum: With Vesuvius on the Gulf of Naples, in ancient
  
  times, these two settlements were ruined by the lava, ash and smoke that came from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Being in the area and not going to see Pompeii and Vesuvius, it's something definitely to see and is on my bucket list.
• Italian Architecture: Like most places that I want to travel in Italy, the infrastructure, design and building of Naples, I feel, will stand out and capture my attention, ten fold. The regular buildings and how they contrast to places like the Castel Nuovo or the Palazzo Capodimonte. The most prominent forms of architecture in Naples is Renaissance and Baroque. I look forward to see all the designs of Naples.
• Food: The birthplace of pizza... That is all.
• Speaking about Napoli, a friend of mine, Giovanni. He said that when he visited the city "the thing that most interested me was the legend about St. Gennero". 18 times a year, for over the past 600 years, the blood miracle or the liquidation of of his blood happens and is one of the only blood miracles to still happen today. Great crowds gather in the Cathedral of Naples to pay homage and be immersed in the holiness of the miracle. Most notably happening on the Saints' Feast Day (September 19). According to Giovanni "If the blood doesn't liquefy, the legend says that a catastrophe is imminent to occur. This is very interesting because all the people, during the ceremony, start screaming and yelling"

Puglia:

Before I continue with my section on Puglia, I want to send my thoughts to the people affected by the train crash that happened in Puglia recently. A tragic thing to happen and affects the Puglia region. 

The heel of the boot. Puglia is a region of Italy in the south of Italy. The Adriatic Sea in the East, the Ionian Sea in the South East and the Gulf of Taranto in the South. Lets be honest, with this many sea's surrounding it, Puglia is said to have some of the best coastal beaches and sights near the sea. Sun holidays are always welcome, right?  Puglia has risen to one of the places I wish to visit in Italy. I've seen pictures of the landscapes and beaches and I've heard some great things about the region from locals and tourist to the region. I'm dying to get there. Some of the places in Puglia I wish to visit are:

• Bari: The capital of Puglia and is on the Adriatic Sea. In the South of Italy, it is the second largest city after Naples. The city of Bari and the surrounding areas contain a weight of history. So many sights and it's a coastal city too. Some of the sights contained in the beautiful Bari are:
• Bari Cathedral
• Swabian Castle
• Pinacoteca Provinciale

Bari, when looking at pictures and research, it becomes so much more appealing the more I see and learn more about it, I just wanna book a flight and go! 

The cuisine of Bari is quite something also to be interested in. A region famous for the likes of olive oil and tomatoes, food like panzerotti and even food like Ragú is famous in the Barese region of Italy. And now I'm hungry...

• Taranto: Reading into Taranto, I was very interested in what it had to offer
  
  and what it's about. Apparently, Taranto is known as the "Spartan City" as it is the only colony formed by the Spartans. Funnily enough, the name for Tarantula spiders comes from Taranto. I might hesitate a bit on going there but I'm quite sure there ain't any in Puglia. The architecture in Taranto is quite unique. Given that it is known as the "Spartan City" I am hoping there will be a bit of Greek influence in the design of buildings. Also situated in Taranto is the Aragon Castle, commissioned by King Ferdinand, which I find interested and would like to seek that. Taranto is also a port city, and is the name of the Gulf. I am excited to visit there, see the beaches and see the unique history.

So far, these are the places in Puglia I wish to visit on my travels, but I'm sure that in time I will have influence and inclination to travel to other parts of the region.

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*Pic Credit: Spalla67. florenceinfermo, paradoxplace, dayofarcheology, weatherforecast365*

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That concludes the second part of my Italian dream destinations that I hope to one day visit. I will be sure to make edits to the information on here, as I plan to get more insight into these three destinations. 

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Bucket List: Luxembourg

Figuring out my travel plans, a lot of places came to my head which I will write about eventually but one that popped up and took a lot of consideration was

Luxembourg. Not many people would be like "Oh I'm off to Luxembourg" or "You know, I'd love to go to Luxembourg" which is what makes it a real intriguing place I'd like to visit. Not as widely popularized like Belgium or The Netherlands in that region in the North West of continental Europe, after researching Luxembourg, it has strongly risen on my bucket list of places to go.

Quick Background

Landlocked in Western Europe, Luxembourg is a country bordered by Belgium, Germany and France. As well as being bordered by three of the more powerful countries in Europe, Luxembourg is one of the three countries along with Belgium and France that make up the capitals for the European Union and the seat for the European Court of Justice.

There are two main regions in Luxembourg, Oesling in the north and the Gutland in the South. Although it has two regions however, it is still a micro-state in Europe. Compared in size to the state of Rhode Island in the US. Ranked as the 8th-least populous country in Europe it still has a government and also a monarchy! In Luxembourg, the monarch is Henri, the Grand Duke.
Luxembourg is also a strong contributor to to favorable integration between countries, being an involved member of organisations like NATO, Benelux, OCED, The EU and the UN, Luxembourg is also quite a strong country for its size.

After all that boring stuff about the background. What is there to do in Luxembourg?!

Luxembourg is quite a historic place to visit. It would be cool to take a look at all the historic places and the architecture. Not a major tourist destination and being landlocked, it wouldn't have massive tourist attractions like Disneyland

• Vianden Castle: One of the largest fortified castles on the west of the
  
  Rhine. A 10th Century castle with more extensions in the 11th and 14th centuries. For architecture lovers, it has a mix of Romanesque and Gothic design. The castle is over 300 metre high and overlooks the river Our. I really want to see this castle and look around. I'm sure, considering it dominates the town of Vianden, it provides an awesome view. (http://www.castle-vianden.lu/english/)
• Hiking: Not known for its terrain, unlike places like Switzerland. But Luxembourg has incredibly unspoiled landscape which is perfect for
  
  hiking and hillwalking. In the north of Luxembourg, it contributes to part of the Ardennes region which contains the highest point in Luxembourg. The landscapes of Luxembourg are as stunning as they are charming. Actually, hiking trails throughout the country that offer so much. Views, villages, ancient ruins. You name it. The best part about this is the ability to stay and hike, which makes for amazing adventure tourism within Luxembourg. Where to look for these hiking trips:
• http://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/what-to-do/nature-tours/hiking-luxembourg
• http://www.mullerthal-trail.lu/en/hiking-tours
• Different Famous Buildings: Luxembourg has a monarchy, which could mean really nice buildings and Luxembourgish architectural design. It would be real cool to see places like The Palace of the Grand Dukes, Altstadt Vianden, the Chateux de Clervaux and other majestically constructed buildings. Luxembourg also has some ancient ruins and old buildings that would make cool pictures and I'm looking forward to see.

Those are just three of the things to do in Luxembourg. But how would you get to Luxembourg?

Luxembourg is served by Luxembourg Findel Airport which caters for airlines such as:

• British Airways (Heathrow)
• easyJet (Lisbon, Gatwick, Milan, Porto)
• HOP! (Lyon)
• Luxair (Barcelona, Dublin,Geneva, Hamburg, Madrid, Nice, Prague, Stockholm, Vienna and many more)
• Turkish Airline (Istanbul)

The cheapest way to get to Luxembourg is to fly to either  Charleroi or Frankfurt Hahn airport and from there, take a Flibco bus to Luxembourg, Bus tickets can be quite cheap if you book in advance, you do have to book online though.

*Pic Credit: (Flagpedia.net, datuopinion.com, shootandscrawl.com, lcto.lu, luxair.lu)

Thats my ideal trip to Luxembourg and what I'd like to see and few ideas for you guys if you're planning a trip away. If you guys want more information, leave a comment below or drop me an email at: david.keane8@gmail.com 

Be sure to follow and like on Instagram @Davidcandykeane

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Heading Back To Spain

So in March I went on a trip with my class to Madrid which can be read about in my earlier posts. It was honestly such a good trip. I was in awe of the beauty of Madrid and how unique it was. I tried a lot of new things and had some pretty amazing experiences (Falling in love with calamares, seeing a park with two

lakes, dancing salsa and other amazing things).
Coming back from 4 days in Madrid was quite sad but I mean, I had rubbed the foot of the El Oso y el Madroño so I knew that eventually I would return to Madrid. It was some place that was amazing in itself but perfect to use as a base to travel to other places. It has a metro, amazing world class attractions and WARM WEATHER!! which is difficult to come by in Ireland. So travelling to the airport, going on the metro, boarding the flight and leaving was no a real happy moment.
Back to reality, it was back to the day in- day out slug of going to college, working and coming home. Don't get me wrong, I love college and love studying tourism but routine can be lethal! 
About two weeks after we arrived back from Madrid, the lecturer who brought us to Madrid, came to me and a few other of my classmates and offered us an amazing opportunity. Do our second year of college in Spain. Of course I jumped at the chance to go! The three of us were given the options: Seville, Malaga, Murcia, Alicante, Valencia and Madrid. Some of which I had never been before. It was difficult to decide between the cities and universities.
The following day however, we were told that Madrid had sparked interest in accepting us for the Erasmus program. The University de Rey Juan Carlos is a

incredible college in which a couple of my Spanish friends. Looking back at pictures from Madrid the first time I went, I became increasingly excited to go to these places again and have Spanish food every day!
The applications have been submitted and fingers crossed they come back with 100% assurances of us going (Otherwise this post was pointless) but moving to Spain for a year should be a really amazing experience. While I am in Madrid, I plan to go on trips and travel more so that I can get more tourism experience and also have loads of content to write and amazing pictures!
Places in Spain I want to travel to while in Spain:

• Galicia: The region in the North West of the country above Portugal. A friend lives there and it seems like a really cool coastal place to live.
• Grenada: Down the South of Spain. A historically enriched part of Spain and it's down south so it'll be warm.
• Cadiz
• Seville
• Murcia
• Bilbao
• Santander
• Barcelona
• Valladolid
• Salamanca

Besides travelling domestically, I hope to travel abroad on trips also to a few countries. For example;

• Portugal- It's super close to Spain, so why not!
• Switzerland
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Gibraltar
• Andorra
• France

Spain should be an amazing experience for me and I encourage anyone in university to do an Erasmus year. Be spontaneous and travel!

"If Adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal!"

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Itinerary: Sligo

1 Getting There and Getting Around

Sligo is situated in the north west of Ireland. It has a bus route that goes and comes to Ireland West Airport Knock, an International Airport Servicing Ireland, Britain, Portugal, Spain and Italy. It also has a bus link to Donegal, Cork, Derry, Belfast, Galway and Dublin. Being so easily accessible to Dublin and Belfast, there are adequate transport links from Dublin Airport and Belfast International Airport, each serving a large range of destinations including a majority of Europe and USA.

Sligo also has a train station. The line solely goes between Sligo and Dublin. Right next to the train station however, is the bus depot. In Sligo town, pedestrian transport is common as everything is within walking distance. All over town also there are bus stops. From each stop, it is possible to travel to areas in Sligo like Strandhill and Rosses Point.

2 Where to Stay

Sligo has many nice places to visit. And with that, has many nice places to stay. Some area recommended to visit on your stay to Sligo are:

• Strandhill: Strandhill is a coastal area of Sligo that has amazing scenery, nice restaurants and a lovely beach. It's a must see place when in Sligo. Places to stay in Strandhill:
• Strandhill Lodge and Suites Hotel- http://strandhilllodgeandsuites.ie/
• Shearwater House- A nice B&B near Strandhill

• Rosses Point: Is the guard to Sligo Harbour and offers amazing scenery of the coast and has some important historic and literary tourism areas. The summer home of W.B. Yeats and the site of the 3 wrecked Spanish Armada boats from 1588. Rosses Point is not a big area. But places to stay are:
• Radisson Blu Hotel Sligo- https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-sligo
• Kintogher B&B
• Enniscrone: Enniscrones beach is a significant area to Enniscrone. It's seen many tourists throughout the years (myself included) and has also seen an airplane surf it's wave, making international news. It's a beautiful region of Sligo. Places to stay are:
• Waterfront House- http://waterfronthouse.ie/
• Diamond Coast Hotel- http://www.diamondcoast.ie/
• Ocean Sands Hotel- http://www.theoceansandshotel.ie/
• Sligo Town: The centre of activity in Sligo with some nices places to see, nice shops and the place where you'll arrive to. There are some nice places to stay in Sligo town:
• The Glasshouse Hotel: http://www.theglasshouse.ie/
• The Riverside Hotel: http://www.riversidesligo.ie/
• The Sligo Park Hotel: http://www.sligoparkhotel.com/
• Clarion Hotel: http://www.clarionhotelsligo.com/
• Great Southern: http://www.greatsouthernhotelsligo.ie/
• Harbour House Hostel: http://harbourhousehostel.com/

3 Things to Do

Sligo is a beautiful, history enriched place to visit. The historical significance of some things in Sligo still resonates today. 

• Sligo Gaol: Although not yet opened. Sligo Gaol is a significant part of
  history as it played a role in shaping the people of political importance who have become famous to us in Ireland.
• The Model Arts Centre: In here, you will see a lot of art on exhibition. One of the main artists on display is Jack. B Yeats. The brother of W.B Yeats, the famed poet. The art is one of a kind and is part of the Niland exhibition.
• Knocknarea: This provides a cool mixture of exercise and history. Knocknarea is where Queen Medb of Connaught is said to be buried, like a lot of places in Ireland. Symbolized by the cairn on the top. The views from Knocknarea are one of a kind.
• Yeats' Grave: Out in an area called Drumcliff sits the area of Yeats' grave. Jill Barber owns a nice tearoom and is the curator for this site. It is fascinating and a must visit.

Other things to do:

• Surf: Out in Strandhill is the perfect place to go surfing. Should you not be a good surfer, Strandhill Surf School lies on the shore. The beach has many nice sand dunes and amazing scenery out to the ocean. Many nice
  eateries lace the shoreline too.
• Benbulbin: Another mountain to climb in Sligo is Benbulbin. This mountain gives probably one of the best views of Sligo I've ever witnessed and is definitely worth a climb.
• Carrowmore Megalithic Tombs: These tombs date back to ancient history of Irish ancestors. The guides are super imformed about the sites and the way they are preserved is amazing.
• Lough Gill: Out at lough Gill. You get a real nice scenic view. Make your way and maybe you can go SUPing out on the water. SUPing in Lough Gill is probably the best experience I've had in Sligo.

4 Places to Eat

There are a lot of nice places to eat in Sligo. It's always hard when you're in the centre of the town and have to decide where to eat cause there are so many good restaurants and cafés. For example:

• The Belfry
• Café Fleur
• Rugantino's
• Fabbrica
• Ealá Bán
• Fiddlers
• A Casa Mia
• The Glasshouse Hotel
• The Swagman Bar
• Grappa
• The Embassy

These are just some of the nice places in Sligo town to eat. As for going out for a drink, here are some nice bars:

• McGarrigles
• Shoot The Crows
• The Snug
• Garavogue
• Fifth on Teeling

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Sligo is a really nice part of Ireland to visit and when it's busy, has a real nice atmosphere and makes for a good time. Spending a couple of days in Sligo will not be disappointing!

Any comments welcome!

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