#86 Staycation Ireland

This will be the first in a series about some Irish destinations and what they have to offer! Since I am Irish myself I would like to be considered an expert and therefore any advice and information I provide will be infallible.

I'm going to suggest that some people take a 'stay-cation' here in Ireland, or if you're from another country perhaps you could just plain old vacation here. I don't want to brag, but we are pretty great. I mean, sure. We're kind of expensive, and the weather isn't great. But we have a lot of other great things going on, I can assure you, and you will find out throughout this dynamic and exciting series of articles!

If it rains, you can always buy some fancy raincoats and umbrellas and wellington boots.  Really make the bad weather work for you and your style! Okay I'll admit I'm clutching at straws here. . .but when you're visiting it mightn't even rain, last year we had some very hot weather and blue skies! Realistically it most likely will rain at some point, but there's always a chance it won't! You should hold out on that hope while packing your raincoat and umbrella. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst!


Quick note: The word 'stay-cation' actually annoys me, because it's a bastardization of the word 'vacation', which is a word we don't use here in Ireland. We're familiar with the meaning from American movies and TV shows, but we use the word 'holiday' instead. So really the word 'staycation' don't make much sense here.


At the end of every article I'm going to put in the following links to some Irish tourism websites, so if you're seriously interested you can get some information from the professionals.
DiscoverIreland.ie
VisitDublin.com
Ireland.com
CulturalTourismIreland.ie

This video is a little cringey because it only shows 'old and natural' Ireland. That is a large part of Ireland, but don't worry we have cities and shops and nightclubs too.

#85 Summertime Sadness

There is arguably nothing worse than when all your family, friends, neighbours, co-workers and casual acquaintances all go on holiday and you're left sitting at home. Summer is peak season for that, and while I have been dreaming about going somewhere - the reality now appears to be that I will not be going anywhere for the months of May, June, July or August.

Sarcasm. It's great!

I do have plans to visit a friend in London in Autumn, and I can be happy in the knowledge that it won't be too hot, there will be less crowds and prices will generally be cheaper. However, holding out over the summer will be tough, very tough, and I fear I am already starting to feel that mixture of jealousy and hopelessness creeping under my skin as I hear friends talking about booking their own trips.

Last summer the weather in Ireland was unusually good, and those who were left at home laughed with glee at those who had wasted money on a sun holiday to Spain where it rained for a week. The problem for me is that even if that happens again this year, I hate hot weather and I would never book a sun holiday to anywhere.

The main issues that have resulted in my lack of holiday plans are; (a) I have no one to go with: Everyone appears to have already made plans with someone else, to go somewhere else, to do something else - and I am not invited to the party (b) Insufficient funds: While I do have savings I could dip in to, I am dictated by prices as to where I can go and for how long (c) Lack of options: I am recently craving a trip to Eastern Europe - The Western Europeans dream! Prices are insanely cheap and the countries have a lot to offer. Getting there is a problem, and from Ireland it is either very difficult or very expensive - defeating the purpose of the insanely cheap prices when you get there. Eugh.

So, is anyone else starting to feel this summertime sadness, or is it just me? I plan to spend the summer saving up money and planning a holiday to end all holidays in the Autumn, but in reality I will likely spend more time creeping on Facebook and begrudging everyone else's good time, whilst simultaneously questioning how much money they spent on it and how exactly they are able to afford it.

Sad owl understands my pain

#84 The Travel Show + Instagram

I have been absent from the radio sphere for the past two weeks, but I will be making a triumphant comeback this Tuesday 8th April at 12pm (GMT).

Tune in for some big things!

www.ulfm.ie/listen/

Also travel-related, I've started uploading some of my old photographs from Japan, Sweden and Europe on my Instagram account. I promise there's not a selfie in sight!

instagram.com/philippabrennan

#83 The Travel Show 11/3 - New York

Last week I was discussing fabulous New York city with self-proclaimed expert Tom Horan.

Listen back here:

The Travel Show 11-3-14 by Ulfm on Mixcloud

#82 Spring!

So here we are in March, the days are getting longer, blue skies are creeping in, daffodils are blooming. . .and it's time to get booking those summer holidays!

The key is to book early and book in advance, which means you need to get your family/friends together and fight out where you want to go this summer (or alternatively, if you have no money you can start planning a nice trip in the autumn instead, when prices are likely to go down.)

While deciding where to go, there are a few places you could look, for example if you're booking independently then the low cost or sale prices for some airlines, while websites like TripAdvisor are also great for telling you what kinds of things are there to do.

You also need to be realistic, while you might be imagining a paradise in your head, the reality is likely to be very different. Sun holidays attract all kinds of people, however you are more likely to find big families and unruly children running wild.

Left; island paradise Bora Bora, and Right; a packed beach in Salou, Spain

I would also say not to be afraid to go somewhere different, and just because it is summer doesn't mean you need to go on a sun holiday, and sit by the pool all day. The weather in Europe is gorgeous during the summer, and a city break could be the answer for someone looking for something a little more exciting, while still getting a good tan out sightseeing.

While it is blatantly obvious for most people to book everything separately online, there are still Travel Agents in business and they could be something to consider. Although they are likely to be more expensive this isn't always the case (especially in group bookings of 10+), and most [all?] of these companies are bonded so you will be refunded if there are any issues.

#81 The Travel Show Podcast 25/2

This week, discussing Amusement parks with special guest Luke Hogg!

The Travel Show 25 Feb 14 by Ulfm on Mixcloud

We discussed some of our favourite theme parks, including places in America and Japan, and parks like Six Flags and Disneyland.

Also in the show we had 'Tuesday's Travel Trivia' where you have 5 hints and have to guess where we're talking about, our top Irish Destination of the Week, and some top tips for the best amusement park experience!

#80 The Travel Show Podcast - Russia

This is a topical destination considering the Winter Olympics are now on, but it's also very contentious considering the issues with gay and LGBT rights. Personally, I am an advocate of gay rights, and I think the treatment in Russia is extreme. However, I am conflicted because Russia is a country I have wanted to visit for years now. Would the issues with LGBT rights affect your decision to visit Russia?

If you're going from Ireland, you can get return flights from Dublin to Moscow for about €250, and you will also need a visa. This takes about 20 days (so plan ahead!) and costs €60.

To listen back, go here;

The Travel Show 18-2-14 by Ulfm on Mixcloud

#79 Japan: It's the small things

This is a list of interesting things that I noticed/happened to me in the four months while I was living in Tokyo. I gradually added to it while I was there, meant to do something with it, and forgot. I've just read through it, and just over a year later, I'd forgotten quite a few of them! So here you are: some of my unedited musings.

• I saw a weasel the other day climbing on a telephone wire

• I saw a granny on a moped

• I saw a man holding his daughters hand and walking her halfway to the school gate, then her walking backwards waving to him until she got to the front door.

• The cars don't stop for the green man they just keep going. . .

• First day as a teacher in Junior High School and I'm asked do I have a boyfriend

• I'm not saying they push you out of the way to get off the train. . but they kinda do

• The supermarket fish section. . .so much fish. . .lots of fish with heads on, lots of octopus and squid (both tentacles and the whole thing) lots of whole shrimp and prawns. . .not for the faint hearted (or the vegan)

• Book off has 100 yen manga books. 98% of these contain porno. One series had 35 books in all. Each book had sexual position diagrams halfway through.

• I've seen children aged 5 at most walking home from school alone

• They shout things at you both outside and inside the shop

• Some elementary schools had unicycles for the students

• Japanese girls love cats. It is a country that applauds crazy cat ladies

• Japanese dogs are awesome. No mongrel or labrador in sight. More like poodles (both toy and regular) chihuahuas, pomeranians, and akitas.

• Japanese insects make a lot of noise. It can be deafening outside at first.

• You will probably not get groped on a train. Or have your underwear stolen

• In summer, you will get really sweaty. You'll think "It's not even that hot today" and you will be sweating from your forehead, back of your neck, back, stomach etc. Basically everywhere

• Some dude came up to me on the street, told me he spoke English, said he was single and went in to kiss me

• I saw a guys head get caught in the doors of a train

• They all have their phones on the trains, a lot read too but they all have covers on their books so you don't know what they're reading

• The trains all play funky little tunes before the doors close, each station has a different tune

• The subway has barriers and gates up around it, presumably so you cant fall down. The trains don't have this

• They all wear masks to prevent spread of infection

• They don't tend to wear raincoats, instead they just use umbrellas

• They love crocs

• They pour water or something where their dogs pee on the street. And they pick up the poo!

• Businessmen eat really fast at lunch

• A high percentage of manga (comics) are just porn

• There is often very little discipline in Japanese junior high schools

• Cat cafes are a real thing

• I ate a fish (including the head) as part of school lunch the other day

• The Japanese aren't so good at simplifying - you either speak fluent Japanese or no Japanese.

• They're too polite - I went in a shop and I thought it closed at 9pm, but at 9.05pm the staff were still walking around greeting people so I assumed it was open longer - it wasn't - they were too polite to mention it was closing. Then at 9.10pm there's an awkward encounter when they try politely explain "it's a little late" or something along those lines

• Japan is great!

A very rare picture of me, in my apartment, in Japan

#78 Weather Forecasts

When you are travelling anywhere the weather is imperative. Not only does it affect what activities you engage in, or what sights you see, it also means feeling miserable when you are either wet/cold/sunburnt. Plus your pictures will almost certainly turn out awful, grey skies make even the nicest view look dull, and you'll probably not be in picture perfect mode either.

Of course it's unavoidable and unfortunate if it happens to be raining or in the middle of a heatwave when you arrive at your target destination - but planning is also vital. For some countries, the weather can be anticipated depending on what season you go. So for example, if travelling to Sweden in Winter you can assume it will be snowing and very cold, or if you go to Japan in the Summer, you can expect it to be very, very hot. But for some countries, like Ireland, the weather can be hard to predict regardless of season.

Out of habit, the national weather services are always where I would go to for the most accurate and trustworthy weather information on a country. I am wary of the internet and it's vast amounts of wisdom, and I guess that the national website will probably be the most detailed and reliable.

However, in Ireland The Irish Meteorological Service (Met Eireann) website is something that has been annoying me for quite a while. While many national weather service websites are helpful and detailed, this website provides you with as little information as possible. It is irritatingly vague in comparison to many other websites of this kind.

For example, if I go to the Met Eireann website and look at forecasts for the Dublin area, it will tell me that today it will be raining, and the same for tomorrow.

Photo: Vague information on the Met.ie website

If you type the words 'Dublin forecast' or something similar into Google, you get a combined result from different weather websites. This gives you a much more detailed breakdown of the expected temperature, wind and rain for 3 hour intervals.

Photo: Detailed weather breakdown from Google

Comparing the Met.ie website versus the information from Google, you see quite a difference. Met has told us that it will be raining today. If you go to Google though, it tells us that there is only a 10% chance of rain for late afternoon, and 0% chance of rain for the night.

Wondering what the weather is like in Stockholm? Let's check the SMHI, Sweden's Meteorological service: 

From this you can see the website is available in both English and Swedish - and is also quite detailed - giving you information for every few hours. 

Similarly, the JMA, Japan's Meteorological service, has detailed information in both Japanese and English about the weather, as well as earthquake and tsunami information.

JMA website

Met Eireann give more detailed weather information after the 9pm news on our national tv station, RTÉ. I can't see why this information can't be put on the website too. When I was in Sweden I had no TV, and I couldn't figure how to make mine work properly in Japan. Providing weather information once a day via television is simply not a feasible idea, and Met Eireann have to update their website in keeping with the needs of both the Irish people and visitors to Ireland.

#77 Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone happy travels over the festive period!

This is a photo flashback to January this year, when I moved to Sweden

#76 India: The Travel Show

The main issue I have with going on holiday to somewhere like India, is the fact that it is so far away from Ireland. Return flights at the moment are about €500 cheapest to Mumbai or New Delhi. This is actually quite cheap considering the distance, but it's still €500 before you even pay for accommodation or entertainment or anything else. But then again, these are all very cheap!

So I'm posed with a problem: travel within Europe for flights under €100, but where accommodation and food is more expensive, or travel outside Europe, where flights are more expensive, but everything else is cheaper. Destinations outside Europe are also usually more drastic and exciting for someone who lives within Europe.

But anyway, before we start discussing India, here's a map to help you, so you won't get confused. I don't think it is likely that someone would visit both Kolkatta and Mumbai for example, as they are quite far apart (a 3hr flight), and these are just a few ideas for each place in India. There are hundreds of things to do near each of these cities if you do your homework!

India Map

New Delhi

This is the capital city, so it is where you can expect to find a lot of stuff, such as;

Askhardham Temple

Lotus Temple

Varanasi and the Ganges River

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, which is accessible by train by New Delhi. From what I've heard, these trains are INSANE cheap,  possibly under €10 for a first class ticket! They take about 3 hours, and from the train station there it's about 15mins by bus.

If you want to listen back to the show, please go here: www. ulfm.ie/listen-back

#75 Croatia: The Travel Show

Unfortunately Croatia is still just a place on the list to visit for my great travels! When I was studying in Sweden I met some fantastic Croatians and they definitely encouraged me to visit their country, as well as telling me some great information.

From my experience, Croatia isn't one of the most famous countries so, if you're not sure, it's situated right across the Adriatic sea from Italy. Here's a map to help you out.

Croatia

The currency is the Kuna (pronounced a bit like 'ko-na' I think) and the exchange rate is about 7.5kn to €1. Croatia in Croatian language is 'Hrvatska', so that's why you'll sometimes see abbreviations like 'HRV' or 'HRK'. It's a cheap country in terms of prices, especially in comparison to the rest of Europe, but be careful as the recent surge in tourism along the coast means prices there for hotels, bars and restaurants are much higher, especially during the summer.

The capital city is Zagreb, which is located in the North. However, it is coastal cities such as Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik that are raising the profile of the country and bringing most of the tourists. 

Politically, Croatia is a young country, having been formed after the break up of Yugoslavia in 1991. It only entered the European Union earlier this year.

Dubrovnik, in the far south, is an ancient city which reminds me of places like Greece or Turkey. It has recently rose to fame in TV show Game of Thrones, in which some scenes were filmed here. 

Dubrovnik

Zadar has an airport, and is a likely place to fly into. There is a 'sea organ', in which waves crashing into the harbour makes tunes like an organ, and nearby is colorful a light up display built into the ground. I found a video on YouTube which demonstrates both better than words: Zadar Sea Organ

Croatia is becoming popular with party goers and young people, because alcohol prices are much cheaper than Ireland or the UK, and clubs often stay open until sunrise during the summer. The hot weather and clear seas make it popular with those looking for a cheap sun holiday, but Croatia has a lot to offer in terms of cultural capital and indigenous activities.

Blue Cave, located on the island of Bisevo

Also important to note, travel is cheap between neighbouring countries Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, so a visit to Croatia doesn't have to just be a visit to Croatia, you could make it a wider travelling experience.

You can get flights with Ryanair to Zadar, and travel within the country is cheap, but I've been told that some buses (especially local transport) aren't air conditioned, so it can get a little stuffy in the soaring temperatures!

This article is linked to my radio show - The Travel Show. However, due to technical issues there is no recording available for this particular show. You can still go to the website and check out previous shows though. www.ulfm.ie/listen-back/ 

#74 France: The Travel Show

I have been to Paris four times. Once during Halloween with a youth group when I was 11, again with my family for New Years when I was about 13, with a youth group at Halloween again when I was 14, and then during Easter on a school tour when I was 16.

Shamefully, I have never been outside Paris, and I have a keen interest in returning to France, this time without a visit to the capital. I think this is probably an issue for the country - tourists fly in to Paris, stay a few days, see the major sights, and leave. France is quite a large country with a lot to offer, and I am embarrassed to have been there so many times without seeing the rest of the country.

Paris, and the Eiffel Tower

That being said, Paris is a really beautiful city. Some say the French (and in particular Parisians) are rude, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and say that I had a wonderful time there each time I visited. Since it uses Euro it is convenient for the Europeans out there, and although prices aren't cheap and a tiny coffee could cost you €6 or more in one of the quaint cafés, it isn't too unreasonable if you know where to look.

The most obvious highlights in Paris include the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, Louvre Museum and Disneyland. Although Disneyland has been criticized for being an eyesore etc etc, I think it is a magical place to visit on a day out, especially if there are children or young people involved. It's impossible not to have a good time there!

Halloween decorations at Disneyland Paris

I'm not sure if things have changed much in the past 5 or so years, but the lines to go up the Eiffel Tower used to be a massive pain - you just had to line up and wait to get in. Newer attractions like SkyTree in Tokyo have a system where you buy a ticket straight away and are given a time, one or 2 hours, to return, and then you can go almost straight up without hours of queueing. Hopefully they have brought in a similar system in Paris! Also, for anyone who thinks walking it could be fun (or because the wait is shorter for the stairs than for the elevator) it's very tiring and takes a lot longer than what you think.


One of the really cool places outside Paris is Mont Saint Michel. Basically, it's like a really old town and castle built on a little island. It reminds me of something from Lord of the Rings! You can easily get to Mont St Michel from Paris, either using a day tour operator (expensive but convenient) or going yourself by getting a train and then a bus. You can get there in about 3 hours or so. I haven't been there, but since I discovered it (embarrassingly, only last year) I can't wait to visit it.

Mont Saint Michel

France also has a lot of nice lovely and quaint villages and towns, and the further south you go, you can also find some really warm weather and gorgeous beaches.

Since I am in Ireland, I have two options to get to France, I can fly to Paris and then get a train or bus, or I can get the ferry to somewhere like Cherbourg, and then go from there. France has an excellent train network, and also buses which take longer but are often much cheaper.

This article is linked to my student radio show - The Travel Show. To listen back on the show (originally aired 4th October) click here http://www.ulfm.ie/week-4-listen-back/#tabs-1701-0-4

#73 The Travel Show on ULFM

I have a show on my student radio, called The Travel Show. Every Friday I take a city, country or region and discuss some of the highlights. Since I won't be doing any travelling over the next few months, I'm instead going to cover some of the same topics on my show as on the blog - linking them in.

My first show last week was a general introduction and asking for some favourite holiday destinations, and then last Friday I discussed Poland. Next week I have a show about France, and then up until Christmas I'll be talking about a few destinations, which will definitely Sweden and Japan, so watch out!

You can listen in from anywhere on Friday's at 11am (GMT) on www.ulfm.ie.

You can also listen back to previous shows a few days later on the same website.

27/9 Poland: http://www.ulfm.ie/week-3-listen-back/#tabs-1645-0-4

You can also like the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ulfmtravel