(April 29, 2014) - Growing up in Manhattan, I’ve seen my fair share of wealth.  From the bags and clothes kids wore in high school, to the paintings in friend’s homes by artists you learn about in art school, to weekends in the Hamptons.  But after visiting Marbella in Andalusia, I have experienced a new – or at least comparable – level of wealth.

First off, let me say that my stay in Marbella didn’t kick off with this impression.  I checked into a hostel / guesthouse that had paper thin walls (could hear people speaking in normal voices in other rooms), had communal bathrooms that were either clogged or had no toilet paper (and no sink!), and the sink in my room was completely broken.  So while I could have roughed it and stuck it out at least for one night, I said f*** that and luckily found a room at the NH Marbella that my mom had stayed in a few months ago.  Perfectly fine hotel, but in the middle of nowhere I later found out.

Before experiencing the fancy Marbella, I explored the old town, which was full of souvenir shops, tapas restaurants (TIP:  have the tapa with baked eggplant with goat cheese, tomato and pesto – at Casa Lola).  The long stretch of beach is public and you can make yourself comfy anywhere you’d like – but you are able to rent beach chairs for about 6 Euro if you’d like.  You can also rent the coolest freakin’ boats I’ve ever seen that have slides attached for fun in the sea!

The beaches are beautiful and span the coast of Marbella.

Visiting in the shoulder season, I was about a week too early to visit the renowned beach clubs with drinking, dining, and partying all day (and all night), and the city itself was relatively quiet.  But I wanted to see what the “Marbella” I had heard of was all about so I hopped a taxi to Puerto Banus – the land of luxury.

Puerto Banus is a port where the rich and famous show off their yachts, enjoy meals (with a ‘cover charge’ of being on the water) and shopping at the equivalent of Worth Avenue in Palm Beach or Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, only the best.  In case the massive yachts aren’t enough, you will also see a parade of luxury vehicles driving down the streets (which are very walkable) from Ferrari to Bentley and everything in between.  

TIP:  You should definitely come by and experience Puerto Banus even if it is just a walk around the port to check out the yachts and do some people watching.  But if you walk on the second street behind the port, you will find much more reasonably priced places to grab a bite like fish & chips or pizza.  This is also the street with bars / pubs (with lots of people sitting outside watching football in the early evening and lots of partying late in the night).

ASHFORD CASTLE
Ashford Castle is now used as a five-star hotel and only paying guests are allowed inside.  But the outside is beautiful (there is a lake for fishing and a golf course on the castle grounds), and I definitely have ‘sleeping in a castle’ on my bucket list now!    

BLARNEY CASTLE
Blarney – the castle and the stone – is a must-see for any tourist in Ireland.  The story of the Blarney Stone is debated, but the outcome is the same.  Upon kissing the stone (really a piece of the castle wall), you are given the gift of gab / the ability to have enlightened conversation.  Blarney Castle also has beautiful gardens including a poison garden that has some of the world’s deadliest plants.    

DUNGUAIRE CASTLE
This was just a quick stop during one of our drives on my three-day tour because it is so well preserved.  The castle itself isn’t open to the public unless you have a dinner reservation for one of their Celtic Feasts.  The fun fact about this castle is that if you walk backwards around the perimeter of the castle three times, you are supposed to regain your virginity.

ROCK OF DUNMASE
Only ruins remain of what must have been a giant castle.  While there isn’t much to see, this was actually my favorite castle because the partially-intact ruins leave much to the imagination – and they are fun to climb on!

DUBLIN CASTLE
Located right in the heart of the city center, Dublin Castle is an easy and interesting way to spend 1-2 hours while exploring Dublin.    Built in the early 13th century, Dublin Castle was originally the center of British rule in Ireland, but now the space is used for the Irish government.  

TIP:  For those of us who don’t have access to getting behind a bar and pouring the perfect pint, you can still get the right pour from a can::  To pour the perfect pint from a can of Guinness, open the can and place the pint glass on top.  Then, flip upside down and slowly remove the can as the beer fills the glass

(April 28, 2014) - Yea… so this happened.  I had Marta’s apartment keys while she was at work my last day in London.  I spent the whole day walking and exploring and finally got home to take a shower and take advantage of her washing machine (score!).  After my shower, most of my clothes were in the wash so I was just chilling in my underwear and sweatshirt, checking my flight information for the next leg of my trip (Spain).

Around 7:30 I hear Marta buzz the front door to the building (picture a brownstone or townhouse where there is a front door and then an apartment on each floor).  Since she lives on the ground floor, about 10 feet from the front door I figured I’d just run over quickly in my underwear to let her in.  So I did.  But her apartment door closes automatically and seconds later, before I could run back and catch the door, it closed!  Yup.  Locked out barefoot, wet hair and in my underwear.

Marta graciously gave me her cropped jacket to wear as I wiggled my sweatshirt down into a skirt (totally invented a new fashion statement) as she started yelping and calling local locksmiths.  (Literally the night before I was asking her what would happen if she got locked out and she said nobody has an extra key so she’d be screwed).  Ugh.  I felt awful!

As I awkwardly sat on the steps in the building but outside her apartment, Marta ran to find an ATM so we could pay the locksmith.  She came back with a full wallet and a full bottle of wine.  We then sat.  And drank.  And sat.  And then the locksmith arrived!

I don’t want to share how much we ended up spending on the locksmith (I hate the pound!) but now Marta has 3 sets of keys, a brand new lock and a funny store to tell to scare future guests from leaving the apartment without keys, a doorstop and pants.

There’s a place in Ireland that escapes many tour books – perhaps to preserve its authenticity, perhaps because the draw of places like Galway and the Cliffs of Moher are known attractions.  The town is called Cobh (pronounced “Cove”) and it is the most picturesque and quaint place I visited in Ireland.  To be fair, there are some cruise ships that stop in Cobh, but it isn’t the type of place that is inundated with tourists on a daily basis.

Cobh is known for being the last port the Titanic visited before its tragic demise, and there is a small Titanic museum commemorating it.  But other than that, it is a pretty non-touristy destination filled with pubs, ice cream shops and restaurants.

1)  Quaint, storybook shops and pubs along the main streets make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale

2)  The magnificent St. Colman’s Cathedral on a hill overlooking the town that is enormous, especially compared to the small size of Cobh

3)  Ireland’s version of Alcatraz is Spike Island, just off the coast of Cobh.  Unfortunately there were no tours while I was there, but it would have been very cool to see.

4)  The apparent love for Cobh’s local celebrity Jamie Stanton, a contestant on Ireland’s version of “The Voice”

5)  The Titanic Memorial Museum ("Titanic Experience Cobh) commemorating the last port the ship made before disaster struck which is located in the original White Star Line ticket office

6)  The colorful homes dotted up and down the hilly streets

(April 27, 2014) - New Yorkers may have their brunch (I should know… www.brunchuponatime.com), but in London, there is something else that feeds locals with food and drink on a Sunday afternoon:  the roast.  Traditionally, the Sunday roast is served at pubs and includes roasted meat, roasted (or mashed) potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy, and veggies.  As an added bonus, a highly anticipated football (soccer) game happened to be on, and watching is also a big part of the local experience.  

After spending much of the morning wandering the city – another lucky sunny day – we ended up at The Water Poet for the roast, which is a huge pub in East London with at least six different rooms, each with its own unique vibe.  Half the rooms are indoors and half are outside – and there are televisions all over.

Really an awesome bar and a great time!  The only negative is that you can only order drinks and food from the main bar in the front room (unless you are in the seated dining room), which means walking in front of the football enthusiasts who are parked by the largest screen in the whole bar.  (Good luck maneuvering through them without spilling a drop if something good or bad happens in the game!).

Breakfast at Queen of Tarts – try the smoked Irish salmon with scrambled eggs.  It comes with homemade toasted soda bread and delicious red pepper jelly on the side.  The food is delicious - and on the healthier side, the service is great, and the cozy, homey décor is a nice way to ease into a day of touring and exploring.  30-45 minutes

Cross the street from Queen of Tarts and visit the Dublin Castle.  For 4.5 Euros, you can explore the grounds on your own or take an hour-long guided tour which will provide context to the rooms you walk through and give access to the undercroft – the subterranean chamber from the original Viking castle in the 10th century!  I think the tour is worth it, and you can always break off and wander on your own.  1-1.5 hours

Right next to the castle is the Chester Beatty Library, a museum dedicated to human creative expression that showcases the texts, rare books, paintings, and more from the personal collection of Sir Chester Beatty, a native New Yorker (born in 1875) who loved to travel and collect art and books from around the world, ultimately settling in Ireland and building his own library.  Entry is free and I enjoyed the current exhibits (Arts of the Book and Sacred Traditions) as well as the beautiful garden out front.  1 hour or less

I thought there were a lot of coffee shops in New York, but after a day in Dublin, I may have to reconsider.  I passed blocks with three, even four different coffee spots to choose from.  So my recommendation for the afternoon is to pick one, grab a coffee and then walk through the Trinity College campus and/or go fo.  

After being re-energized by the coffee, take a stroll along Grafton street for [window] shopping and people watching.  Some stores I recommend on or around Grafton Street:  

• Sporting goods: Elverys Sports which carries local and imported brands at fair prices and has very good service.  
  
• Clothing:  River Island is what I consider a nicer H&M or similar to Zara - good quality, less expensive fashion (men and women)
  
• Quirky and fun gifts:  Tiger is a store that you can't quite put your finger on.  They sell everything from craft materials to gag gifts to candy and kitchen supplies.  Definitely worth stopping in!  (Some of my favorites below)

For a low-key, more casual evening, try dinner at O’Neill’s for traditional Irish stew, live Irish music and a mix of expats, locals and tourists.  Walk through Temple Bar, the famous nightlife district, point and laugh at the hen and stag parties dressed in ridiculous costumes, but unless you want to be one of 1,000 tourists in a bar, I would recommend moving on to find a bar.

Depending on what part of the city you are staying in, some bars to check out include Cassidy’s (north of the Liffey, a bit hipster, they have board games to play and encourage writing on the walls and bar), O’Donoghues on Baggot street (I only had a chance to walk by but it has the outdoor atmosphere of a German beer garden and looked like a lot of fun) or the Porterhouse by Grafton Street (they have bottles from all over the world as well as multiple local beers on tap... I liked the Chiller, the local light lager).

Start at Kilmainham Gaol, the former jail, which opens at 9:30 on a weekday.  For the active traveler, walk there from the city center which will take you about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how lost you get (it’s pretty simple).  Sign up for a tour, which will take you inside the jail for about an hour.  1 hour

Make a right when exiting the jail and cross the street to grab lunch at the pub.  They have good food and good prices!  Then take a 10-minute walk over to the Guinness Storehouse where you will spend the next two-hours learning how to make, pour and drink the dark stuff that flows through the blood of the Irish.  2-3 hours

After the Guinness Storehouse, hop on the city bus to rest your legs a bit while you head back into the city center.  Swing by Foam (north of the River Liffey) for fresh coffee and pastries in a quirky, colorful café.  Then walk north to Henry street and stroll through my favorite shopping street in Dublin which has a range of stores from Dunnes and Penneys to Arnotts and Zara.  Stop for a gelato at Gino’s or buy some fruit off the street if you are in the mood for (another) snack.

For a nicer, more fancy night out, start at The Bank on College Green for a cocktail in a former bank with a beautiful interior.  Then take a stroll over to Dawson Street for dinner where you will find people a little bit more dressed up.  While on Dawson, walk into The Dawson Lounge, which claims it could be the smallest bar in the world.  I don’t necessarily think that’s true, but it did make me a bit claustrophobic and I walked in to take a photo and walked out.

If you want to swap out any of my suggestions or have another day in Dublin, these are my recommendations / things on my list that I didn’t have a chance to do…yet:

Jameson Distillery – Jameson is one of the most popular Irish whiskies and the distillery offers tours to learn more about how Jameson is made.  I heard that a few lucky people on each tour get selected to do a taste test of multiple Irish whiskies to share their favorites and guess which is which.

Experience Gaelic Games – a program that introduces people to the traditional Gaelic sports of hurling and Gaelic football and then lets you get out and play!

Croke Park – stadium where rugby, concerts and events take place.  It is supposed to be really nice and if there is something going on while you are in town, get tickets!  Otherwise, you can go on a tour to see the ins and outs of the stadium.

Day trip to Belfast – about a 2-2.5 hour journey each way, Belfast can be a good day trip for those looking to see another city in Ireland.  With rich history and a brand new Titanic exhibit, there is a lot to do to fill up a day.  Tours are offered by most tour companies, but you can also just buy round trip tickets on the train and have a black cab take you around for a short tour while you are there for about 7 or 8 Euros.  

(April 26, 2014) I’ve been to London twice before, but it has been a good 12+ years since then.  So while I wanted to see some of the key sites, I also wanted to experience the ‘real’ London as an adult.  One of my closest friends for the past 20+ years got an awesome new job in London just under two months ago.  So the timing seemed perfect to go for a visit and explore some neighborhoods together. 

Upon arriving in London from the Luton airport (1 hour bus to Baker Street in the city), Marta was coming to meet me so I stopped for a coffee… at Pret a Manger, where I used to eat breakfast, lunch and/or a coffee every day during the work week.  Normally I don’t like to go to chains I can go to in New York, but I was waiting for Marta and really wanted a coffee!  The second she walked in, we were chatting like high school girls again, with so much to catch up on – sooo great to see her!

We dropped my stuff off at her flat (an adorable one bedroom in Notting Hil) – after nearly falling flat on my face on the Tube while trying to navigate my luggage and myself... Then the exploring began!  We had a delicious brunch at a new restaurant in her neighborhood called Tom's and strolled down Portobello Road where there are many tourists but a few nice restaurants and bars. 

The next few hours are a bit of a whirlwind as we must have walked half of the city!  My favorite highlights were Borough Market where we shopped for the freshest food to cook dinner, going out and trying local beers, and strolling through Spitalfields Market for unique gifts and finds (we both ended up with new tops).  

Borough Market is one of the most amazing fresh food markets I've ever seen. It is easy to get lost there with so many people running around and so many booths distracting you with their specialties.  TIP:  The market closes around 5:15PM at which time many booths start heavily discounting their remaining goods.  We got half price fresh mozzarella that was delicious!

Spitalfields Market is a different kind of open-air market where the focus is on clothes, accessories and other miscellaneous gifts.  There were some really cool handbags with unique zipper patterns, and a bunch of cute clothing booths, but half the fun was exploring and finding out what was in booth after booth.

The George Inn was our secret goldmine - a beer garden tucked behind a busy city street.  The George Inn is an actual inn, but the inner courtyard is lined with bars and outdoor seating.  

I am a big fan of boxing, having picked it up in the last year.  For me, it is a killer workout, always something different and a lot of fun.  So, similar to how I try to find somewhere to go horseback riding whenever I travel, I thought I would try to find a place to do a little boxing while on the road.

After searching a bit on the Web, I found Spartan Fitness, a company started by a local guy named Simon Dalton.  He offers 10-week boxing bootcamp courses that meet two times per week and include boxing, high intensity interval training and conditioning.  Based on the type of classes I take at home, I thought this would be a great fit and he let me pay for a drop in!  Unfortunately the day I went was a purely conditioning (no boxing) day because the group had done boxing the past few sessions.  But seeing my disappointment, Simon gave me a mini training session for about 15 minutes as the rest of the class rolled in.  We did a few rounds of mitts and it felt great to know what I was doing and not feel like I forgot what I’ve learned!  Simon is excellent on the mitts and highly recommended for anyone who wants to train while in Dublin!  The class itself was fun, although those 15 minutes were more intense of a workout than the entire 60-minute class for me.

If you weren’t planning on working out, or you forgot your spandex, head over to Elverys Sports, a sporting goods chain that has a great selection and decent prices.  It was also interesting to walk through the store and check out equipment for sports that are completely foreign to me like hurling and rugby.

There are quite a few parks and green spaces in Dublin, but for me there is one that is rather small but quiet and beautiful and perfect for a light jog.  Merrion Square Park is located in the south side of the Dublin city center, and I’d compare it to Madison Square Park in NYC in terms of size and green space.  It’s a bit more private though, and you can easily find a nook to do some push ups and dips on a park bench after jogging around.

I am pretty bummed that I wasn’t able to fit this into my trip as it was very high on my list, but I’m still hoping to get here one day.  I’m talking about “Experience Gaelic Games”, a company that teaches foreigners the history and rules of traditional Irish sports (hurling and Gaelic football – both still played today in Ireland) and then gets you out on the pitch (or field) to play!  There is also an option to have lunch included and make a day of it.  To me, this is the perfect way to take in the local culture while being active.

A must-see in Dublin, weather you drink or not, is the Guinness Storehouse.  Guinness is a cultural staple in Ireland enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.  The Storehouse is where you can learn all about the beer’s history, how it is made and the evolution of its iconic advertising (super interesting for me!).  But the highlights for most are probably when you get to taste the Guinness yourself. 

Before drinking, there is a stop along the multi-floor Guinness experience with a café filled with Guinness-infused snacks and meals such as Guinness stew and chocolate truffles.  TIP:  You can try a chocolate truffle for free if you don’t want to buy a box of them, just ask!

There are three places to drink Guinness – the tasting room, the Gravity Bar and the Guinness Academy.  The tasting room is where you go through the process that Guinness tasters do every day to make sure each batch is perfect.  You start by learning the unique aromas and tastes of the four main ingredients (toasted barley, hops, yeast, and water).  Then you get a mini glass of the ‘black stuff’ and learn the proper way to drink it. 

Gravity Bar is the enclosed rooftop bar with 360-degree views of Dublin, which is a must-see on a clear day.  With your entry ticket to the Storehouse, you are entitled one free pint either at the Academy or the Gravity Bar.  But my tip:  even if you take advantage of your free pint at the tasting academy (highly recommended), make a stop at the bar to get a glimpse of the beautiful panoramic views!

The Guinness Academy is the hands-on room, built to look like a pub, where you learn the proper way to pour a Guinness!