Travel

A-Z Challenge – Z is for Zzzz’s (Time for zzz’s and beers, but not in that order!)

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So here we are…April 30th and just the one letter left to blog! It had to be an awkward one to finish on, but we can’t change the order of the alphabet can we? I’ve taken liberties with the today’s topic, given it’s more of a sound than a word. The idea is clear though…this A-Z challenge has sure been challenging for me and I’m looking forward to a break when it’s over! There have been days when I found myself sitting in front of a blank screen late in the evening, desperately trying to find inspiration for a topic or word under that day’s letter. And I’ll readily admit a few of my blogs were weak. Overall though I’m happy with my contributions to the blogosphere, and am feeling pretty proud tonight.

There were a few days where no blog was posted due to a mixture of busy day combined with bloggers block! This automatically cranked up the pressure on the following day as two blogs were required to get back up to speed. Thankfully, I never fell more than one day behind. Don’t think my little brain would have been able to handle the thought of writing three blogs of three separate letters in one day!

My blogging challenge has taught me some things, some new and some that I knew already but had forgotten.

New Things:

  • Cornelius Ryan is Irish. What a legend! (see T)
  • Aachen was the first German city to be liberated by the Allies in 1944 (see A)
  • I like writing flash fiction (see I, N)

Things I knew but had forgotten:

  • Agua de Valencia is very nice! (see V)
  • I love visiting new places and really want to see more new places really soon! (See A, H, Q, V)
  • Dutch football fans are hot! (see O)
  • I really enjoy taking part in competitive races (see W)
  • I love relaxing in my home (see K)
  • 20 years this year since I finished school…agh! (see Y)

As I sit here now sipping a beer to celebrate finishing the A-Z Challenge, I’m pondering how my blog can evolve. Or if it’s already evolved as much as it can, and if I’ll retire it now! In the main I’ve written this blog for me, to see if I could complete the A-Z challenge and also to write about things that mean a lot to me in my life…sport, music, writing, travel, movies, history. Board games. And breakfast cereal! I’m proud to have completed the challenge, and need to reflect now on the areas I liked writing about best and whether there may be a future blogging on those topics. I’ve had some lovely feedback to some of the blogs, so thanks to everyone who has stopped by and especially those who took the time out to like or comment. Well done to all the other A-Z bloggers who have completed the challenge, I raise my beer bottle to you in salute. For now I’ll sign off, until the next blog.

Time to grab some zzzz’s. Well deserved I think!

A-Z Challenge – Z is for Zzzz’s (Time for zzz’s and beers, but not in that order!)

A-Z Challenge 2015 – V is for Valencia

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In September 2008, I spent a week in Valencia in the middle of Spain’s east coast. Two cousins were living there at the time, so it was a great opportunity to visit one of Spain’s third largest city. Though smaller and less well known than Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia (approx. 800,000 inhabitants) has a big city feel to it but is also easy to get around. Not many major European cities can boast three kilometres of beaches and nine months of sunshine per year. Best known for its oranges and for the origins of paella, there’s plenty to make this city original. Like agua de Valencia, a cocktail made from champagne, orange juice, vodka and gin. This divine water was sampled a few times during my visit!

Valencia boasts gorgeous architecture, lovely squares both big and small. Walking through the city centre is a lovely experience, though a few extra hours may need to be allocated as you’ll find yourself stopping very often to explore a building or a park or a square. The most famous square is Plaza de la Virgen which is surrounded by beautiful buildings including the cathedral and the Miguelete bell tower with 270 winding steps which gives a super panoramic view of the city. There is plenty green areas in the city centre, the most original park being Jardines del Turia which a thin 9km stretch of parkland in the riverbed of the long since dried-up Turia river. The port area was redeveloped for the 2007 Americas Cup yacht race and is looks very impressive. The long stretch of beach at the east end of the city allows for some relaxing downtime only minutes from the bustle of the city centre. The city is also well known for its throbbing nightlife with clubs and bars going on until dawn. If I had one regret during my time there, it was that I didn’t sample a bit more of it.

My week in Valencia remains near the top of my European city visits thus far. Having booked into a fancy hotel for the week where my cousin Deirdre was working, I decided after a few nights there that I needed more adventure and interaction with people. Lovely as the hotel was, I immediately felt more at home in the Nest Hostel. The rooftop loungers were the perfect way to get to know other travellers over a few beers in the evening sun. I managed to mix relaxing with activity during my stay in Valencia. A day at the beach with cousins soaking the rays. A day at the amazing 350,000 sq. metre Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) which has the best aquarium I’ve been to as well as some other  museums whose shapes need to be seen to be believed. The city also provided a first for me…my first ever bullfight, an enjoyable experience with a few beers as the sun set though not sure I agree with it as a sport or a spectacle. A day spent cycling out beyond the city along the coast with my cousin Brian, passing through villages of pastel colours with the sea lapping up against them. A day trip to the fortress town of Sagunto, made even more pleasant by the lovely October sunshine. The city pretty much has everything and the great weather enhances the experience. After reminiscing on my visit and writing this blog I’m now thirsty…what chance of finding a bar that serves agua de Valencia in Dublin tonight?!

A-Z Challenge 2015 – V is for Valencia

A-Z Challenge 2015 – Q is for Queenstown, New Zealand

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Queenstown_from_Bob's_Peak

Q for Queenstown

Queenstown on New Zealand’s south island is known as the adventure sports capital of New Zealand. When I visited there in June 2003 during a year of travel, my backpacker budget was stretched. So not for me the skiing, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, helicopter flights, sky diving, 4wd off road tours. Despite a stretched budget, I still managed to sample one of the towns other famous pursuits…its legendary nightlife. I arrived in cross country from Dunedin on a gloriously crisp and sunny winter’s day, travelling alone. Checking into the YHA – surely one of the most spectacular settings for a hostel anywhere in the world, with beautiful Lake Wakatipu in front and the Remarkables mountain range snow capped in the distance – I knew no one in town. By the time I left town a few days later, I’d visited plenty pubs and made many friends! In my defence, I did complete one active task during my time there, which was to walk up Queenstown hill on a sunny winter afternoon. The views from 900 metres up certainly made it worthwhile. Oh and I also tried some outdoor ice skating on my last day there, albeit very badly!

My two months in New Zealand as part of that year away travelling in 2002/2003 were the highlight of that year, and the time spent in Queenstown was one of the highlights of my time in NZ. It wasn’t all about drinking $2.50 pints of Loopy Juice or walking up hills either. A drive in the rain to Glenorchy searching for sites where Lord of the Rings had been filmed with English and Welsh friends from the hostel was great fun. We found no LOTR sites though, as it turned out! A drive down to Te Anau and the world famous Milford Sound fjord with another bunch from the hostel was another highlight. The drive down with snowy hills and peaks as far as the eye could see was almost as spectacular as the boat trip out into the fjord. Despite all this lovely nature stuff, it’s still the craic of the three nights out in Queenstown which stand out most. For a twenty five year old, kissing a lesbian and a divorcee all in the same weekend in this  beautiful party town stood out as big moments on that world trip!

A-Z Challenge 2015 – Q is for Queenstown, New Zealand

H is for Hamilton, Bermuda

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Hamilton

Hamilton, Bermuda will surely be the most picturesque city I’ll ever work in during my lifetime. I was lucky enough to spend six months working on the island in 2004/2005. Bermuda is one of the most remote islands – located on its own in the Atlantic around 1,000 miles north of the Caribbean and 600 miles east of North Carolina in the US – and surely one of the most beautiful. An island of only 21 square kilometres that snakes along narrowly from one end to the other, so much so that driving from a northern tip to a southern tip only takes ten minutes at some points.

Hamilton is the capital city and the hub, centrally situated and sitting on a harbour. Front Street faces the harbour with its beautiful pastel shaded colonial buildings, a sign of the British colonial history of the island. The cultures of Hamilton and Bermuda are arguably as much American as British however. Some traditions are most certainly Bermudian, such as the common sight of local business men going to work in colourful Bermuda shorts accompanied by dressy shoes, high socks, blazer, shirt and tie. Some of the many ex pats living there also partake in this custom, as one of my Irish friends did. I decided to spare the locals the daily view of my knobbly knees and skinny pale Irish legs!

Both Hamilton and Bermuda are steeped in affluence, with financial services and tourism being the main industries. With its favourable tax breaks, hundreds of financial firms have set up presence on the island and most are situated in Hamilton. There are also thousands of companies which are legally registered in Bermuda for tax purposes but only have a postal presence there and no actual office or staff. Cruise ships bring thousands of visitors from America and beyond each year, all with plenty Bermudian dollars to spend. Crime is low and the streets are clean. The weather is generally sun kissed with a mild climate – summer temperatures average around 30 degrees centigrade and 15 in winter. Though the cost is living is high, salaries also reflect this and the low income tax rate allows for generous savings. The Bermudian dollar is fixed to the US dollar so is currently strong. The city and the island show plenty signs of its history of trying to fend off would be invaders. Fort Hamilton on the eastern edge of the city has lovely views of the harbour from its ramparts, a relic of US-British tensions in the 19th century. Fort St. Catherine on the northern tip and the fort at Royal Naval Dockyard at the islands southern tip are other impressive geographical signs of its history.

My memories of Hamilton and Bermuda revolve around scooting around town and along ocean lined roads on my moped, shrouded in sun. Almost everyone has a moped! My favourite pastimes were weekend drives to remote beaches or fortifications, looking out at the endless and beautiful turquoise sea. And swimming in the warm waters. Another highlight was Christmas Day 2004, champagne on the beach with friends and a sea swim. Though I left the following March and missed the chance to see what Bermuda summer life was like, I still had plenty sunny days. Looking back I know I didn’t make the most of the time there and cherish the island as much as I should. However, health issues meant cutting short the two year contract after six months and returning home. Which was 100% the right decision at the time, with no regrets overall.

I can picture now my view from the 4th floor of Bank of Bermuda right at the front of Hamilton harbour, and know I’ll never come close to working in an office again with such beautiful sights all around! My room on Winton Hill had double doors out to a balcony overlooking a little cove of shallow blue/green water, sun kissed more often than not. I hope to revisit the island at some point in the future, explore some of the favourite places of the past and find some new ones. Preferably exploring on a moped in warm sunshine, though the driving licence finally ran out last year so I may need to have a ‘Plan B’!

H is for Hamilton, Bermuda