Northern Ireland 2016

This is probably my favourite photo set of all because nearly every picture I took came out beautifully. Midway into the month I stayed in Ireland, the entire family went on a short trip to Northern Ireland. Like all the other sites we went to, I didn't google anything just so I would be surprised in seeing everything for the first time. 

First site - The Dark Hedges, which was featured in Game of Thrones. Not going to lie, we got lost for a good amount of time because our GPS kept conking out. It's quite far away, but definitely worth the visit! The beech trees are huge and they create this amazing tree tunnel unlike any other. Its currently closed now due to the concern of the influx of visitors causing stress to the trees. It's so nice to see the concern they have for the environment!

Also again, it is very easy to see why so many fantasy novels, movies, and shows are set and/or feature Europe. Everything seems like it came out of a fairy tale!

Probably the most iconic site of Northern Ireland is Giant's Causeway. A lot of walking is involved to get here so be ready! We were blessed with very sunny weather the day of our visit, which only made the scenery even more beautiful. Despite the sun though, it was freezing, around 7-8ºC! The walking definitely took away some of the cold, though!

These are basically basalt columns formed during the Paleocene Period. The mythology behind it is that there was a giant trying to build a bridge towards Scotland, but stopped when one of his thumbs was cut off. There is apparently a similar structure in Scotland. Very interesting!

This is at the tip of the coast of Northern Ireland, and faces the Norwegian Sea. This is as far up as I have ever gone while traveling! Maybe soon I can reach Reykjavik in Iceland, which is even higher up. 

We took the moderate route on the way to the Causeway and the difficult one on the way back. It was exhausting, but no regrets with the view!

Yes, it was incredibly windy.

We headed back to Portrush afterwards and had dinner in Ramore, which is supposed to be famous for its pizzas. I had a burger instead because I was too hungry. Overall the food was okay, nothing too special. They did have Alska however, which is a Swedish Cider. I regret not finding it because it had a berry flavoured one!

I couldn't get over this view. It looks like it came straight out of a movie!

The following day we went to Belfast, which is the capital of Northern Ireland. Its a lot quieter compared to London and Dublin, but it shares more similarities to London. Perhaps because it is a part of the United Kingdom?

Albert Memorial Clock. It was called their own version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, because the foundation caused it to lean to its side. Honestly it just makes me want to push it back straight. OC tendencies!

The Big Fish, which is supposed to give you wisdom when you kiss it. It also features the history of Belfast via pictures on the fish. If you were wise though, wouldn't you know not to kiss it because everyone else did?

Titanic Museum! Belfast is known as the place that built the Titanic, back when its main industry was still shipbuilding. I didn't get the chance to go in (too expensive!) but maybe some other time!

Unite the Union murals. There is a huge history regarding the split of Northern Ireland from (Southern) Ireland. I genuinely am interested to know how Brexit has affected this. 

City Hall! Such a huge difference from the city halls I've been to in the Philippines. I wonder if Manila City Hall looks similar.

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed this photo set as much as I did experiencing it. The Europe 2016 travel series is coming to a close, with the last post coming out next week. I'm a little sad to have this end, but that just means more adventures in the future, yes?

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Northern Ireland 2016

By Pauline Read More

Ireland 2016: Dublin

Since I missed out posting this on Tuesday, I figured a back-to-back post was a good way to make up for it! I've been suffering from a bit of blogger fatigue which explains why I haven't been uploading on the dot as I usually do. Currently trying to find inspiration, but hopefully I'll be back on my usual game soon.

A trip to another country won't be complete without visiting the capital at least once. I was in Ireland for nearly two weeks before visiting Dublin, but it was definitely worth the wait. It was the second European city I visited after London, and I was curious to see how different the two were. 

First place we went to in Dublin was (of course) the Guinness Factory. While I'm no fan of beer (and most alcohol, really. I just get a migraine the size of Jupiter), it was pretty interesting to see how they went about explaining the process behind it.

Next was Dublin Zoo! Unlike some of the zoos I've been to, most animals aren't caged and instead thrive in a space similar to their natural habitats. I'm ambivalent towards zoos in general, but I did enjoy going around with my cousins and aunts. 

Random peacock on the loose! It stood on top of that building for a good while before coming down and wandering near people. Not sure if it was really on the loose or if it was a thing, considering the zoo staff seem unfazed. It was very friendly, though!

We did take a day-tour of the city centre, courtesy of my cousin. We went to so many places that we couldn't believe we actually made it. Schedule was jam-packed with our only reprieve being lunch at a Mongolian Barbecque place. Even shopping in Grafton Street was timed, but I can proudly say I got what I needed within a span of thirty minutes. Its apparently a skill not many people have, yay!

Entering Trinity College, which was so beautiful, I could cry. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to go to a school as scenic as this. Well, the workload and studying would still be horrible, but you'd have the atmosphere to make up for it!

This is also where they had The Book of Kells on display. If you're not familiar, the Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript that is considered to be one of Ireland's most important treasures. The exhibit also leads up to the Old Library of Trinity College, which I've been dying to see ever since I saw a picture on Tumblr. As someone who loves books, sightseeing a library this pretty was beyond exciting.

I was pretty bummed with my lens limitations, so I couldn't take a picture of how massive the room was, so I settled for a few details!

Thank you to my cousin for taking this photo. There were some girls who took a picture before us and were posing in a way that I found a little too funny, so I settled for the normal tourist picture. 

Dublin streets are too pretty. Also, a bit of trivia! The windows on these buildings gradually decrease in size as you go up each floor so it gives the appearance of height. I honestly don't see that big of a difference, but its pretty interesting to know!

That's it for Dublin! Next - Northern Ireland, which is a photo set that I'm pretty chuffed about photography-wise. :')

Friday, September 02, 2016

Ireland 2016: Dublin

By Pauline Read More

London July 2016 (Part 2)

Welcome to the second installment of my London photo diary. The following days weren't as packed as the first, though there was still a lot of walking involved and even a little getting lost. It happens to the best of us, and is a part of any travel experience.

But before that...

We had one of the best meals in London at The Breakfast Club near our hotel! It was an adorable place with an 80s theme, and the morning rush had died down by then, allowing us to have a less hectic meal.

Shame on me for not taking pictures of my order (which was the Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs and a side of Avocado) but by that time I was too hungry. Also I wanted some memories to be left undocumented, just because documenting everything would tire me out eventually. I will say that the food was amazing. When the waitress came by to take our clean plates afterwards, we couldn't help but joke, "As you can see, we didn't like it." with a snicker. She jokingly replied, "Aww, I'm so sorry about that! I'll tell the chef." Friendly servers really improve your mood, no questions asked.

I wasn't aware of the first stop of the day, which is why I was surprised to know that we were heading to King's Cross Station!

I'm not sure if you all know by now but I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so of course I had to take a picture at the iconic trolley in the station, which was right next to a Harry Potter merchandise store!

Excuse my expression in this - clearly I wasn't ready! Also, yay for Slytherin!

We had a look around Camden Market afterwards, a set-up that wasn't too foreign to us considering all the night markets here in the Philippines as well as the ones I've been to in Seoul and Singapore. There were tons of small paintings that would have been really nice for my room, but alas, luggage space limit. :(

The food stalls (with free samples!) were all amazing, though! I initially wanted food from another stall but the owner stepped out for a while, to my dismay. I rewarded myself with some paella instead, which was still very tasty and satisfying. :D

Of course there was a trip to Oxford Street for a bit of shopping. Quite crowded, but the selection was amazing if you're really looking to buy from several stores. 

This is the part where we got lost trying to find Chinatown and the Prince Edward Theatre to watch Aladdin. When our directions didn't work, we asked several locals who gave very conflicting and confusing directions to our destination. I realized then that not only are London streets quite difficult to navigate, but its quite difficult to give directions to someone who has never been to a certain place before. 

We did make it in time, even with a quick stop for some milk tea/bubble tea upon my cousin's request, and some pork buns since we didn't get to have dinner. 

The show was so much better than I expected. The costumes and set were always amazing, and Genie as well as Aladdin's friends (shhh) were hilarious. Definitely worth a rewatch if it shows in Manila!

And since we passed by...

More Harry Potter! The play was showing at the end of the month, so I was bummed to hear that we wouldn't be able to see it. Still haven't read the book/play that came out a few days ago - no spoilers!

Finally - the last day! We had our breakfast at Duck and Waffle which didn't allow any big cameras, which explains the grainy phone pictures. It was a great breakfast, though service was a little off again. Our only homerun was at The Breakfast Club and Franco Manca. 

But back to the British Museum, our last stop. It was massive, even more than the National Gallery, so we really had to plan which exhibits to see to make most of our limited time. We selected a lot from Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, and skipped a few Asian exhibits. Nothing we haven't seen before, right?

This was the same room where the Rosetta Stone was placed, but it was far too crowded to take any pictures. There were some mummies as well in other sections of the museum, which was really cool to see up close. I only get to see those on the National Geographic Channel when they talk about a pharaoh's tomb.

Don't wanna be this guy.

Some sculptures from the section on Ancient Greece. 

Mummy!

One of the watches from the watches and clocks collection. 

After that it was our last tube ride back to our hotel to collect our things before heading to the airport. We were heading back to Ireland (aka the home base) for more family time and even more adventures. Three days may seem short, but while I was there I felt like I've been in London for weeks. I hope you all enjoyed my London posts as much as I did creating and compiling. Definitely coming back to see more of the city in the future!

Next on the Europe 2016 travel line up: County Clare!

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

London July 2016 (Part 2)

By Pauline Read More