Search Results for: food

Exploring Dublin in the Autumn

December 10, 2013

We had just 2 days in Dublin which for us, though I loved the city and would love to explore more on another trip, is easy to hit the major attractions in that time. We got to explore more of the lovely city of Dublin on our second day there and I loved it more with every step we took. It’s really accessible on foot and we walked everywhere, as nothing is really more than a 20 minute walk from where you start out.

We began our day exploring Dublin in the Autumn with a visit to the Trinity College Old Library, which was a quick 5 minute walk from our hotel on Grafton Street. I will say, this was one of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip and it did not disappoint. The library and the Book of Kells which is housed here are truly phenomenal. This is a must-see in Dublin.

Next, we wandered around the grounds of the College for a while. Trinity College houses beautiful architecture and lovely stone walkways that we spent a good while walking around. We got extremely lucky with gorgeous weather in Dublin (actually our whole trip too) and blue sky peaked out of the clouds as the morning progressed.

We moved on after Trinity College and walked toward the River Liffey and walked along the Quay, taking in one of my favorite areas of Dublin with the brick buildings lining the River, with bridges upon bridges in each direction. We then headed back up a block into the Temple Bar area of the city which is famed for its pubs and live music. We wandered the stone streets of Temple Bar and wound back up to Christ Church Cathedral. This church was gorgeous and I sat for a while inside the church just taking it all in while Nick took photos.

After spending a good deal of time at Christ Church, we made our way back to our hotel on Grafton Street down Exchequer Street, stopping at Fallon & Bryne to pick up some traditional Irish Soda Bread and some other goodies, which we picked at the rest of our trip.

We ended our day with high tea at our hotel, the Westbury Hotel, in their beautiful lobby all decorated for the holidays. We were treated to lovely tea and food and enjoyed a leisurely time having tea, sandwiches and desserts.

Dublin has an energy that is unlike any other city and it was magnetic. I loved walking the city and taking it all in. The mix of brick buildings with stone, the River and the quays, Dublin really is a magical place and I have no doubt I’ll be making a return to this fantastic city.

Where to Stay in Dublin

exploring Dublin in the autumn trinity library

exploring Dublin in the autumn trinity college

exploring Dublin in the autumn travel style Ireland

exploring Dublin in the autumn trinity college mens travel style Ireland

exploring Dublin in the autumn trinity college travel style Ireland

exploring Dublin in the autumn river Liffey

exploring Dublin in the autumn temple bar

exploring Dublin in the autumn christ church

exploring Dublin in the autumn high tea at the Westbury

Traveling to Ireland?

See more of my post on Ireland in my archives!

A Summer Day in New York City in Chelsea and the West Village

August 28, 2013

Our second and final day in NYC on Sunday was just as beautiful as Saturday, so we took full advantage of the gorgeous weather and spent almost the whole day outside. We started our day with Brunch at Tipsy Parson in Chelsea, which I would highly recommend. The food was delicious and the atmosphere charming and quaint. Afterwards, we did a little bit of shopping – Nick to B&H Photo and me to Zara. Afterwards, we met up at our hotel, checked out, left our bags with them and headed out

to enjoy our last afternoon in the city.

We grabbed a cab and headed down to the West Village for a stop at Magnolia Bakery. We sat for a while in the small park across the street and enjoyed our cupcakes and just watched the people and took in the scene. It was so nice to just sit and take it all in, in one of my favorite areas of the city.

Next we walked through the Village towards the Hudson River and wandered along the walking path there for a while, stopping for a bit at the pier and sitting, watching the city go by. After a while we started walking toward the Meatpacking District and Chelsea again and came across a Citi Bike station (a new bike share program in NYC). I’d really been wanting to do this in NYC as we’ve done other programs in Europe, like when we rode bikes in Hyde Park in London. So we rented a couple bikes and headed up the bike path along the river. We rode all the way past Chelsea and then returned our bikes and headed back to our hotel to head to the airport. Sunday was so much fun and we had such an amazing time in the city all weekend. I love New York City and each time I go there, I remember all the reasons why. While quick, it was a memorable and lovely weekend in NYC.

Photo by Nick Nieto

Headed to New York?

See more of our New York content here!

What to Wear On the Airplane

August 15, 2013

More What to Wear posts for more destinations here!

Travel is never as glamorous as it seems and I’ve been on enough long haul flights to realize that no matter how cute you look stepping on the plane, pretty much everyone looks like hell when you get off after hours of stale air and bad food and no sleep.

However, there are ways to have some semblance of “travel style” on airplanes and I’ve always been of the belief that traveling shouldn’t mean you have to limit your style. When traveling, style doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t be comfortable either, so here’s some ways you can be both stylish and comfortable when traveling and my best tips for being stylish even when traveling on an airplane.

I’m never without a scarf.

No matter where I travel, a scarf is part of my travel outfit. It can serve as a blanket in-flight, an accessory to add color to a neutral travel outfit or folded up as a make-shirt armrest or pillow. They are also a great way to change up outfits while in a location and can make your whole look feel entirely different from day to day, even with the same coat or sweater. Plus they will always keep you warm!

Some of my favorite scarfs: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Wear neutrals as your base and accessorize with luggage, purse and scarf.

I like to travel in black or navy as my base colors. Dark colors don’t show wear like light colors do, so when you step off that 10 hour flight, your black pants won’t look wrinkled like lighter colors might. I usually travel in black or navy leggings, with a long t-shirt or sweater, depending on the season, then a coat or jacket and a scarf.

travel style what to wear in the airport

Travel in layers.

Weather can be totally different from your original location and your destination where you’re coming from, so layers can help with this as well as allowing you to adjust your own temperature along the way. I generally have 3 layers at my disposal for a flight, a t shirt, a sweater and a coat/scarf. That way, depending on the destination and all those stops along the way, I can be prepared for whatever temperatures may arise.

Wear comfortable shoes.

Nothing is worse than your feet hurting as you’re walking the mile long airport terminals. Wear comfortable shoes that you’ve already broken in. My ballet flats or Converse low-tops are my go-to travel shoes. You also want shoes that are easy to take off for security as well as comfortable on the plane.

Be stylish with your luggage.

When I started traveling often, I knew I wanted to invest in a good set of luggage that would last me quite a few years and also a set that fit my personality. I invested years ago in a Tumi hard side carry on and it’s the best decision I made for my travels. My carry on holds a ton, rolls easy and Tumi has been amazing on things like replacing wheels and the handle for free over the years as it’s gotten a little worn down from use. I love my white suitcase because it’s easy to spot always and feels totally unique among a sea of black suitcases.

Similar to my Tumi Luggage: 1 | 2 | 3

A Hotel Review of Le Meridien Nice

June 4, 2013

Le Meridien Nice – Nice, France

See more Reviews!

This hotel was truly a joy to stay in. The views from our room were incredible as was the design and style of the hotel. Location couldn’t be beat and the service was top notch. This was actually one stay that we used a free night (on hotels.com) for and while it was more than we generally spend on hotels, it was a splurge worthwhile since we got one night pretty much free and only had to pay for the second.This is the place to go and stay if you want a lovely modern hotel with service and views that can’t be beat in Nice. Here is my honest Hotel Review of Le Meridien Nice in Nice, France.

LOVE

Check in – Check in was fast and simple. The hotel has a lovely lobby and check in is easy to find. We were checked in quickly and luggage taken directly to our room.

Room – Our room was fabulous here. Large for European standards, with a balcony and view overlooking the gardens next door and the Mediterranean. The bed was wonderful as was the little seating area with a table – so nice to have space to set things while traveling.

via

Bathroom – The bathrooms were gorgeous and large. No complaints.

via

Design – The design of this hotel was what made me book it in the first place and it did not disappoint in person. I prefer a more modern approach to design in hotels that I stay in and many large chain hotels tend to be more classic in their design. That’s why this hotel was a breath of fresh air. For a large chain hotel, Le Meridien in Nice was designed impeccably and the design was clean and simple but so effective and calming.

Food – We ordered room service one of the days we stayed here and enjoyed breakfast in our room overlooking the Mediterranean. The food was delicious and it came with a fantastic assortment of breads and pastries. The service was prompt and perfect.

DIDN’T LOVE

Nothing! – There was nothing we didn’t love about our stay!

Headed to France?

Find more information in our archives.

Exploring New England in Salem, MA & Maine

May 29, 2013

I’m just going to jump right into posts about our trip to Boston and New England over the holiday weekend a few days ago. Basically, we stayed in Boston, but drove up and down the New England coast as well as spending some time exploring the beautiful city of Boston.

Our first full day, we drove North and stopped first at the charming little town of Salem, Massachusetts. This was a stop I really wanted to make, just to see the town that has such a long history in the US of witchcraft. It was a delightful little town and we really enjoyed just wandering around and taking it all in.

Next, we jumped back in the car and headed farther North to explore the Southern part of Maine. Maine was beautiful. Somewhat how I expected, but somehow different too. The scenery though and the trees and the green: gorgeous. The drive North from Boston to Maine was lovely.

Our first stop of the day was in Kennebunkport, Maine. This little touristy town was small and unique and the home of my first ever lobster roll. It was delicious (but let’s just say by end of day 2, I was done with seafood because I’d had so much!)

After exploring the town a bit and then driving through some of the surrounding countryside, we headed up farther north to Portland, Maine. This brick city was totally different than I was expecting but we enjoyed it all the same. We enjoyed some Haddock fish and chips on the harbor and while the day was very cold and rainy, we thoroughly enjoyed this part of the state.

Our final stop of the day was the Portland Head Lighthouse. This was a stop Nick had really wanted to stop at to get some photos of (which I’ll share his photos a little later as he’s still editing them). It was freezing cold and rainy as we stopped here, but the views were amazing… rocky coasts and huge waves rushing the shore… stunning. This is the rugged beauty of Maine.

After that, we headed back to Boston (only an hour and half) and spent the evening at our hotel. More to come tomorrow on Cape Cod and Rhode Island!

Salem, Massachusetts