Bergen - Picturesque but rainy

I arrived into Bergen on the Rotterdam ship one Monday morning in July. The skies were overcast but I wasn't about to let rain deter me from the one day I had in this port.

Bergen is famous for its World Heritage Site of Bryggen, which is the fishing wharf with brightly painted buildings. However, there are other places of interest in this picturesque city, Immediately evident is the aesthetically pleasing Norwegian architecture throughout but nature is also on the doorstep, with the sea and mountains both surrounding this port city.

First stop was, predictably, the Bergenhus Fortress, situated as it is on the harbour. One of the oldest castles in Norway, it is remarkably well-preserved and the defensive tower from the 13th Century still stands proudly overlooking the water. The fortress is still used by the Royal Norwegian Navy however the buildings within at one point accommodated the royal family, a church and a bishop's residence. I was interested in learning about it and I always admire old buildings and ponder at what stories we aren't told.

I grabbed a hot tea from a roadside van to warm me up as a persistent mist threatened rain and I headed along the waterfront, with all it's pretty buildings. Many of these are souvenir shops, so I walked on, heading to the funicular to take me to the top of Mount Floyen. The funicular costs NOK 45 (approx EUR 4.80 or GBP 4.30) one way, although you can take a steep walk of over an hour to get up there. I love funiculars so I decided on this, particularly as the rain was now pouring out of the sky. The trip takes between 5 - 8 minutes so you quickly gain great views across the city. At the top, the views are quite breathtaking as you can take in the several mountains around and the different parts of the city. The rain obviously didn't deter many tourists, as it was pretty busy there.

Misty panorama of Bergen and me

I had heard that the coffeeshop/restaurant at the top were quite nice, although pretty expensive - like most things in Norway, but I wasn't hungry or needing a break yet. There's a playground with troll figures for kid's to enjoy and different scenic walks through the mountains that lead off from here. I decided on walking back towards the city. A couple hundred metres from the viewpoints, I came across some free-roaming goats, who are tagged with this new technology that prevents them from going outside certain areas. I'm not 100% that this is particularly animal-friendly, as it gives them an electric shock if they venture into prohibited areas, but I suppose at least they aren't penned in. Some of these goats were highly entertaining, with one parading around on a table top, posing for pictures. I also found it amusing that the only black goat was called Obama.

Off I wandered back down the mountain, through the forest and on a well-worn path. The views are quite nice on the way down too and I enjoyed being out in the fresh air. It took me around 40 minutes to get back to the city and I had worked up a bit of an appetite so I headed through the fish market to Trekroneran for a tasty, budget-friendly meal. This small stall has a variety of hot dog options around 50 - 60 NOK (Around GBP 5 - 6). I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm not normally a hot dog fan.

I wanted to visit Troldhaugen, the composer Edvard Grieg's house but I hadn't left enough time (the perils of drinking in the crew bar til 4am). The house is a living museum and concerts are held daily in the summer at lunchtime. It was now past that and I was worried if I took the bus that I wouldn't make it back to the boat on time. You can take a bus from the Visitor's Centre in Bryggen and please go if you're a music lover!

I wandered back through the wooden houses of Bryggen, visiting the shops and workshops that sell a myriad of tourist goods but also some beautiful handcrafts and clothing. All the staff have impeccable English and were really friendly. I bought a couple of affordable items for friends who may not make it this far North and headed back to the ship.

I definitely wished I had more time to spend in Bergen as it was somewhere that surprised and delighted me, with its' quirky streets and an abundance of cafés and restaurants that I'd be keen to try if feeling more flush.

We set sail in late afternoon, luckily getting some spectacular scenic cruising in before we left Norway. The sun came out a little, but my photos definitely would have benefitted from better light.

5 places worth a visit on your travels

To me, everywhere is worth visiting once. I have found enjoyment in every place I've been and just because there are places that I won't rush back to doesn't mean that I regret visiting there in the first place. Then there are these places, which are truly special. They might be a little trickier to get to, or you may not have them on your list for a variety of reasons (distance from other places, budget, transport options etc) but I highly recommend (read: suggest you visit or you are missing out!). I either have gone back already, will go back or a little part of my soul will pine for them.

1. Achill Island, Co. Mayo, Ireland. I have raved in previous blog entries about Achill, my favourite place in the whole world. Why should you put Achill on your list? Its scenery will take your breath away, from the craggy  rock formations, many pristine beaches perfect for surfing, kite-surfing or just a swim, magnificent cliffs rising into modest mountains that are well worth a hike, delicious seafood and Irish music sessions in many pubs waiting to serve creamy pints of Guinness. I can't extol the virtues of this island enough. From the Atlantic Drive to Keem Bay, barbecues under the shadow of Slievemore at sunset, a good walk to knock out the cobwebs on Keel beach and settling in at the Valley House for a pint and great tunes - it's hard to beat and I'm sure you'll agree.

Slievemore at sunset

The writers Graham Greene and Heinrich Boll spent time living on the island and many an artist has taken up residence there.

How to get there: Train from Dublin to Castlebar, then 1 hour bumpy bus journey to Achill Sound, or hitch - plenty of friendly locals and travellers pick up on the road from Castlebar to Achill.





2. Trakai, Lithuania. Never heard of it? Probably not but it's fantastic. Only a stone's throw from the capital of Vilnius, which is also worth a visit, Trakai is definitely budget-friendly and worth a visit for it's Gothic castle (with unique architecture for Eastern Europe), the bridge, the maze (yes, a maze you can get lost or found in!), a range of outdoor activities - including sailing and rowing and the fact that it's a national park. It's been quite a few years since I visited (hint: I was a teenager at the time) but it still pops up in my dreams. Grab some local food for a picnic beside the lake. If you wish to do more than a day trip you can get apartments for less than EUR40 a night.

Image from TraveloLithuania.com

How to get there: From Vilnius, there are regular buses every 20 mins or so. There are also trains for the short journey.





3. Koh Chang, Trat Province, Thailand.

Koh Chang is definitely growing in popularity but it's still much cheaper than most of the Thai islands, such as Koh Samui or Phuket. Don't expect the karst formations that you'll find on the Andaman islands, but there are plenty of picture perfect beaches here with far less crowds than the famous spots on other islands. It's pretty hilly and is great to explore (be careful of the wildlife in the jungle) and you can also hop onto other, even less visited islands from there. If you really want the 'backpacker' feel you can stay at Lonely Beach, where the nightlife is anything but lonely. Massages start at around EUR5, accommodation can be as cheap as EUR8 per person sharing (even in a double room) and a wide range of cuisine can be found on the island. I recommend Kai Bae beach, for location and the beach.

Me, a swing, Kai Bae beach.

How to get there: We got burned on our trip because the internet doesn't always tell the truth! Well, information changes, I guess. If you are coming from Bangkok, it is recommended to get to the Ekkamai bus station EARLY (and/or book in advance) and get a bus that leaves before noon. It takes about 4 and a half hours to Trat. Some buses go directly to the pier where boats leave from, others just to Trat and you have to share songtheaws (they resemble pick-up trucks with benches in the back) to the port. The last boat to the island leaves at 7pm. The boat takes about 30 minutes to cross and then you will have to pay about 150bht to get to whichever resort you're staying in.

There are also buses from near Victory Monument in Bangkok to Trat and Koh Chang, they leave hourly but once again, be aware that due to demand there may only be 2 or 3 buses running rather than hourly.

http://iamkohchang.com is a good website if you're planning to travel there.

4. Tarife, Southern Spain. Forget Gibraltor (seriously, it's not a nice place) and go a bit further down the road to the charming town of Tarife, which is also the southernmost tip of Spain. Although it barely gets a mention in guidebooks and isn't the prettiest of port towns, it is a haven for kite surfers and also offers pristine white beaches both on the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans (the two meet here) and there are wonderful views across to Morocco. There's the Moorish Castillo de Guzman el bueno fort to visit and the Church of San Mateo plus plenty of lovely tapas places to eat for under EUR10. It is definitely worth a weekend trip if you're interested in geography or history.

Med on the left, Atlantic on the right

How to get there: The nearest airport is Gibraltor, but Malaga is only an 1 1/2 hours away so you can see more of the Costa del Sol before taking in Tarife or plan your trip from there.  The easiest thing is to hire a car (pretty inexpensive - from EUR45 per week) but you can get a bus from Malaga. There are also regular buses from Gibraltor and Algeciras.












5. Kaikoura, South island, New Zealand. Last, but by no means least. There are so many places to get to in New Zealand but I've noticed that this one is sometimes missed. I have no idea why. Kaikoura is known primarily for year round whale watching, and it's absolutely worth it. Although I missed the money shot (the tail raised out of the water) I did so because watching it took my breath away. There are also large seal colonies in the area, fantastic to watch, even from a bus and dusky dolphins out at sea. Even though I visited in peak season, the small town wasn't very busy, which is nice for a break when travelling. You can see a longer post I wrote on a local bar/eatery here.

Sunset on the beach

How to get there: There are regular buses from Picton, which take around 2 and a half hours, whilst buses from Christchurch take only slightly longer and fares are very reasonable (you can get buses from NZD$1 in Christchurch, whilst it's around NZD$15 from Picton).

Kaikoura is not a cheap destination, although if you're already in New Zealand you're probably aware. Still, if you're on a backpacking budget it's probably a good idea to set a little extra aside for the even the basics here.

The walkway at 7am, beautiful mountains in the distance.

Realistically, I could put so many places on this list but these were the ones that I see mentioned least online, that were special to me at the time and still remain in my mind. Where are your places? I'd love to hear so I can add them to my list.

A Christmas Exile

The weather is outside is… well, considering it's December it's pretty balmy but then I'm in Dubai. This time last year I was home in Ireland (for the first Christmas in 7 years), the year before in Chiang Mai, the year before that Oman… and so on. When you choose an expat/nomadic/travelling life you may consider that Christmas may be spent somewhere else and that maybe it will be a novelty. If you're an expat maybe you've committed to the chaotic challenge of the trek home for the holidays, with thousands of other harried travellers facing queues, delays and arm-breaking bags full of duty-free alcohol.

I've grown accustomed to being away this time of year because although I enjoy travelling, I would rather not set foot in an airport between December 12th and January 5th. I have been repeatedly proven right that what can go wrong will go wrong with travel during these dates… in 2013 I couldn't get OUT of Thailand because even the slow boat down the Mekong was booked up, last year in the early days of January, I experienced 36 hour delays (and horrible attitudes) by Qatar Airways when there was some morning fog in Dubai, and a friend had someone throw up in her hair onboard a flight five years ago during the season… Merry for everyone but her!

I remember my first year in Dubai, presents had to be arranged so far in advance and a lovely cabin crew friend posted them from London for me (at the time there were no direct flights to Dublin), now we have numerous online sites to make that easy. I used to use a prepaid card to call home from a landline, which also meant they had to be home. Now, I can call my family for free, without even a telephone connection. In 2004, I had Christmas dinner in the Dubliners pub in Garhoud with my co-workers before I worked the evening shift serving everyone else theirs at the Irish Village. Things have certainly become easier but Christmas is still about family. I'm lucky that my extended family are spread across the world and grateful each year that cousins, aunts and uncles have invited me into their home to celebrate over the past few years and this year I got to celebrate with a new arrival in my cousins room after seeing my godson on Christmas eve and again on Christmas night. Family comes in many guises; it doesn't mean I miss Mom, Dad and Nickki any less.

It also means I get to learn about and sometime share in other traditions; most Europeans celebrate on Christmas eve, rather than Christmas Day, and it seems that my family have always unknowingly prescribed to this too - we've always had a family dinner and opened presents on Christmas eve, whereas most Irish people are having drinks in their local that night. I lived with a Swedish friend who explained that it was more traditional to have a selection of seafood rather than turkey, ham and stuffing. Even within my country, there were differences: whilst I lived in Kerry, I grew familiar with the tradition of Wren Boys, which I hadn't known growing up in Dublin. Whereas I always seemed to be in some form of transport on St. Stephen's Day (known as Boxing Day to the UK or 26th December) so I could head out to party that night, this year it was all about playing games in my PJ's. In 2013 on the 26th, I was visiting a renowned mountain temple in Thailand. I love the variety that my life and exposure to other cultures brings.

I have no idea where Christmas in 2016 will be spent, hopefully somewhere new and interesting and the idea of still being away is fine with me. I am perfectly content with my nomadic/expat life and as long as it keeps bringing surprises and adventures and often detours from the norm, then I will embrace every second. I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and all the best for 2016.

A Liebster Award for Lilirishtravels!

Another lovely travel blogger (check out www.padthaiandprozac.com) nominated me for a Liebster award; an award typically meant for new bloggers to encourage and further their success, but since she's new to my blog, and I am still eligible by level of followers. It's always wonderful to be recognised by your peers and I'm very grateful Jenn!

This award brings with it some conditions - primarily posting the award to your blog (here!!), thanking the person who nominated you and linking to their blog - see above, the witty, wonderful and sometimes weird ramblings of Jenn on www.padthaiandprozac.com (one of the best blog names in my opinion) and then the following:

Write 11 random facts about yourself
Despite being a water-baby and avid explorer, I have yet to earn my PADI. For shame. It's just something else to add to the bucket list.
My front teeth are no longer my own, having been knocked out in a scooter accident earlier this year.
I have overcome a phobia of rats by travelling and living in SE Asia.
I don't like walking for no reason - I'll hike up mountains, walk 9km home or run 26 miles to a party (some Irish will get this!) but I don't understand just walking in normal surroundings for no good reason.
I have a stork mark birthmark, on my forehead, which only shows up when I'm really upset and makes me resemble a creature from Alien.
I can't meditate. The closest I get to free-ing my mind is when wake-boarding.
I overcame my fear of heights on 10th February 2014 by jumping out of a plane at 15, 000ft. I enjoyed it far more than I thought and I will definitely do it again.
When I was a teenager, I toyed with the idea of becoming an aeronautical engineer.
I am pretty strong mentally but not as strong as people think.
I honestly see the best in people and it's hard to change my mind.
I prefer to spend my money on travel rather than anything else.

Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers and you feel are deserving of this award:
11! Not sure I can! Here are the candidates who immediately come to mind:
www.goodbyevirginiahelloworld.com - I met Ansley whilst travelling in New Zealand and then again in Chiang Mai - her photos are wonderful and she's made me put some things on the must-do list.
www.marketofeden.blogspot.com I discovered this blog before I moved to Chiang Mai. Rather Asia-centric but very helpful and I like her style.
www.aprilinwanderlust.blogspot.ie I actually met April by chance after moving to Chiang Mai, but had read her blog previously. April takes great photos of her travels and she has some wonderful stories of her travels to share.
limesandstars.blogspot.ie Nickki blogs about food, products and lifestyle. She has some excellent healthy recipies and a great outlook on life.
I can't think of any right now. I will update this, also feel free to post your blog in the comments.

Answer 11 questions set by the person who nominated you:
Most hated song and why? Cotton-Eyed Joe. Isn't it obvious why?
Monsters Inc or Toy Story? This probably isn't fair as I've never seen Toy Story but I do love Monsters Inc.
5 Things I can't live without - Fruit - pretty much any fruit, I love it. Lip balm - again not picky on the brand. Something shiny - I wear costume jewellery all the time. Whatsapp - I communicate with my friend Lisa on an almost daily basis and she changes country often, I also use it for almost everyone else in my life. Music - To soothe, excite or just accompany, music does it all for me.
If I could only choose one, would it be living in extreme heat or extreme cold - probably extreme heat, I've already done that in Dubai.
Curry sauce or gravy on chips/fries - Curry sauce, never gravy.
Best hangover cure - A big dirty fry-up, OJ and tea.
Favourite place I've travelled so far - New Zealand. Astonishing and truly awesome place.
1 bottle of expensive bubbles or 2 cheap: 1 bottle of expensive, in this case quality not quantity.
Favourite movie as a child: The Little Mermaid.
Strapless bra or Halterneck - Strapless.
Down to your last ten dollars - what do you spend it on? A BLT or a glass of wine.

11 questions for those I've nominated:
How do you spend your average Sunday?
Favourite dish/food?
Best gig you've ever been to?
The longest you have ever stayed awake and why?
What does the last text/line/whatsapp on your phone say?
Do you know anyone who has been in prison - why?
Best restaurant you have ever been to?
What is number 1 on your bucket list?
Tell me something I can cook with less than 5 ingredients?
Where was the last place you visited?
Funny travel story?

My favourite travel blogs and websites

As a travel-junkie, obviously I do my own fair share of reading other peoples' blogs and tips for their travels, even when I don't have plans to visit a place it's still brilliant to read them and day-dream about when I might get to visit far-flung (or some nearby places). There are also some websites I check regularly and find very helpful. So, since I have many friends who like to travel almost as much as I do and I thought I'd share them with you.

www.skyscanner.com
This is a no-brainer - the cheapest flights I've found, my parents use it and I've recommended it to numerous people. It has lots of options for you to choose from (You can check flights for the whole month or year if you like) time you want to fly, you can exclude certain airlines if you don't like to fly with them. I've been using it now for about 7 years and I'm always stunned that people don't know about it.

http://www.hostelworld.com/blog/what-does-1-buy-you-in-every-european-country/158597?source=newsletter-hwnljune14
Here's a great article about what $1 will buy you in each European country - I don't know why they put  Walkers crisps in Ireland, if you want potato chips in Ireland you must buy Tayto or King. You don't know what you're missing until you eat these, that's a fact. Also, $1 in most Irish supermarkets or Centra/Spar etc will buy you 2/3 sausage rolls - which are brilliant for the hangover you will undoubtedly experience at some point in an Irish trip.

http://www.resorthoppa.com
This is a pick-up service from airports around the world. They do offer reasonable rates (I've checked and I've often taken tuks, taxis and buses from airports to the city centre or where I'm staying) and if there are more than one of you it can be good value. It also means that you don't have to worry about negotiating the journey in a foreign language after 14 hours travelling. They'll be waiting for you with a sign. Definitely cheaper than taxis and helpful in places where buses aren't readily available.

http://www.wwoof.net
If I had known about this! I first heard about Wwoofing when I was in New Zealand and it sounds like a great way to get free food and accomodation whilst travelling, particularly in more expensive countries in Europe or Australia/New Zealand. They also offer stays as short as 4-7  days so you aren't stuck doing something if you really hate it and - in the great tradition of travellers - you might actually learn something! Alternatively you can try http://www.workaway.info for longer stays (usually at least a month) and a wide variety of positions (au-pairing, working in a hostel, helping school-children, photography, marketing). Be very careful about vetting the owners/place though. I thought I had a month sorted in Sri Lanka volunteering at a hostel when the owner hit on me (via Skype). He suggested we have an affair whilst I was there. Needless to say, I turned him down and was lucky enough to find other work, without the site. There are many good projects though and I don't think it's a reflection on the website.

http://www.worldofwanderlust.com
I love this blog. A fellow female traveller, she has done so much that I'm envious of and the layout of the blog makes it very easy to navigate. It's always worth looking up her blog for tips on different places, hotel rooms (for the traveller with a bit of extra cash), places to see, ways to save prior to your trip etc.

http://www.whichairline.com/news/Battle-of-the-low-cost-airlines%3A-Ryanair-AirAsia-or-tigerair-None-of-them-in-2014%21
Another good article on low-cost airlines. WhichAirline recently did a cost comparison (WITH baggage) with some interesting results. Some budget airlines are excluded from the comparison search engines so this up-to-date article is a handy tool on which airlines websites to visit for the best deals.

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/the-ultimate-guide-to-traveling-when-you-have-no-money/
I subscribe to Nomadic Matt and I've included a link here to one of his great articles on travelling with no money. For most of us, having no money is a concern of some sort, particularly when we want to get to our next place. Matt scours the net and partners with some travel companies offering great discounts, who are doing the best travel-related deals now on credit cards and other sites and he always has an abundance of helpful info in his emails and articles.

If you like to read about travel, like me, who likes to have a deeper insight into the places I've been or am going to - not just from Lonely Planet, Rough Guide etc - check out Conde Nast's list of travel books. http://www.cntraveller.com/recommended/culture/best-travel-books/page/books-on-worldwide-travel

For places to stay, I always use www.hostelworld.com and I would highly recommend becoming a member on their site. Their ratings are great and always from people who have stayed in a particular place. I vehemently advise against hostelbookers.com. They double-booked me on the one occasion I used them, in Christchurch and I ended up having to pay NZD150 for a room that night, last-minute. The website weren't even apologetic. The reason I was double-booked (along with a few others) was that hostelbookers hadn't sent through the booking forms to the hostel in question until the day I was due to arrive and by that stage they were fully booked. I had a 'confirmed' email in my hand. The staff at the hostel were ever so helpful but two other couples arrived in whilst I was online trying to find somewhere else and the exact same thing had happened to them. I've used hostelworld on approximately 30-40 occasions and nothing like this ever happened.

http://www.goodbyevirginiahelloworld.com
I met Ansley in a hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand and we've kept in touch. I subsequently discovered her wonderful photo-blog. She really captures the essence of places on her travels and has photos of some neat little wonders that I have yet to come across. If you are keen on photography and far-flung places you will enjoy this blog.

Here are a couple of app's I have on my phone which I can't do without.
XE Currency - does what it says on the site, converts any currency to another in seconds. Free.
Travel Safe Pro. Emergency numbers for any country you may visit, embassy details and other numbers you might need should you have an emergency far from home. No, a lack of wifi isn't actually considered an emergency. However, if that is your emergency - there is a free app called Wifi Finder to help you.
TripIt - Picks up your flight details, bus details etc and stores them all in a handy format. It also tracks how many miles you've covered and where. You can also add your loyalty programmes to it and it will track those. I found it quite handy.

So there you have my little collection of websites and apps I use on a regular basis that make my life easier and more interesting. If you have any, please let me know as I'm always interested in anything travel-related.