Walking in Tinahely

Tinahely, in Co. Wicklow, is hosting a walking festival on the weekend of 17th and 18th April to launch three new looped walks, approved by Failte Ireland.



A couple of weeks ago, we went to check them out. Of the three options (from shorter to longer), we chose the middle one since we were only armed with a banana each and not that much time. It took us 3 hours in total - walking from the centre of the village up to the starting point, around the loop and back.



On the village's website http://www.tinahely.ie/, you can download the brochure for the festival activities and information about the new walks.



Here's a video to show you the views and the creatures we encountered. Next time, we'll try the long one and take a big fat picnic.

The Best Job in Ireland

Could this be the best job in Ireland?

Around the globe travel, testing luxury venues, savouring exotic delicacies, + 20K on top of it.

It certainly could...

http://www.runawaybrideandgroom.com/ultimatejob/

Whistler nostalgia

I'm loving the Winter Olympics yet I can't help thinking it is an act of pure masochism:

Firstly they remind me of how crap I am at skiing, ice skating and anything else involving snow, ice and -ing at the end.

Secondly, I'm definitely too old to fix it

AND more importantly: wouldn't it be nice to get up in the morning to catch a lift up the mountain, as opposed to a lift into work??

This time around, they also remind me of how much I enjoyed the time I spent in Whistler a few years ago.

Whistler, despite the hipster image (which is actually quite accurate), is a very lovable place.

First of all lovable placenames. We used to live in Marmot Place, Creekside. Just how cool is that as a name? 'Nice to meet you, I live in Marmot place.. you know? those funky animals? they like their good night's sleep?'

No John Street or Railway Road or any other boring name. The place of the Marmots...

The problem with lovely-sounding Marmot place was that it happened to be at the top of a bitch of a hill (these things tend to hapen in ski resorts... I know) which wasn't too handy when Mr. M broke his femur and had to conquer it every day with his crutches...

I suppose sometimes a friendly local would give him a lift up (usually leaving me carrying shopping and any other equipment up the fecking hill).

At the very bottom of Creekside there was a lake (you could walk - pre-femur busting - all the way to Whistler village along the lake) which was a great chilling out spot in the balmy late-spring weeks, when temperatures got well into their 20s and girls snowboarded in their bikini tops (seriously).

Posers and broken limbs aside, life in Whistler was like living in a bubble - relaxed and mobile-free. In fact, when I first left Whistler for Vancouver (briefly - to see Mr M in hospital) I felt like a wild animal out of its nature reserve - longing to get back to the mountain. Ok, a very shiny and decadent mountain but a mountain nonetheless...

From a skiing point of view, I was only a confused beginner (I correct myself: I AM still only a confused beginner) but ski-lovers and connoseurs will tell you resorts across the pond are much bigger and queue-free than crammed European ones. The runs... I couldn't tell but I'm sure they are greater as well. The pure hugeness of the whole landscape is a give away there...

-What I miss: the relaxed four months of easy going existence, maple syrup and Oreo biscuits ice-cream.

-What you probably won't miss: the overpriced groceries and the very irritating fact that taxes are never included in the prices (not very useful if you are strapped for cash).

ADVICE: don't be a fool (ahem) and get a visa that allows you to work legally if you are going for a season. Otherwise you might find yourself struggling financially and that's one thing you don't need hapenning in Whistler (or anywhere else...)

Happy New Year

It is hard to go back to the old routine after two weeks holidays.

I might just stick this picture of Anzere, in Switzerland, here so I can remind myself of the good times...

Happy New Year!

cheesed off

There is more to Irish cheeses than cheddar (and technically speaking cheddar is not even that Irish...). While you might not find them in your average supermarket, if you head to any farmers market around the country you'll be surprised by the variety of great cheeses made in Ireland by small producers with tasty recipes - and usually at much better value than those cheeses you will find in the supermarket.

Here are my favourites - that I buy at the Gorey's farmers market on Saturdays:

-Clonmore

is a very tasty hard(ish) goats cheese made in county Cork.

-Gubbeen, made in West Cork

is a cow's milk cheese, creamy and great to eat with chutneys. There is also a smoked version.

-Mature sheep cheese (such as Cratloe Hills)
if you like manchego, you'll love this.

-Carlow cheese
based in Fenagh, they make cheddar-type cheeses with unusual flavours, such as nettle and sundried tomatoes, chilli, etc...

-if you are into blue cheese (not my case): then try Wicklow Blue or Cashel Blue.

Wicklow has a whole range of its own cheeses. Wicklow Baun is a brie-type cheese and Old MacDonnells farm in the Glen of the Downs makes not only probiotic yogurt but also soft spreadable sheep cheese.

If you want to investigate for yourself, this is a very useful site, if you are interested in learning a bit more about great cheeses made in Ireland: http://www.irishcheese.ie/

Nollaig Shona!

before, during and after - Mauerfall Berlin

I'm totally in with Berlin's mayor when he says the city 'might be poor but it's sexy'. Capital of cool, Berlin's unemployment is surprisingly out of line in a country like Germany but then that might be explained by the high number of students, artists, musicians, etc... counted among Berlin's residents...



while this might not reflect particularly well on the financial sheets of the State, it is what gives the city its welcoming character. The city, that just celebrated the 20th anniversary of fall of the wall (mauerfall), has been the 'muse' of three great movies - reflecting live in the city (or cities!) before, during and after the Mauerfall.



-The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) - Before



Released in 2006, this masterpiece focuses on the invisible relationship of a Stasi agent and a couple of intellectuals he is 'surveying' in the East Berlin of the 1980s. Rightly so, it won an Oscar for Best foreign language film. One of the best movies in a long time.



-Good Bye Lenin (2003) - During

This hilarious drama/comedy follows Alex's troubles. His mum has been in a coma for a few months, missing one of the most important episodes in the history of the country: the fall of teh wall. As he tries to keep his mum from finding out the Berlin wall has fallen, in order to save her fragile health, Alex keeps their flat in East Berlin as West-free as possible, with very funny consequences.



-Run Lola Run (Lola rennt - 1998) - After

This popular thriller sees Lola literally running across different parts of post-wall Berlin trying to find 100,000 marks in cash to save her boyfriend Manni. Three options on three different ways Lola could have solve this problem unfold... offering some Berlin sightseeing along the way.

Cork among top 10 cities to visit in 2010

Lonely Planet has just discovered what we had known for a while: Cork is fab. Cork city has made it to the Top 10 cities to visit in 2010 by Lonely Planet's 'Best in Travel 2010'. The guide - that was just launched this week - praises Cork for being 'sophisticated, vibrant and diverse', while still relaxed and charming. Beat that!

The other cities in the Lonely Planet Top 10 are: Cuenca, Ecuador; Sarajevo, Bosnia & Hercegovina; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Kyoto, Japan; Lecce, Italy; Singapore; Vancouver, Canada; Istanbul, Turkey; and Charleston, USA.

Get your checklist started and get down to Cork, quick! The Film Festival is on this month so you can still get ahead of the crowd.