Bonjour! I am sitting in our beautiful hotel lobby next to the Louvre as I write this. We have but a few more hours in Paris. Precious hours they are as this city has quickly become a favorite place of ours. There is so much to explore yet and so much to see but alas we resign ourselves to the plan of coming back for more of this city that seems to go on and on and impress and take our breath away at every turn.
Before coming I had only been to Paris on an 8 hour layover and had only known snippets of information from french classes in high school and college. I had also developed some stereotypes along the way from other people’s experiences and had certain expectations of how the city would be and how the people would react to me, the dreaded American. They weren’t necessarily the best or the kindest expectations, but they set me up to be blown away by this incredible place. Listen up people, Parisians are kind, helpful people and the city is dazzling! I was thoroughly enchanted every hour of the day. It definitely helped that we were staying in an “out of our league” swanky hotel right across the street from the Louvre (be still my heart!), but as we wandered through the neighborhoods it consistently made me giddy with joy as “wow” escaped my lips innumerable times.
Day one we arrived at our hotel around 2pm and immediately dropped our things and took to the streets. We were eager to learn our neighborhood and see which cafes and restaurants we wanted to devour. Here is where I learned that while, yes, a lot of cafes in Paris are expensive, not all of them are. We were able to find reasonably priced places and found grocery stores and boulangeries to buy pastries (!), bread, cheese and meat for lunch. They are there you just have to look for them. Jamie will post on the ones we tried and our experience with them. Another thing that shocked me was the price of getting around the city. We ended up buying a Metro card that was good for unlimited trips for a week for 26 euros. When you count up how many times you use the metro to get you from one neighborhood in this massive city to the next, its worth it for sure. That night after dinner we went over to the infamous Eiffel Tower. We ended up seeing this in both the day and the night and would recommend doing both if you can. They are both impressive to see. Paris is like two cities, the day Paris and the Night Paris. Oh they both are wonderful and dazzling in their own ways, take a nap in the afternoon so you can make sure to see both. A nap is always a wise investment and in this case a life saver.
Day Two found us at the Louvre. So we did it in a day, but blog after blog after guide book says to NOT pack it into one day, we did. And it was fine. Put aside one day for the Louvre, you’ll be fine. We ended up taking a lunch/nap break back at our hotel (again, our hotel was across the street from the Louvre so it was convenient) and felt it a wise thing to refill the energy tank. After that we were ready to tackle the rest of the Louvre and the evening ahead. The Louvre was incredible, I’m not sure what stole my attention more the art or the building. The French don’t know the word MODERATION, it was elaborate in every way, every hall, every stairway. The part I think I liked best and was most awe-inspiring for me was Napoleon III Apartments. It looks like he had unlimited funds to furnish and decorate his place. On the other hand we were underwhelmed with the Mona Lisa, we saw it more out of obligation than anything, but now we can say we saw it and as we said, now that’s out of the way we can enjoy the rest the Louvre has to offer. A surprise was in the basement, did you know that the Louvre was a Medieval Fortress? It was and you can walk the moat between the fortress wall and the old outer city wall. Once Paris expanded beyond the walls and the Louvre found itself more in the middle of the city the King decided to make it a palace instead. If we had another day in Paris I would have loved to see Musee d’Orsay, this is where the Impressionists and more modern artists are. I’ve heard great things about this museum, and hope to be back to see it for myself.
The Louvre at night
Napoleon III’s Apartments
Day 3 found us in Montmartre, walking up steps and hills to see Sacre Coeur and eat breakfast in a quaint neighborhood cafe. The french like most Europeans like to take their time at meals so the service is not always the quickest, but relax you’re on vacation, slow down. We enjoyed Quiche, croissants and a bowl of cappuccino, now that’s my idea of a cup of coffee! After breakfast we saw the church on a hill, Sacre Coeur, and the view from the front door is expansive, you can see almost the entire city from that hill. In fact walk around Montmartre and see amazing views from almost every street. This was one of our favorite neighborhoods in Paris and we wish we had more time to explore the fairytale streets and quaint cafes. Compared to the hustle and bustle in other places, Montmartre is quiet and peaceful. From there we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower again and this time we went up. We chose the stair route to save a little and we heard it really wasn’t worth going all the way to the top anway, so we went up to the 2nd floor. It was pretty incredible views that changed as you went up and down. We had an awesome day to see views, and would recommend this tourist destination.
The delicious looking baked goods from Coquelicot…the cafe where we had breakfast in Montmartre
Leah enjoying a macaron from Coquelicot Bakery
Sacre-Coeur Cathedral
Over all, Paris Je t’aime! We loved our time here and if we get the chance we would love to come back again one day. Until then…
Happy Trails,
The Smuckers
Early morning again here in Ireland, we said our goodbyes to Sharon this morning and headed toward Dublin. After checking into our hotel we traded in our car for a more city friendly bus pass and caught a bus from the airport straight into Dublin. The first stop was Trinity College, the oldest College in Ireland and smack dab in a busy bustling city. Next stop was the National Museum which is free and is out of the rain, which is what we wanted the most, the museum was interesting and tells the history of Ireland from prehistoric on. Something I learned was that Ireland was a Viking settlement at 2 different times in history. Did you know that?
Next we stopped for lunch in a traditional Irish Pub called Sheehan’s, and walked the posh walking streets close by. After window-shopping we made our way over to Dublin Castle and the medieval area of the city. I was blown away by the history this city possesses. The buildings in this area go back to the 900’s AD and you can still see the old city wall that is 775 years old! I guess when you come from a land that considers 1600/1700 ancient you are impressed by anything older! We had dinner in a pub that was established in 1100’s for heaven sake! I kept waiting for the walls to crumble on top of me as I ate my dinner. After strolling around Temple Bar area and enjoying the cobble stone street scenes we ended our night with some live traditional Irish music at Cobblestone Pub. Ahh, that was a full happy day. Tomorrow, Paris.
Happy Trails,
The Smuckers
Jamie’s Travel Tips:
-The Airport Holiday Inn Express is a great budget hotel to stay at if you’re flying out in the morning. Whenever we travel and need a budget place to stay on points, we always love staying at Holiday Inn Express hotels which are part of the Intercontinental Hotel Group. The hotels usually cost between 10,000 and 20,000 points a night and include free hot breakfast and wifi. IHG points can be acquired by signing up for the IHG credit card. This is one of my favorite hotel credit cards because the signup bonus is usually between 60,000 and 80,000 points, the card only costs $49 a year, and every card anniversary you get a free night at any level hotel (a great value). My wife and I both have this card so we will be using those free nights at the Intercontinental Del La Ville Roma in Rome.
-The most convenient way to travel between the city and the airport is via the Dublin Bus Airlink. A roundtrip ticket cost 10 Euros from the airport to the city and back. Just look for the green bus numbered 747.
The next day we were up and at it, while the sleepy town slept in after a weekend of festivities. It amazed me how trashed the town would get at the end of each festival day and the contrast to the clean streets we would wake up to every morning. It struck me how much pride the Irish have in their communities and how dedicated they were to their particular piece of the town/sidewalk.
After a quick breakfast we were back on the road. This time with castle dreams in our heads. At Killarney we stopped to tour Ross Castle, which is a tower house. It didn’t disappoint my childhood fairy tale dreams of castle life. The grounds that surround the castle are straight out of a dream or the pages of a storybook. The castle itself is on the edge of a lake that is backed by lush green hills and full of white swans and ducks swimming lazily. We got to glimpse of life back when the castle was in use, which we learned was only in times of conflict. This was no manor house full of balls and grand parties. Instead these houses were used when the clan was threatened and needed a fortified place to find safety. Far from the Cinderella castle with balls and parties! If you find yourself driving through Killarney stop in Killarney National park and tour Ross Castle and enjoy the beauty the park has to offer.
Ross Castle
Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney
Happy Trails,
The Smuckers
Jamie’s Travel Tips:
-Castles are everywhere. We chose to take a tour through Ross Castle in Killarney National Park. We highly recommend the 40 minute tour. It only cost 4 euros per person compared to 12 euros at the popular Blarney Castle.
October 3-5
One of the main reasons we chose Ireland was to visit Jamie’s sister who lives there just outside of Waterford. Not that Ireland wasn’t on our list of places to see in our lifetime, I mean who doesn’t dream of Ireland green and Celtic accents? Seriously, and now that we’ve been we would recommend it to anyone. Ireland is one of those easy to get along with countries especially for Americans that haven’t traveled much or at all outside the US. The language is English, the people are laid back and friendly, and the culture isn’t so foreign that it’s puzzling. The only thing is… watch out for the roads! Left side people, look right, left, right before you cross the street! We ended up renting a car because we wanted to do some traveling around the southwest at our own pace, so in fact Jamie had the biggest adjustment as the only driver and he did it so smoothly you’d think he’d been driving on the left side of the road and shifting with his left his entire life.
After we picked up Sharon (Jamie’s sister) we were off to the Ring of Kerry. The Ring is in Kerry County, which is 2 counties to the west of Waterford, and is on the jagged shoreline of southern Ireland. The ring is a popular tourist destination because of the shore views and the dramatic cliffs along the way, unfortunately we had a hazy, cloudy morning the day we drove it but we were able to enjoy what we could see all the same. We stopped frequently along the way but one of the most memorable stops was at the Kerry cliffs, again it wasn’t the ideal conditions to see them but they were still dramatic just the same.
Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church
Just below the cliffs was a small town called Portmagee where we decided to have lunch in a local pub and we were treated to some traditional Irish music by what looked like a family of musicians. It was so sweet to see the little girls joining in with their instruments and the others ever so patient with the slip of a note here and there. I think in all there were 6 instruments in their ensemble and it was a feast for the ears as we filled up our bellies.
The town of DingleDingle Harbor
When we finally arrived at our destination, Dingle, we discovered they were having a food festival, or a Taste Trail as they would say. The small town was packed with people and food stands from all over and we couldn’t have been happier to join in on the delectable fun. Once we got settled into our room we went about the business of finding out what was available for our tasting. Because the festival was winding down for the day by the time we got there, we only did reconnaissance that afternoon for our Sunday bites. However, we did find a nice, cozy, traditional Pub for dinner called Murphy’s and left feeling full and satisfied.
The Dingle Peninsula Loop
The next morning after breakfast we rented bikes and set out to explore the Dingle Peninsula. We had read before we left that the best way to experience this peninsula was on bike and YES we heartily agree. Please, please, please if you go to Dingle, rent a bike for the day and take your time winding along the shores of Dingle, you won’t regret it. The total loop is about 42 kilometers so it’s pretty substantial and will take you most of the day unless you are going for speed, don’t go for speed.
When we did make it back to Dingle we were ready to take part of the Taste Trail. The following is what we ate: Traditional Irish Stew, Sticky Toffee Desert, Monkfish and Crab tartlet, fish and chips, Strawberry and Nutella Crepe, Cajun Chicken Sandwich, and Twix Ice Cream Sunday. No need for dinner that night! Our bellies were full, and our bodies tired and not yet adjusted to the time change so we went to bed early that night.
Happy Trails,
The Smuckers
Jamie’s Travel Tips:
-We flew to Ireland on Lufthansa with United Airlines points. The tickets cost 30,000 points per person one way, which I accumulated through the Chase United Explorer credit card signup bonus.
-When flying to Ireland try to find a direct flight. I wanted to fly on the new 747-8 that lufthansa flies but the extra stop in Frankfurt, and needing to claim and recheck our bags didn’t make it worthwhile.
-If you are spending more than 2 days in Ireland and want to travel outside of Dublin, renting
a car is a relatively easy and hassle free experience.
– A great way to get primary insurance coverage on your rental car in Ireland is by using the Chase Sapphire credit card to pay for the entire booking.
-For cell phone service we got a SIM card at the airport and than used our phone for GPS. Just be sure your phone is unlocked!
-Be careful where you stay in the town of Dingle. Some accommodations on Airbnb are located above bars and nightclubs. Nothing wrong with the rooms themselves but it can be pretty noisy until about 2 a.m. in the morning.
-If you have the time, renting bikes is a must for taking in the Dingle peninsula. They cost about 15 euros per day.
-Murphy’s Pub in Dingle is a great place to eat enjoy dinner and the local pub atmosphere. Then again, there are many great pubs in Dingle!
-Try some traditional Irish Lamb stew in Ireland…it is delicious!
Its almost here!! For those that may not know, we are about to embark on a new adventure, well many new adventures actually. We are headed out of the country for a few weeks and will be blogging and sharing pictures here as we go. If you wish to follow us as we journey, here is our itinerary and be sure to click “Follow Where We Roam” on the home page left side column. By following this blog you will be sent notifications when we update the blog, that way you don’t have to keep refreshing your screen wondering when we will be updating. We’d sure love to hear from you as you hear from us!
Happy Trails,
The Smuckers
Itinerary
October 1 -7: Ireland
October 7-9: Paris
October 10-12: Italy – Venice
October 12-14: Italy – Cinque Terra
October 14-16: Italy – Hill towns
October 16-17: Italy- Rome
October 18-21: Greece – Santorini
October 23-December 2: Thailand
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect shoe for our upcoming trip to Europe and while I wouldn’t say I’m a fashionista I definitely care about what my shoes look like and want them to be cute, comfortable and versatile (day to night)/casual yet elegant). Pretty much I want everything out of this shoe. I have spent way too many an hour in cheap shoes that look good but feel awful and I am a believer in there being a shoe out there to meet my needs.
That all being said my style and preferences are pretty specific to me and I understand that while I might not like the way a shoe looks and fits there may be someone out there that its perfect for. So I will be doing a series of reviews on shoes as I search for that perfect one.
Today I am reviewing the Merrell Women’s Mimix Haze flats. I bought a pair of coral Merrell Mimix Haze flats from REI mostly because of its low risk, zero commitment return policy. I had high hopes for these shoes from the reviews I read; they looked like something that I would like and check all the boxes on my requirements. However, these shoes are just not for me. First I was hoping for a more orangey coral, but they turned out to be more pink. Second I could tell the instant I put them on that they would rub my heal, they gapped on the sides, all while being a little on the small side for an 8 (I’m a solid 8 and don’t usually have trouble ordering that size). Even though they felt snug in the toe box my heal seemed to have no problem sliding out as I walked. The insoles were fine not the worst I’ve put on but definitely not the most supportive. The product description says it has a “remember me footbed” and that may be but its so thin it doesn’t feel much different from a regular footbed. I didn’t walk around town in these but rather my house and so I can’t comment on how well they would do for hours of sight seeing walking but because of the other concerns mentioned above I will be returning these and keep on keeping on my search for “the one”!
We finally arrived in California on September 20th and immediately got into our rental car and drove to the mountains of Yosemite National Park. We arrived at our campsite at Wawona campground at 8pm, long after the sun went to bed for the night, and set up our tent while the rain fell around us and we fell into bed exhausted from the travel and time change. How wonderful to sleep under the big trees of Yosemite (at least I imagined they were grand since it was dark when we arrived). The next morning we woke up to a clear beautiful day. We were hoping and ready for a hot breakfast and coffee except there was no firewood to make that happen so granola it was and some coffee from the store up the road and we were good to go exploring. From the moment we stepped out of our tent that morning we marveled at our alpine forest surroundings. What a change from the dry, barren rolling sometimes flat lands we drove through the day before. I was excited as we drove closer to Mariposa Grove, a dream was about to become a reality for me to see the Giant Sequoia of California.
The Redwood forest lay ahead of us and all around us. At Mariposa Grove we saw Bachelor and 3 Graces, Giant Grizzly and California Tunnel Tree. We were awestruck in the presence of these magnificent trees, spellbound by their enormity. We wandered around the couple mile trail admiring the beauty of these giants and the “lesser” sequoias near them. Lots of pictures were taken that day in case the memories in our heads ever fail us!
After we had our fill (haha, yeah right) we got back in the car excited for our first glimpse of the much researched, much talked about, much respected, Half Dome. We got our first look at the mammoth rock at Glacier Point. We were awestruck again at its magnificence and couldn’t seem to get enough of it as we gazed out across the great divide of the valley at the hunk of granite. Beauty. Ruggedness. Adventure. These words belong to that rock protruding from the earth below.
Finally we somehow tore ourselves away from the dramatic views of Glacier Point to get a closer look and set up camp in Yosemite Valley. Our first glimpse of the valley was at Tunnel View. Wow! Talk about dramatic suspense, the road to Yosemite Valley takes you through a tunnel and spits you out in the middle of giant granite sentinels that compel you to throw back your head to take in. It was a bout then that we wished we had a convertible or bikes to ride through the valley. Instead we stopped frequently and jumped out to feel the enormity of all that was around us and the smallness of our bodies in this drama in front of us. The weirdest part was seeing Half Dome in the valley way back far away, it looked so little compared to its fellow valley inhabitants. We peeled ourselves away and set up camp in the North Pines campground. We spent the evening under the shadow of Half Dome readying ourselves for an epic climb up that shear granite monster. We went to bed early to wake up before the sun the next morning. That night we dreamt of the memories and adventures to be had the next day.
Half Dome was the next day and there will be a separate post just for that adventure. Too much to put in one post here.
Love,
The Smuckers
Where We Roam 
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