The Book of Kells
I love books. I love holding them in my hands; I love organising them on my bookshelves; I love losing myself in their pages on a rainy day; and most of all I love how they smell. But despite visiting Dublin on numerous occasions, I had never visited one of the most famous books, in one of the most famous libraries, in the world – The Book of Kells in the Trinity College Library.
Hopdog and owners Sameul and Chady (photo via Hopdog)
Hotdogs probably aren’t the first food that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘gourmet.’ But a new company in Brussels is trying to change that. They’re called Hopdog and they’re taking food in a bun to a whole new level.
After one quick look at Hopdog’s website and menu, we decided we had to give these healthy, gourmet hotdogs a try. So, we grabbed a couple of willing friends and went to taste-test.
Visiting India from Belgium is easier than you think
Here in Belgium, it is incredibly easy to travel to other European countries. What you may not know is how easy it can be to travel to more exotic destinations. We wrote a lot about our travel experiences in India, back in March, but we failed to tell you how we did it. Today we want to show you how we travelled from Belgium to India and how you can get there too.
A bustling Saturday at the City Market
As travellers, we dream for far-flung destinations; palm lined beaches, vibrant cities and postcard-perfect landscapes. But in our search for the exotic, we often neglect the unique and interesting places right on our doorstep. In over six years of travel writing, I have never once written about my hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick. Today I’m going to change that, by showing you my favourite thing about Saint John – The City Market.
One of the things I love most about living in Europe is the market culture. Even the smallest town has a place where locals can gather to buy fresh produce, meats, seafood, baked goods and handcrafts. I’ve fallen in love with markets in Paris, Arles, La Rochelle and Pau in France; Barcelona and Valladolid in Spain; London, Helsinki, Krakow and Amsterdam to say nothing of our fabulous markets here in Brussels. And yet, for years, I had neglected the one special place I had grown up with – The Saint John City Market.
Bitche, France drew us in with its name, but we discovered there are plenty of reasons you should visit this beautiful town in the Grand Est region of France.
Exploring the beautiful Bay of Fundy coast in New Brunswick
When Andrew and I tell people in Europe we’re from Eastern Canada, we usually get the confident response “oh, you’re from Quebec!” Of the 3 Canadian cities most Europeans have heard of (Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal) Montreal is the easternmost. However there’s still a lot of Canada hanging out east of Quebec.
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island may be small, but what they lack in size, they make up for in personality. We Canadians call it the Maritimes, and we think there are many reasons you should visit us on the east coast. Here are seven of the best:
It may not always be sunny, but there’s still lots to love about summer in Belgium
Despite the lack of a government and the chilly days of the past week, there’s a lot to love about being in Belgium during the summer. Recent visits from travel blogging friends have reminded me of these things and I thought they were worth sharing. The following is my list of favorite things about Belgium in the summer.
Bunratty Castle
Visiting historical sites is a great way of gaining an appreciation for events and places. In my previous post about the Castles of Shannon Heritage, I wanted to show history doesn’t have to be boring. I’d love to travel back in time, but sadly the time machine hasn’t been invented. However, there is Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, which does more than just present the history, it immerses you in it.
Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, Ireland
When I was in university, I had a poster on my wall of a beautiful castle. It was built of pale grey stone and had turrets and arched windows. It was perched on the edge of a lake and was surrounded by forest. I didn’t know what it was called or where it was located but, for my young self, it represented all that was wild and romantic about travel. I longed to visit it someday.
It wasn’t until many years later, I learned my dream castle was actually Kylemore Abbey, located in the stunning mountains of Connemara, Ireland. At that time, it wasn’t open to the public and I believed I would never get to see my poster castle in person.
