Searching for the perfect honeymoon

Picking a honeymoon destination is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make. 
(Yes I live a lovely, fluffy, care free life!)

As we had a destination wedding in January, we decided it would be nice to come home and have a honeymoon to look forward to later in the year. I also knew I would need to occupy my once filled wedding brain with something post nuptials.

But it is oh so difficult to pick a destination.

I already have my own personal top three honeymoon location:

-Cuba

-Egypt

-Fiji

But the issue is, we have already been to these locations.

Driving along the rural roads in Cuba

Before the wedding, we had thought that Vietnam would be an ideal location. Asia intrigues us both and this beautiful country would allow us adventure, relaxation and culture.

But now that the grand event is over (and all the money is spent!) the gloss is wearing off it. Flights are expensive, we only have two weeks to play with and we have a conflict with the ‘best time of year’ to visit.

Giza Pyramids, Egypt 2012

So now my mind has been refocused back to Europe and the Middle East. There are some fab beaches and resorts scattered about this continent and obviously there is culture and history galore to explore, but which one do I pick for a honeymoon?

Ideally we would like to do some sightseeing, partake in a fun activity and spend a few days relaxing.

Fiji islands, 2008

Crete, Sicily, Croatia, Malta, Greek islands, Jordan and Tunisia are all on my radar.

Do any of you have any tips, advice or indeed destinations you would think suitable?

Discover The Titanic in Belfast

Harland & Wolff, Titanic Quarter

Have you been to the Titanic Belfast museum yet? And if not, why not??

The six story exhibition museum is a must visit when in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Just steps away from the actual birthplace of the world’s most famous ship (the area is now actually called the Titanic Quarter) it showcases the fact, figures, journey and personal histories of the “unsinkable” ship of dreams.

Titanic Belfast

Well if you have or have not made the memorable trip there is more great news for this construction marvel. The award winning museum which only opened in 2012 (read about the grand opening) is undergoing a refreshment with a new gallery addition to be launched in March, while a number of other popular galleries in the Titanic Belfast Experience will be developed.
The development highlights includes a new Discovery Tour – a walking-tour insight into the building’s concept and design that also sees the historic Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices re-open to Discovery Tour guests.


The attraction will also welcome the return of Ocean Explorer Dr Robert Ballard, the man who discovered the wreck of RMS Titanic in 1985, on March 20. He will host a public lecture, and ‘An Evening with Dr. Ballard,’ an exclusive conversational event boasting with it a White Star Line theatrical 5-star dining experience in the building’s breath-taking Titanic Suite.

In addition, while preparing to host the much-anticipated Giro d’Italia 2014 start in May, Titanic Belfast will be extending its temporary exhibition portfolio this year on the back of the popular Games of Thrones exhibit in 2013, which was viewed by more than 12,000 fans of the HBO series.

I visited the huge awe inspired museum in December 2012, and although the information is vast, the design and interaction of the exhibits means that even those who bore easily are kept entertained. The history of Belfast before and during the building of the Titanic was interesting, Belfast was much more than a city of The Troubles, it was an industrial hub. 

From the social history you physically move through the shipyard on a ride and watch as the Titanic is built before your eyes with sparks flying and deafening noise. You get the facts and figures of the launch of the ship as you look out on the actual Harland and Wolff Shipyard. Obviously you learn about the sinking, you hear the story from several different angles including the aftermath and the myths and legends surrounding that faithful night. And then you get to see the ship wreck you watch as it is discovered and look through what was left behind.

Movies and moving objects, interactive screens, an amusement ride through the building of the ship, the artefacts, the underground water discovery of the ship and remodels of the actual rooms are all presented in a way that keeps all the family tuned in.

If you do one thing this year - visit Belfast and see The Titanic!

Zooming in on the Book of Kells

The colours, the craft, the years of intricate details, gold lettering, the secrecy and the beautiful result of the Book of Kells is a sight to behold.

So when the news that The Book of Kells App for the iPad was released I was both happy and disappointed.
Happy because I want the world over to know about this illuminated manuscript created by Celtic monks from the late 6th Century up to the 9th Century.
But disappointed because, for some they will download the app, scroll through it and never actually take the trip to Trinity College Library, Dublin to see this national treasure.

I made the trip to Trinity College to see one of our most sacred treasures a few years ago. The visit to see the Book of Kells is much more than the few minutes you get with the selected pages.
It it about seeing Trinity College, the most prestigious and historic university in Ireland. It is about
the other manuscripts on display and the magnificent Long Room which houses 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books in its oak bookcases and the build up to the main event with a ‘Turning Darkness into Light’ exhibition which provides all the background and info needed.

The Library changes the four pages on display every few weeks, so each visit is never the same, but of course it means paying the admission fee each time to see it. For $11.99 in the iTunes store the Book of Kells App contains all 680 pages of the manuscript.

The good points of the app are of course that you will get to see each and every page of the Book of Kells in intricate details with some you can zoom up to six times their original size!

Technology is amazing and it makes this beautiful and mysterious treasure available to everyone. People will be awe struck by it’s contents that may never have known of its existence or may never have had the means of plans to ever view it. Maybe we can get more theories on it, more information from researchers the world over.
So do purchase, download and admire, but please remember seeing the actual book is much more magical and dazzling than the touch screen of your iPad.

And of course the original was not created for zoom, tap and click it was produced to inspire, to amaze and to educate.

The difference is the security

When people ask me “what is Egypt like” I usually tell them “It is different.”
Different from Ireland, unlike your typical holiday destination, historic beyond comprehension, traditional yet modern, in upheaval yet relaxed.

What is so different? The Irish would argue our Newgrange is older than the pyramids so we can tick off history, Ireland has always been a traditionally religious country so we understand Egyptians passion for their religion, we understand borders too and the need to preserve our culture and we have also been known for our political upheavals.

The actual difference my friends is the level of security.

The amount of security around Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh is like none I have ever seen before. It is intense and it is everywhere. The reason for it is pretty obvious, but aside from the necessity it is there to make you and me and foreign diplomats feel at ease.
Except it does the opposite.

Mubarak party headquarters, Tahrir Square was burned out during the revolution in 2011
(c) fifiheavey

When I arrived at the Hilton, Cairo at 2am on our first night, I barely batted an eye to the security, well my eyes were barely open. But the next day the level and effort put into security around Cairo astounded me.



Airport security is something we have all come familiar with, we know the deal, the checks what is allowed, what is not. Now take that airport security, the metal detector, the bag xray machine, along with some serious looking armed men and their important and urgent questions and place that at every hotel in the country, every shopping mall, every cinema, every museum …. and you get an idea of the level of security in Egypt.

Security at hotel entrance of Marriott Sharm El Sheikh
(c) fifiheavey

If you take a taxi to your hotel, the taxi must stop and show identification before being let inside the 24 hour guarded gates. Also before the taxi can be admitted the boot must be popped open, and checked for explosives. Terrified passengers will also be given the once over with the guard's stern eye before you can be allowed to enter. You may have only left 20 mins before  but the same checks apply each and every time.

You may only want to step outside the hotel door for a cigarette or to check if your taxi is on time, but each time you enter you must pass the metal detector and your bag is scanned.
It is annoying, but is it too much?

For many it provides a safety blanket, a sure bet that your hotel will be safe from any suicide bombers and for a country that has a huge reliance on tourism that is a bet Egyptians want to win.

Sometimes it is the food, the people, the dress, the night-life, the social activities that divides one culture from another, for me it was the security.
Security is a loose term in Ireland, we don’t need it, so it gets little use. But even if we did need it, could we do it? I don’t think so not to that extent, we are too trusting and too lazy to be all the time on the watch out for terrorism activity.

The difference between Ireland and Egypt? The security.

Tas- a Tasmania

Lake St Clair, Tasmania
(c) fifiheavey

For those thinking of visiting Australia (for work or holidays) I would recommend that you do not overlook Tasmania.

Yes the West Coast is a dream of beaches and surf, the East coast is a secluded marvel and the centre is dry, red and astounding, but 


Tasmania is a surprise you don't want to miss out on.

Even the Aussies themselves forget about Tasmania, for decades it was the haunted island of Van Diemens Land – an English Penal Colony, and although I do recall a few haunting moments from my trip that is the appeal, the sort of mystery shrouding the wild mountains and valleys, the winding roads and small villages of the Tasmanian hide away.

We went out of our way to visit the little Natural Island to the south, we spent over a week there and it was certainly well worth it for some history, hill walks and wildlife with some teeth!

Antarctic ship in the dock at Hobart
(c) fifiheavey

Hobart is the main town and has plenty of charm – including Antarctic explorer ships (Tasmania is the last stop and first one on the way back). It has a super hippy Saturday market and plenty of places to eat and drink.

Tahune Forest Airwalk
(c) fifiheavey

But you do need to get out of the city and I would suggest you first head to Tahune Forest Air Walk. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful forest ramble or are up for a more challenging hike, one of Tahune’s trails is sure to fit the bill. Did you know that some of the tallest trees in the world grow in southern Tasmania? Swinging bridges high above the trees – this is the perfect location for dreaming and to get over your silly fear of heights!

Next up get your walking boots on and prepare to be in awe of the scenery around Lake St Clair. Look up and around Cradle mountain surrounds you, it dominates the area and yet Lake St Clair etches out pretty coves and beaches and is home to some of the rarest wildlife. Watch out for Platypus, echidna or wombats!

Horror movie set at Queenstown
(c) fifiheavey

Visit Queenstown if you want to star in your own horror movie set in an abandoned mine town. We stayed the night is the scariest hotel. It was like something out of an old Western movie every floor board creaked and the steep hill out of town meant making a quick escape very difficult!

Climbing The Nut
(c) fifiheavey

Leave the horror behind and take a chair ride up 'The Nut' to the beautiful views of the volcanic plug before having a delightful lunch at Wineglass Bay where a pink granite mountains rises straight from the sea to form a magnificent sheltered waterway or one of the top ten beaches in the world!

Tasmania Devil
(c) fifiheavey

Of course you will need to take in some Tasmania Devils, I recommend Tasmanian Devil conservation Park. These vicious animals are the size of a small dog, and is the largest carnivorous marsupial – nice to look at not to touch!

And end your awesome tour with a scary visit to Port Arthur – this is one place I would advise against visiting alone – it scared the shit out of me! No special effects, no mad design, no characters, just derelict buildings and stories from 1833- 1877.

Port Arthur was known as an inescapable prison, much like Alcatraz – but of course people did.

Port Arthur
(c) fifiheavey

Think of Tasmania as a Thriller – plenty of shocks and surprises but the ending is very satisfactory.

Back to Berlin

A section of the Berlin Wall
(C) fifiheavey

Big pressure this week.            

I return to Berlin.

Four years ago I flew into Berlin not expecting anything great and with my own preconceptions about the city and the country. But it astounded me, the history was amazing, the culture intriguing, the people fun and helpful and the entertainment – out of this world.

Me and a Berlin bear
(c) fifiheavey

Berlin surpassed Paris as my favourite place in Europe and I have been singing its praises ever since.

This week I return to the once divided city.

But this time I am not alone, I will travelling with a friend (cousin to be exact).

I have told him Berlin is amazing, the craziest place on earth, the most interesting location in the world ... etc etc

(C) fifiheavey

And now I have to make it live up to that huge reputation. There is a whole lot of pressure on me and on this unique city. If we return and he is not bowled over by Berlin and all the wonders it holds – my reputation could be ruined.

Its gonna be easy though right? 

There are so many things to see and do, so many historic sites, buildings, streets, museums. 

The Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Unter Den Linden, The Reichstag, Museum Island, Checkpoint Charlie, Topography of Terror ....

Brandenberg Gate, Berlin
(c) fifiheavey

“I don't really do the tourist thing” he told me.

Uh Oh.

So he will be expecting the strange and wonderful, the quirky, the unknown.

Still Berlin should be able to deliver. I just stumbled across craziness on a daily basis in Berlin four years ago. I didn't have to go looking – they were right there on tap.

But em... if you had to go looking, say for strange unique things to see and do – where would one look? 

I am open to all ideas!

My back up plan: Get him drunk on authentic German Beer and turn him into a history craving tourist!

Craziness on tap - looking forward to hangover free German beer!
(C) fifiheavey

Winter Solstice and the old New Year

Happy New Year! 

WHAT you don't celebrate the New Year on December 21^st?

Strange.

5,000 years ago in Ireland, the Stone Age Farmers would celebrate the start of a new year, the beginning to the end of Winter and the prospect of a bright new season on December 21, the Winter Solstice.

Light entering the tomb.

Scientifically it is the period when the earth's axial tilt is furthest away from the sun, but in lay woman's terms it is the shortest day of the year, the longest night making way for longer days.

All over the world different cultures interpret the event differently, in Ireland we believe it was an event of huge celebration, sacrifice, prayers and more than likely some alcohol, dancing and general merriment!

The event was such a big deal that 500 years before the pyramids of Giza were constructed, Stone Age farmers had co-operated to build Newgrange Passage Tomb, in the sacred Boyne Valley in Co Meath. The magnificent ancient temple which was re-discovered in the 17^th century still conceals secrets about it's exact function.

One thing we do know is that it was built exactly to capture the special Winter Solstice. Every year on December 21 at approx 9am a narrow beam of light enters the roof box, travels down the passage and fills the rear chamber with light. The extraordinary occasion lasts only 17 minutes.

Newgrange Passage Tomb
(c) fifiheavey

To imagine the thought, work and effort that went into capture this moment 5,000 years ago blows my mind. And it certainly places a huge significance around the Winter Solstice and December 21. Of course the end of a bitter winter, of almost hibernation and the prospect of longer days and more sun for a population that relied so heavily on the land for survival is epic. But I think there was more to the event than that, something spiritual, a rebirth of life.

Roof box where the sun light enters during Winter Solstice above the entrance to the tomb.
(c)fifiheavey 

This year 31,531 people applied in the Winter Solstice lottery to be chosen to see the event at Newgrange. (No I didn't get it!)

The sun enters the tomb from December 19 -23, but only fills the entire chamber on December 21. 50 names are randomly picked, and a group of ten get to see the captured sun on each day.

What a way to start the new year before it even begins!

To apply for the 2012 lottery enter here.

Not welcome in Istanbul

Istanbul, previously known as Byzantium and or Constantinople is a cultural and historical hub.

It is the only metropolis in the world to sit on two continents - Asia and Europe and because of this has enjoyed and endured one of the most interesting history in the world. It is a maze of beautiful architecture and promotes itself as a “modern Muslim city.”

This place sounds right up my alley – history, culture, architecture, religion – it even has a reputation for a unique night life.

Taksim Square, Istanbul
(c) fifiheavey

But when I visited last month, it didn't live up. It didn't even stand up.

Because I didn't feel welcome.

The city is amazing, old and new buildings contrast, streets wind up and down, history pores from almost every street corner. And yet it did not come together for me.

The colours and smells from the late night shopping around Taksim Square were intoxicating, the puffs of coloured smoke and strange taste of the hookahs entertained and the music pumped all night long.

On the other side of the city, the Blue and the Suleymaniye Mosque dominated, they commanded respect. The Grand Bazzar, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia - all were fascinating.

Taking a puff of a Hookah
(c) fifiheavey

But I didn't feel safe, I didn't feel welcome and above all I didn't feel respected.

I love finding myself in a new city, the strangeness, the unknown, the difference. You can't beat being somewhere for the very first time. Yes you must take photos, see the sights and dine in local cuisine. But you must also wander, drift away, tuck your camera away and observe, blend in and see the city as a passer by.

The shouting didn't bother me, the hassle didn't affect me, the comments didn't even take a flinch.

It was the looks.

As I walked alone down the streets (appropriately dressed), trying to get my bearings, politely smiling and shaking my head to various offers from street stalls, I felt weary and anxious.

The sellers were unlike the men in Marrakesh who forced you to buy something you merely glanced at, they were aggressive about it.

They did not appreciate my lone status, I felt like it insulted them. But even in a larger company with men at the table they showed no greater respect. They stared suspiciously – not grateful at all for our custom.

The best kebabs in town
(c) fifiheavey

My thoughts on Istanbul are surprising to me, I am usually so open to cultural differences, to a conflict in ideals, manners and beliefs. But what I experienced in Istanbul was stronger than a difference. It was stand off-ish.

I felt like they wanted me to know – you and your ideals are not welcome here.

My friends felt the same way, acquaintances back home also understood my explanations.

“You are not in Europe now” a friend was told during an exchange in a bar one night.

He was right, of course – but we were in the former European Capital of Culture, in a country that once campaigned to be part of the European Union.

Two trams pass by at the gates to Galatasary High Square on Istikal Street
(c) fifiheavey

Did I miss the point – have I got Istanbul all wrong?