The Land of Giants and the Northernmost Point in Ireland

12 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Ireland, Northern Ireland

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Dunluce Castle, Europe, Giant's Causeway, Ireland, Malin Head, Northern Ireland, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

This is post five of fourteen on our trip to Northern Ireland and Croatia, minus our mini Game of Thrones tour. Those posts can be found here.

Although we didn’t have the amazing sunny weather that we had in Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland was absolutely beautiful. In fact, while we were visiting, there was an epic storm due to some hurricane in the U.S. that was wrecking havoc on the northern coastline.

As a result, the weather was tumultuous and varied from torrential rain to cloudy to brief glimmer of sunshine. Mr. Selfish and I tried to hold out for the brief glimmers of sunshine but we weren’t always the best at predicting when it would occur. There were certainly times when we got caught in torrential downpour.

Below is one of the instances, in which we got lucky with the sunshine:

This is Dunluce Castle, and although it looks quite scenic on the coast, it is mostly in ruins. We didn’t go in; we just snapped some photos when the sun came out briefly. This is because we were trying to ensure that we had some sunshine at Giant’s Causeway, which was our next stop.

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A Delightful Day Trip to Delos

27 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Greece, Mykonos

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Delos, Europe, Greece, Island Hopping, Mykonos, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

This is post fourteen of sixteen of our summer trip to Greece. Check out our other posts in the series here:

Mr. Selfish and I weren’t too overly impressed with Mykonos. We felt that the crowd was too young and drunk for our liking. Nevertheless, if we hadn’t spent two nights in Mykonos, we wouldn’t have taken a day trip to Delos, which was awesome.

Delos is known as one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece. According to mythology, it is the birthplace of the gods of Apollo and Artemis. Although Delos is still being excavated, a great deal of excavation has already occurred. Mr. Selfish loves ruins and was in heaven.

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Shots! Shots! ShotsShotsShots! Heading to Mykonos

26 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Greece, Mykonos

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Europe, Greece, Island Hopping, Mykonos, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Windmills

This is post thirteen of sixteen of our summer trip to Greece. Check out our other posts in the series here:

While researching the Greek islands, I discovered that Mykonos is known as a huge “party” island. Against our better judgment, particularly since we are not (and never have been) rambunctious party-goers, Mr. Selfish and I still decided to spend two days in Mykonos. It just looked so lovely in all of the photos I saw online.

Well, we were not let down. Mykonos is indeed as pretty as the photos but also full of young, loud, and drunk party-goers as its reputation would have you believe. Mr. Selfish will go over the party side of Mykonos in a later post. This post will focus on all things pretty in Mykonos.

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It’s All Greek to Me: Heading to Naxos

23 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Greece, Naxos

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Europe, Greece, Island Hopping, Mount Zas, Naxos, Portara, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Temple of Demeter, Zas Cave, Zeus Cave

This is post eleven of sixteen of our summer trip to Greece. Check out our other posts in the series here:

When I was researching which Greek islands to visit, it was clear to me that we should visit the renowned islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Since both of these are very popular islands, I wanted to visit a lesser known island as well. I ended up settling on Naxos because it was easy to travel between Santorini, Naxos, and Mykonos and because it is supposedly the island on which the Greeks vacation.

Naxos ended up being my (and probably Mr. Selfish’s too) favorite island. It was so much less touristy than Santorini and Mykonos but equally beautiful. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t visit Santorini or Mykonos. But if you want to experience a more low-key Greek island, then Naxos should be on your list.

This is the view of Naxos as you’re approaching on the ferry from the water.

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Santorini’s Spectacular Sights: Part 2

21 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Greece, Santorini

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Amoudi Bay, Europe, Greece, Island Hopping, Oia, Santorini, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

This is post nine of sixteen of our summer trip to Greece. Check out our other posts in the series here:

On our way from the airport to our accommodations in Oia, Mr. Selfish and I asked for recommendations from our driver. We were wary of the many tourist traps in Oia and inquired about any less popular restaurants. Our driver informed us that we had to go down to Amoudi Bay, where the hoards from the cruise ships typically didn’t go and the seafood was outstanding. We were glad we listened to him.

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Santorini’s Spectacular Sights: Part 1

20 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Greece, Santorini

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Europe, Greece, Island Hopping, Oia, Santorini, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

This is post eight of sixteen of our summer trip to Greece. Check out our other posts in the series here:

Since I’ve been frantically preparing for Baby Selfish, Mr. Selfish has taken on the responsibility of finishing up our 2014 trip reports, which was fine with me. But, then the other day, I heard someone refer to this blog as “Mr. Selfish’s blog.” So, here I am, back to writing trip reports. There’s no way that this blog is Mr. Selfish’s blog!

The main reason that I wanted to visit Greece was to bask in the views of Santorini. I’ve never seen a bad photo of Santorini, and after having been there, I must admit that it is difficult to take a bad photo of it.

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Crossing the Bosphorous Strait: A Day Trip from Europe to Asia

21 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Europe, Istanbul

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Ali Muhiddin Hadji Bekir, Asia, Baylan Patisserie, Bosphorus Strait, Day Trip to Asia, Dolmabahçe Mosque, Dolmabahçe Palace, Europe, Istanbul, Kadıköy, Kup Griye, Maiden Tower, Maiden's Tower, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Turkey

This is the tenth of eleven posts on Istanbul. Check out our other posts here:

Istanbul has the distinction of being in two continents. While the old historic part of Istanbul is in Europe, the Asian side is merely across the Bosphorus Strait. Mr. Selfish and I love the idea of being in both Europe and Asia in one day, so we opted to take a day trip from Europe to Asia.

Starting in Europe: Dolmabahçe Palace

Right near our hotel and on the European coastline of the Bosphorus Strait is Dolmabahçe Palace. Construction on the palace finished in 1856 and cost approximately $1.5 billion USD in today’s currency. It was built to replace Topkapı Palace as the Sultan’s residence and is considered to be the Versailles of Turkey. The palace was a significant factor in the decline of the finances of the Ottoman Empire, which eventually slid into bankruptcy. Needless to say, it is quite elaborate and ornate.

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Shopping at the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar in Istanbul

19 Monday May 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Food & Drinks, Istanbul

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Asia, Europe, Food & Drinks, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Spice Bazaar, Turkey

This is the eighth of eleven posts on Istanbul. Check out our other posts here:

I love Daniel Craig as James Bond. I mean, he’s no Sean Connery, but in my opinion, he is the next best James Bond. So, while in Istanbul, Mr. Selfish and I rewatched Skyfall, because the opening sequence is set in Istanbul. Although it didn’t seem quite geographically accurate, there is an awesome chase scene near the Grand Bazaar.

Unfortunately, I didn’t spot James Bond on a motorcycle at the Grand Bazaar. Nevertheless, it is still quite epic. The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. It is quite large with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops. I was pretty surprised as to how large it was.

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Suleymaniye Hamami: A Mixed Gender Turkish Bath

18 Sunday May 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Istanbul

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Europe, Hamam, Hammam, Istanbul, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Suleymaniye Hamami, Turkey, Turkish Bath

This is the seventh of eleven posts on Istanbul. Check out our other posts here:

Since Mr. Selfish and I had a lovely hammam experience in Morocco, we figured we would try a Turkish bath while in Istanbul. There are tons of hammams all over Istanbul but we opted for a mixed gender hammam near the Süleymaniye Mosque. The hammam was called Suleymaniye Hamami, and you can make a reservation online.

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Turkish Food is Quite a Delight!

17 Saturday May 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Food & Drinks, Istanbul

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Acik Mutfak, Asia, Casita, Ciya Kebab, Europe, Feraye, Food & Drinks, Hayvore, hünkar beğendi, Hunkar, Istanbul, Manti, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Turkey, Zubeyir

This is the sixth of eleven posts on Istanbul. Check out our other posts here:

I already went over the delicious cheap eats we had while in Istanbul. This post will go over some of the “fancier” food we had.

Zubeyir: The Best Adana Kebabs Ever!

I know I said in the last post that Turkish food was much more than kebabs, but we had to sample some while we were in Istanbul. After some Internet research, I discovered that Zubeyir (located at Şht. Muhtar Mh., 34435 Beyoğlu) is reputed to have some of the best adana kebabs in Istanbul.

When we walked in and saw the grill in the middle of the restaurant, I knew that we had made the right decision. Mr. Selfish and I usually order different things when going to a new restaurant in order to diversify and try more than one dish. We didn’t do that here. We both ordered the adana kebabs, and I’m glad we did.

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Cheap Eats in Istanbul!

15 Thursday May 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Food & Drinks, Istanbul

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Asia, Balık ekmek, Borsam Tasfirin, Europe, Food & Drinks, Galata Bridge, Istanbul, Lahmacuns, pides, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sultanahmet Köftecisi, Turkey

This is the fourth of eleven posts on Istanbul. Check out our other posts here:

When I started researching the food in Istanbul, I was overwhelmed by all the different types of Turkish food of which I was unaware. Turkish food is so much more than just kebabs. Mr. Selfish and I knew that we had to try as much Turkish cuisine as possible.

This post will outline some of the cheap eats we had in Istanbul. Mr. Selfish and I sampled as much as possible from the street vendors and more economical restaurants.

Red and White Carts: Give Me Pastries!

The first thing I noted was the abundance of pastries available from street vendors in Istanbul. I loved seeing those little red and white carts, because I knew a tasty treat was in store for me.

We especially loved simits, which are circular bread covered with sesame seeds. The sweet donut-like treats weren’t too shabby either. Each treat cost about 1 TL, which is about $.48 USD.

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Hagia Sophia: Church, Mosque, and Now Museum

14 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Istanbul

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Europe, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Turkey

This is the third of eleven posts on Istanbul. Check out our other posts here:

When Mr. Selfish and I landed in Istanbul, one of the first things we did was take a taxi to the Hagia Sophia. I had been compulsively checking the weather forecast for Istanbul the week prior to our trip. Unfortunately, it was to be rainy and cloudy the majority of our stay in Istanbul – except for that first day. So despite our jetlag, we immediately left our hotel room and headed for the Hagia Sophia.

We weren’t disappointed. The sun was gloriously shining, and the view of the Hagia Sophia was amazing.

There are several benches and even a fountain in front of the Hagia Sophia. You can just sit and enjoy the view.

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Introduction to Istanbul

12 Monday May 2014

Posted by misterselfish in Asia, Europe, Istanbul

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Europe, Istanbul, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

This is the first of eleven posts on Istanbul. Check out our other posts here:

After a holiday hiatus in the States, Mrs. Selfish and I started planning our next big international trip. Having only visited Morocco during our Selfish Year abroad, Mrs. Selfish and I decided an African safari trip in Tanzania was in order.

With the United devaluation looming, we burned our stash of United miles for two tickets to Africa in business class. Prior to February 2014, these tickets cost 120,000 miles each, but once February hit the price jumped to 140,000!

120,000 UA miles in January, 140,000 miles in February.

Since United has a rather generous award policy, allowing for a stopover and an open jaw or two stopovers, we determined we should stop somewhere on the way to recover from jetlag. Having always been fascinated with Turkish food and architecture, Istanbul seemed like the perfect location.

Ahhhh, Istanbul.

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Flashback Friday – Brief Stop in Budapest

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Europe, Flashback

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Budapest, Europe, Flashback, Hungrary

In 2008, Mr. Selfish and I took a trip to Budapest and Prague. We started in Budapest and then took a train to Prague. Budapest was a delightful city where the currency is cheap and there aren’t many tourists.

In particular, Mr. Selfish and I loved the Hungarian baths and the Budapest opera house. No photos were allowed in the baths, but they were grand and relaxing. As for the opera house, Mr. Selfish and I purchased tickets for a private booth right next to the king’s box for very cheap. We never had such great seats for the opera, but it was too bad that the opera was in Italian and the translation was in Hungarian. I couldn’t tell what was going on most of the time!

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On to the Next!

15 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by misterselfish in Accommodations, Europe

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Edinburgh, Europe, Lake District, Munich, Paris, Park Hyatt Zurich, Travel Hacking, Vienna, Zurich

Today we’re saying goodbye to our cozy London studio flat, and are hopping on a train to Scotland to start our trip from London to Paris by way of Eastern Europe. While two weeks would normally be a decent amount of time, we’re passing through 5 separate locations and covering over 2,100 miles, so I expect it will be a little frantic.

Along the way we’re hitting up:

Edinburgh

Home to kilts, haggus, scones, and a host of tough man stereotypes! Mrs. Selfish and I plan on hitting up castles, pubs, Arthur’s Seat, and the Royal Mile. For our three nights in Edinburgh, we’re staying at the Hilton Grovesnor hotel. It’s slightly pricier than I’d like (about $120 a night), but with Mrs. Selfish’s gold status we should be getting wifi and free breakfast every morning – so not too shabby!

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