Travel Fashion Friday: Dublin

I decided to take the easy root in launching Friday Fashion day,  I decided to go with the city I lived in last spring... Dublin! When going to Dublin I didn't know waht to expect, I sort of assumed it to be like London, or Boston, but I was proven wrong. I realized that it is very stylish and very unique. The fashion there isn't always over the top, but people still like to bring out their personal style.  Tights and boots were a great staple to many outfits, along with tights and Brogues. The looks they had were simple and had bursts of colors when they wore black.

One brand I found to be everywhere that I never heard of was "Paul's Boutique".

Paul's Boutique is an English design company from Middlesex created by paul Slade. Paul began designing  20 years ago when he went to a club and took a suit he bought at an Oxfam thrift store and tore it apart and made it inside out. He was spotted by a top london designer who bought some jackets, and have been growing around  The United Kingdom and Ireland ever-since. The first place I noticed this brand was heading to the local produce stand and walked past a store that sold knock-offs,  the time I didn't know it, because I saw Paul's Bouttique quilted jackets hanigng up,  but I soon learned that this was a popular brand and many girls were wearing the quilted jackets that had patches saying "I <3 PB" 

Not only is it known for quilted jackets, but his purses have both wild and subtle patterns along with some really cool tassels hanging from the side.  These coats at first were a little much for me but then I really started to take a liking for them. They currently do not ship to the US but if you are in the UK or Ireland you should check them out! there is a whole floor devoted to Paul's Boutique located in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street.

Culture Shock: Adjusting to Life After Europe

My panorama of the Cliffs of Moher

It's been 6 months since I've ben in Ireland and I am really beginning to deal with homesickness for Dublin.   I miss walking around busy Henry Street and hanging out at the Porterhouse and getting a pint of  Porter Red.  I miss having the ability to just take a plane and land in a different country every weekend, and I miss going window shopping in one of my favorite stores, AWear.

My friends are now planning on going  next semester and I am speaking at the pre-departure meeting and  talking to parents at admission events.  This is making it even harder for me. I need to go back!

Don't get me wrong, I love being back home and seeing my friends and family, and I'm glad to be back in Burlington, I just miss Europe and my time there. Going to class everyday amused me so much. on my journey to class I would pass the old city wall,  Christ Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral all on my way to class!  I also loved that  energetic buzz in the morning that everyone has when they are walking to work. The women either ditch their heels for sneakers or speed walk in heels and the men are wearing perfect  matching suits and still looking perfect. 

I also miss having the people of Metro News hand out the morning paper with abbreviated news. "Maybe you're just meant for the city?" is what my friends say  Yes I love big cities, they excite me and are full of hidden gems, but Dublin is something different.  the fashion is another thing. I would walk around and get so much inspiration on new outfits  that I can add to my wardrobe. In Vermont the styles are more on the laid back side with a lot of skinny jeans and flannels, and baggy sweaters. Dublin had this magic that I am really missing right now. 

Here are some ways I’m “trying” to get over this situation:

1. Watching movies that take place in Ireland. It’s nice seeing where I was for the past year, I try to watch historical movies but a chick flick every once in a while isn’t too bad. I currently have that earning to travel.
2. I’ve currently had the desire to travel much more. So for that I am reading the book This Car is For Sale by Jeroen Van Bergeijk. This way I can at least read other people’s experiences.
3. I look at AWear’s website and read their blog. Here I can read up on current fashions, and tell myself that even though they now ship to the US I shouldn’t buy everything I see on there.
4. I still listen to BBC Radio 1 but I also listen to Dublin FM 98FM on my iPhone, thanks to the free live streaming app!
5. I talk up to anyone and everyone I meet to study abroad, if not to Ireland, then to anywhere in the world. It’s the best experience and a great opportunity for you!
6. Every once in a while I go to RiRa’s an Irish pub located in Burlington, and order a Smithwicks and argue with my friend that the “w” is silent.

With these steps, I can at least miss Dublin but not sulk over it. Today I took my yearning to go somewhere by heading downtown and going to  a coffee place to do my  homework. If anything I need a change of scene.

Hostels

I used to think that hostels were to be unclean,  with rooms filled with people with barely any floor room. In 2006 when I went to Australia, the group I traveled with stayed at a hostel in Darwin and it certainly made me realize that hostels weren't these massive rooms filled to the brim with people.  It was very clean and had four persons rooms. They were however extremely strict banning men from the women's floor and vice versa.  The mattresses had rubber lining and the shower was a shower head on the wall of the bathroom.  My view on hostels were better, but not as great as a hotel.

Photo Credit: Surf N Stay

Now let's fast forward five years, and I am in Strandhill Ireland. My friends and I went up here  in January and surprisingly.. . learned how to surf! when we arrived at the Surf N Stay Hostel, we  found ourselves looking at an old house.  We walked in and met the owner,  and he was very friendly and shows us to our room. We were traveling with 6 people so we stayed in the 10 person room.  We found out that we were the only people in there, which was a nice feeling, and we placed our stuff down. That night we hung out in the living room where they offered tons of DVDs and VHS's. MOre people came into the room and hung out and it was a very homely experience. We met more people as the days went on and to this day I still remain in contact with them.  This weekend really opened up my mind to hostels.

Photo Credit:  Rivoli Cinema Hostel

Over spring break when I went to Portugal, I stayed at two really great hostels one rated the top hostel in the world on Hostel World.  The first hostel we stayed at was the Rivoli Cinema Hostel. this hostel was located right downtown in Porto and was in this old building across from the Rivoli Cinema. The hostel was created by two women who love movies. each room has a different theme, there is the Amelie room, the Taranitno room, Tim Burton room and the Sofia Coppola room.  I stayed in the the Tarantino room where there was this really cool cartoon illustration of the famous picture of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson which hung over the bed. The whole hostel had a great modern feel with a great patio on the roof. Throughout the hostel there are movie posters hung up. For the sign that identified the bathrooms, they had mini Psycho posters with the letters "W.C" and the laundry room, had a Fight Club poster on the door. This place had a very relaxed feel to it, and Bon Iver and Jackson was constantly playing on the sound system. In the morning, everyone would sit down  in the reception area and  help themselves to Nutella, cereal, toast coffee and tea. If you are ever in Porto, I highly recommend staying here.

Photo Credit:  Travellers House

If you go to Strandhill (found right outside of Sligo) or Portugal I suggest that you go to these three hostels, you will gain so much from staying there and they are all very affordable. The best place to book these hostels is on hostelworld.com, where you can read other people's reviews.

TREKKING THE WORLD. ONE COUNTRY AT A TIME.

Here is my Tumblr page where I post panoramas, I've taken throughout my travels.

http://spinnetaroundtheworld.tumblr.com/

The Cliffs of Moher, Western Coast of Ireland

Russell Square, London United Kingdom