The first amazing blog is gruenerkaktus.wordpress.com and was created by Anna! She is my favorite fellow student and we already share some great memories with each other! I count myself lucky to be her friend! In her blog she writes about herself and her life! And there is a lot to write about…

Another intersting blog is lillyssecondlife.wordpress.com! Lilly writes about her voluntary work at the “Kaspar-Hauser-Therapeutikum” and how this work affected her life so far! Furthermore you can read some interesting articles and watch videos about the aspect of voluntary work!

Trendavenue.wordpress.com graps my interest and attention every timeI take a look at it! Jule introduces there great “inventions” you probably never heard of before… It´s always funny and fascinating to read her new articles and get to know something completely new!

Of course there are also other students that share the passion of travelling with me! Melina is one of them and on melina89.wordpress.com you have the chance to read more about her trips so far! And I have to admit that she already visited some great places which inspired me for my future trips…

Like I mentioned in my articles I am also very interested in photography! That´s why I really like the blog vogelfotografien.wordpress.com from my fellow student Jan! He is a professional bird photographer and if you look at his blog you can read about the fascinating trips he did so far to capture great moments of nature on film!

Of course I can not write about every single blog although they are all worth visiting! That´s why I will put all of the links here so you have the opportunity to visit all of them and see what students are able to create…

• anube
• funkynailz
• mirjamfroehlich
• tagolo1037
• healthierlives
• evalein89
• myamazingfacts
• heianorge
• angeloross86
• nihaoa
• jannapi
• justannotherblog
• meandmyhostel
• smallworldofhain
• maratello
• 613200hours
• tatiana85
• ameloe
• laurasthoughtson
• whatsgoingonin
• feedbackculture
• aloftbottomview
• sibyllesteiger
• chocoravi
• lukwago
• minchev
• dambata

I hope you have much fun with it!!!!

Flag of Spain

 Last time I told you about my upcoming city break to Milan. This time I will tell you something about my “real” summer holiday! I am going to spend two weeks in Spain travelling from Málaga, over Valencia up to the beautiful city of Barcelona!

When my boyfriend and I thought about where to spend our summer holiday we soon agreed that we want to make a round trip like we did in Ireland last year! After some days of discussion we decided to go to Spain! Two years ago we spent a few days in Madrid and we felt in love with the country and its people! I have been to Spain a few times – I visited the wonderful island Majorca and the fascinating Andalusia! Therefor I was totally thrilled when we decided to go  Spain again!!!

Ryanair

Because Spain is such a huge country we decided to perambulate just the south! And there are quite a lot places to see… Our first task was to book the flights! This was also the easiest one because we booked very early (I think it was in April) and got some special offers! The outward flight to Málaga we booked on easyjet.com but for the return flight from Barcelona we used ryanair.com!

 

billiger-mietwagen

The next step was searching for a rental car. This wasn´t as easy as expected, because we didn´t want to invest thatmuch money on it! Furthermore it was necessary that I am also allowed to drive the car (some rental agencies don´t accept  a driver under 25)! Another problem was that we wanted to return the car at a different place than we get it!But finally we found a nice car which fulfilled all of our requirements on billiger-mietwagen! 

Spain-holiday

The last and most interesting part was the search for accommodations! Because I could spend hours and hours for planning trips and looking for different accommodations I enjoyed this aspect the most although is was a little bit long-winded! If you are looking for housings it is important to consider how long it takes to drive from one to the other! Furthermore you should pay attention that the flat is located at a good starting point for

FeWo-direkt

your trips! We decided to book three different holiday flats within the two weeks! We found two of them on spain-holiday.com and the last one on fewo-direkt.de! On both of these pages you have the opportunity to see some pictures of the flats, read some detailed information about the surrounding area and contact the hirer via an contact form!

After we took care of all these aspects we could now just wait and look forward to a perfect and swell holiday trip! At the end I want to show you some of the cities and places we are going to visit during our trip! Maybe they could also awake your interest…

Sevilla

Malaga

Cordoba

Granada - Alhambra

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barcelona - la sagrada familia

Barcelona - Antonio Gaudi

Barcelona

Abbey Montserrat

View Larger Map 

easyJet.com

After writing all of my exams I am going to spend three days in Milan including my birthday! Although I have been to Italy five times I´ve never seen Milan. Therefore I am very excited and I can´t wait to go there! The flight was a special offer by easyjet.com. The round-trip flights for two persons only cost us 90€!!!! So we just had to snatch at the offer…

booking.com

We discovered a nice apartment at booking.com, another great and helpful Internet page! It is close to one of the main stations and just a few minutes away from the city center! There we have our own little flat inlcuding a kitchen, which I prefer over staying in a hotel!

On our short city break in Milan we want to see as much as possible! Two days after we booked our flights and apartment I purchased a travel guide to find out what Milan has to offer! Of course we are going to visit the famous cathedral which is the trademark of the city. Teatro alla Scala is another must-see if you go to Milan. It is the most famous opera of Italy and open to the public.

Cathedral

Teatro alla Scala

Besides of the cultural aspects Milan is known as a city of fashion! And because I am a girl my hearts starts beating faster when I think of all of the nice shops and boutiques… Especially the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a cathedral of consumption from the 19th century, can´t be missed!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

To be continued…

 
View Larger Map

• THE CLIFFS OF MOHER

The Cliffs of Moher are one of the most spectacular and outstanding coastal features of Ireland. They are situated in the west of the country, to the south of Galway Bay. The Cliffs range for 8 kilometers along the cleft Atlantic coast and vary in height up to 214 meters. From the parking area next to the visitor center a path leads you to a platform close to the boarder of the cliffs and to the O´Brien´s Tower which was build in 1835. From this point you can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South. The Cliffs of Moher is home to a hughnumber of nesting seabirds. These include the Atlantic Puffin, Razorbuill, Chough and Common Gull. The area is designated as a Refuge for Fauna since 1988 and as a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) under the EU Birds Directive in 1989. Furthermore the Cliffs of Moher hold the only mainland colony of breeding Atlantic Puffins in Ireland.

When I went there I was overwhelmed by the beauty and strength! You can hear and see the heaving Atlantic Ocean and recognize what a fascinating place the nature has created there over millions of years! It was just breathtaking and there are no adequate words to describe this atmosphere…

Cliffs of Moher

O´Brien´s Tower

Cliffs of Moher II

Me and the Cliffs of Moher

•  GIANT`S CAUSEWAY

Giant´s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a National Nature Reserve and Northern Ireland´s premier tourist attraction. The site lies within an area of outstanding natural beauty on the north Antrim Coast, 3km north of Bushmills. The Causeway is an astonishing complex of over 38 000 mainly hexogonal shaped basalt columns packed closely togehter as if to form “stepping stones” out to sea towards Scotland. The columns were formed over 60 million years ago by the cooling and shrinking of moten lava from a vast volcanic eruption that formed the Antrim plateau. Along the Giant´s Causeway you find features like the Camel, the Giant´s Granny, The Wishing Chair, the Chimnex Tops, the Giant´s Boot, the Giant´s Organ Pipes, the Giant´s Eye and the basalt Stepping Stones.

Finn MacCool – Mighty man who built the Giant´s Causeway!

A Popular mythology attributes the creatoin of the Causeway to an Irish Giant named Finn MacCool. To prove his superior strength and status, Finn decided to fight against a rival Scottish giant named Benandonner. As there was no boat large enough to carry huge Finn across the sea to confront Benandonner, he built his own pathway of stepping stones from Ireland to Scotland. He then was able to walk across the sea without getting his feet wet.

Although it was the rainiest day during our whole trip we enjoyed Giant´s Causeway very much. I have never seen something comparable to this before. Therefore it impressed me even more and showed me for another time how beautiful nature can be and what natural forces are able to create!

Giant´s Causeway II

Giant´s Causeway I

Giant´s Causeway III

Giant´s Causway IV

Me fighting against wind and rain

View Larger Map

Powerscourt is just 20 kilometers away from Dublin and was one of our first stops when we got our car. The garden and landscaped park belong to the most beautiful of the country. The mansion is the central point of the areal. It was build up in 1731 but completely destroyed in 1974 by a fire. The famous gardens are decorated by statues and mosaicked grounds.The garden is divided in different topics – the Italiangarden, Japanese garden and Walled Garden (oldest feature of Powerscourt Gardens)  just to name a few of them. All of the exotic flowers, trees and plants are a feast for the eyes. The magnificent surroundings of the Wicklow Mountains intensifies the atmosphere even more. Powerscourt House and Gardens is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the beautiful landscape of Ireland.

Powerscourt House

Powerscourt terrace

Japanese Garden

Walled Garden

• GLENDALOUGH

Glendalough, the valley of the tow lakes, is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. The present remains in Glendalough tell only a small part of its story. The monastery in its heydaywould have included workshops, areas for manuscript writing and copying, guest houses, farm buildings and dwellings for both the monks and a large lay population. The buildings which survive probably date from between 10th and 12th centuries. Monuments in the Lower Valley are for example the gateway, the round tower, the cathedral and the priest´s house. The round tower served as landmark for approaching visitors and was even used as a store-house or as place of refuge in time of attack. The whole area is so fascinating and you feel like going on a time travel.  

St. Kevin´s Church & Round Tower

Cementary

The Priest´s House

To be continued…

http://www.opodo.co.uk

The first one I like to introduce to you is Opodo. It is one of the largest and best known internet providers for onlinebooking. Opodo´s offer contains a wide range of products around the topic of travelling. If you enter the website you have the possibility to choose whether you want to search for flights, hotels, combination of flight and hotel, rental car or last minute offers. Because Opodo works together with many different tour businesses you can be sure to find what you are looking for. In addition you can look for interesting city breaks, relaxing cruises or gorgeous holiday flats!     

 What I really like about the website is the possibility to read  travelogues the so called “Opodiers” wrote! After reading some of them you sometimes feel like you have been there as well and you just know that you want to go there and experience this atmosphere as well!

source: http://www.vocando.de

If you are looking for holiday flats nearly all over the world I advice you to take a look at Vacando. Vacando is an online market place which facilitates the search for holiday flats in line with your budget. The website is very easy to handle. You can narrow your search down by picking between different possibilities concerning price per week, kind of  accommodation, special activities you want to exercise during your trip, endowment of the housing, type of leave you prefer, evaluation and providers. Of course you can also have a look at the pictures of the accommodations. Therefore you can be sure to get results which fit your needs and expectations.

Like I already wrote in some articles before I really enjoy staying in holiday flats. I know some of you might think it´s too stressful to care about everything in the household during your vacation. But for me it´s a kind of freedom to stay in you own little “home”. And it makes me feel like I am not just a tourist, but sharing time with the residents and getting to know them better. That´s the reason why I want to warmly recommend you to stay in a holiday home!

I hope I could show you two websites which you will like as well and maybe they will help you to plan your next holiday trip! Please feel free to add some of your advices and proposals as well! I am always open to new ideas…

But I want you to take a couple of minutes close your eyes, relax and take a deep breath! Although it sometimes seems that everything gets too complicated and there is no land in sight you need to keep a clear head!

 After the examination period we will have about two months to get away from the stress and focus on more pleasurable aspects of life like travelling, meet friends, visit your family or just read a great book!

During the semester break I am going to spend two weeks in Spain, travelling along the south cost from Malaga over Valencia to Barcelona! I already booked the flights, holiday homes and the rental car. So I am just waiting for time to pass by…

HOW ABOUT YOU?

The main thing is that you have something to look forward to! So, let´s imagine the time has finally come…

source: http://maps.google.de

We started our tour around Ireland in the capital of the country – Dublin. Baile Átha Cliath (=Irish name ofDublin) is as well the biggest city in Ireland and nearly a quarter of the irish population lives there. It has one of the fastest growing populations of all European capitals and is today the historical and cultural center of Ireland.

James Joyce once stated : “When I die Dublin will be written in my heart” ! If you visit Dublin you will understand why, maybe it is the just the spirit of the city, the special atmosphere in the Pubs and on the streets or even the friendliness of the people – you feel like you´ve found a place to stay!

Because there is so much to see I want to show you some of the attractions which should be on your list:

1. Guinness Storehouse
2. Trinity College and Book of Kells
3. St. Patrick´s Cathedral
4. Dublin Castle
5. St. Stephen´s Green
6. Old Jameson Distillery

The Guinness Storehouse

The “home” of the Guinness is Ireland’s No. 1 tourist attraction and has attracted over 4 million visitors since its opening in 2000. On your way through the seven floors of the museum you learn something about the history, Arthur Guinness, brewage process and the development of the brand “Guinness”! At the end of the tour you have the possibility to draw your own pint or get one in the Gravity Bar. It is the head of the giant pint of Guinness formed by the atrium where you can relax and enjoy the fantastic view over the city of Dublin.

To get more information or book your ticket just take a look at:

Guinness Storehouse

Trinity College and Book of Kells

Trinity College which was founded in 1592 by Queen Elisabeth I., is located in the center of Dublin and forms with the University of Dublin the oldest and most prestigious university of Ireland. The campus of the College occupies over 190000m², the so called College Green. Famous people like Samuel Beckett, Edmund Burke, Robert Emmet, Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde attended Trinity. Today around 6000 students are enrolled.

The most interessting building on the campus is the Old Library, the largest research library in Ireland. Nearyl 5000 manuscripts and over 4 million books are stored there. But the most recognizable exhibit is the famous Book of Kells which was created in the 8th century. It is considered as one of the most beautifully illustrated manuscripts of the world.

If you want to read more about Trinity College and Book of Kells just visit:

Trinity College Dublin

St. Patrick´s Cathedral

St. Patrick´s Cathedral is the largest church inIreland and was build in the 12th century. The site of the Cathedral is the earliest Christian site in Ireland. It shelters the tombs of Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) and his mistress. The bordering park invites you to take a short break and absorb the silence and peace.

Read more about St. Patrick´s Cathedral on

St. Patrick´s Cathedral Dublin

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle symbolizes 700 years of the English ascendancy in Ireland. Since the regency of Elisabeth I. until 1921 it serves as the headquarter of the english viceroy in Ireland. Guided tours of the castle show you the state apartments, the royal chapel and the undercroft. Next to Dublin castle you find Chester Beatty Library which shelters the artistic treasures of cultures and religions of the world. The large assortment includes manuscripts, prints, icons, miniature paintings, early printed books from countries across Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

Find out more about Dublin Castle and Chester Beatty Library

Dublin Castle

Chester Beatty Library

St. Stephen´s Green

St. Stephen´s Green is the oldest public park in Dublin and range over 9 hectar. It was enclosed in 1664 and was laid out in is present form in 1880. As a perfect place to have a rest and relish this piece of nature right in the inner-city it invites every day many people to relax. During the summer you can listen to one of the free daytime concerts at the bandstand.

Old Jameson Distillery

What whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for! (Irish proverb)

The word “Whiskey” derived from the irish expression “uisce beatha” which means “water of life”! The Old Jameson Distillery is a must-see for everybody who wants to get to know a major aspect of irish tradition. On a guided tour you learn everything about the process of malting, milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling and maturing. At the end of the tour you visit Jameson Bar where you can enjoy a sample of the world´s preferred quality whiskey.

At the end I want to recommend you a video on youtoube.com which was created by hostelworld.com! It summarizes shortly all you need to know about Dublin and why you should visit it at least once!

source: www.amazon.de

Did you ever heard of the book “1000 places to see before you die” ?! The title might be a little bit intimidating but the idea behind this book is just perfect!

“1000 places to see before you die” was published in 2007 and rapidly got into the New York Times bestseller list. The author Patricia Schultz is famous for her travel guides and picked 1000 of the most beautiful locations all over the world for her book. Besides of the “normal” tourist strongholds like the Ayers Rock, Sydney Opera House, pyramids of Giseh etc. there are a lot of insider tips.

Patricia Schultz describes exciting cities, exceptional hotels, selected restaurants, impressive museums and breathtaking natural landscapes all over the world.

Of course everybody has an individual taste and probably you will think that there are many beautiful places missing. All in all this paperback invites you to dream for a while of the different locations you can go to and maybe it will inspire you…

I got the book as a birthday present and since that day I am trying hard to work through the list!

Out of that reason I want you to look back with me and hopefully I can convince you to go there as well and just see what I experienced!

To get into the right mood just watch the short video I´ve  found on youtube.com…

Before I start with my travelogue I want to give you some key facts about the Republic of Ireland.

source: http://maps.google.de

• Capital: Dublin
• Inhabitants: 4.4 millions
• Official languages: Irish, English
• Area: 70 273 km²
• Government: Republic and Parliamentary democracy
• President: Mary McAleese
• Independence:  1922
• EU accession: 1st January 1973
• Currency: Euro
• National sports: Gaelic football, hurling