Three French men walk into a room...

DAM Square

Lang niet gezien. This means “Long time no see!” in the Dutch language. Which is where I still am - The Netherlands that is. The past two days have been an illuminating few here in the Dutch capital. On Saturday morning I took a walking tour of Amsterdam. I couldn’t encourage walking tours more! They’re a great way to see the city, and they give you the chance to be in the thick of a culture and a people, as opposed to sitting on a bus gazing out the window like some voyeuristic Monarchs observing their city in action! The tour guide was not afraid to get stuck into what Amsterdam is known for. As he said “I came here myself in 1985 as a Student, looking for sex, drugs and rock and roll. I found two of these. Dutch rock and roll is awful!” He dutifully informed us of the history behind the drug trade in Amsterdam as well the formation of the Red Light District.

Multatuli Statue

Amongst all this education of Amsterdam, I learnt something else. Amsterdam is actually a really nice city! You could spend the day wandering over different canals and bridges. Admittedly, you may get a smell of..you know... every now and then. That’s it though. Once you’re aware of that, you’re free to take in everything else the city has to offer. Amsterdam was the centre of the Worlds First Stock Exchange and held a very important place in history. There is history galore and numerous slanting buildings to keep you going for hours! It’s built on a swamp, so the occasional building leaning forward should not alarm you! The canals here and in Brugge reminded me of the network of rivers and canals we have in our own Ireland. In Dublin alone, there are myriad canals slowly cutting their way through the city, not to mention the River Liffey itself. Also, we have the River Shannon. Irelands largest river, starting up in the Cavan mountains, it flows through Irelands midlands and cuts our south west into the counties of Limerick and Clare. The water highways of Ireland, and of course our lakes, are the perfect places to partake in any water activities that take your fancy. Even if it’s as simple as jumping off a pier, like I did at age 15! Added to that, off our west coast, surfing is becoming a bigger and bigger sport of not just Irish people, but to those all over the world who are beginning to recognise Ireland as a fantastic surfing spot! Sure it rains all the time, we’d have to have good rivers!

In this hostel I am sharing my room with three French guys of my age. They came into the room at around 1am on my first night here. After exchanging pleasantries the next morning , I got dressed and left the the room for the day. Later that day, on a tour of the many canals that cross Amsterdam, I ran into the three guys again. I walked past one and said hello, but there was no return remark. The guys had been getting to know a few of Amsterdam's Coffeeshops a bit too well I suppose...I must have missed the sign for the Horticultural Coffeeshop Tour. Funnily enough, that was the last I saw of them!

On Sunday, I took a late morning. All this work and travel is exhausting you know...! I visited the Anne Frank House in the early afternoon. Incredible is the only word. It was a deeply moving experience and I can offer no other complement than if you do happen to go to Amsterdam, you must come here. Incredible. After visiting here, I indulged a bit in a hobbie of mine. Vinyl! Not carpet, but gramophones! In the evening I took part in a tour of the Red Light District. Wow! A really interesting place that both open your eyes and makes you think. It is very safe to walk around, after all, these women are business women. The only thing you have to watch out for is pickpockets. Another thing I noticed on the streets of the city was all the graffiti. And how wonderful it was! It made me think about our own graffiti in Ireland, and art in general. It is more confined to galleries than city streets in my own country, but there is some fantastic pieces on offer. The National Museum in Dublin which is a short walk from Isaacs Hostel, is free for admission and offers you a chance to see some of the most amazing pieces of art you’ll ever lays your eyes on! I highly recommend it.

Monday morning I take an early 6hr train ride to Berlin. I really cannot wait. I am literally bursting with excitement for the opportunity to sit still for six hours. All that recycled air!! I don’t hide my sarcasm that well... Either way, I am really looking forward to Berlin. I am meeting a fellow traveller blogger - Adam Groffman from www.travelsofadam.com -  and another Irishman there and in true style, we plan on leaving a stamp upon the place! I’ll let you know if we do!

Follow me and my travels on Twitter at @ciaran_o_connor and @IsaacsHostel and on Facebook on the IsaacHostels page.

Rocket Slainte!

Belfry Tower in Bruges. The one that was used in the film In Bruges.

I’ve landed in Amsterdam. There’s a strange whiff about the place, but I can’t quite put my finger on it...

Hello again, this time from the Netherlands! I’ve been hopping on and off various modes of transport to get to this seat here in my hostel. Wednesday, I made my way to Brugge in Belgium, where I left you last. Yesterday I went out and about in the streets of Brugge. There’s not much to be said really other than, it’s BEAUTIFUL! I had to take several breaks along the way, to cope with my weeping. Tears of joy, of course. Every street is more and more enchanting than the next. And the architecture! Oh my God the architecture is amazing! I don’t know what Colin Farrell had against the place, it’s a never ending fairytale. 

Part of the main fountain in the centre of Brugge

So maybe it’s not that magical. Nowhere could be! It is a beautiful city, however, at times I found myself wandering around, wondering if I’d seen this glorious building before! Don’t get me wrong, the city is spectacular, yet one does get accustomed very quickly to the quaint cute image that Brugge presents. Talking to a local of my age at one point yesterday, he told me “It’s a very safe town. Very peaceful. And that’s why I fucking hate it!” In between my suppressed laughter, I could understand what he was saying. You easily forget this is a city of 100,000 people. It is very local, and what I mean by that, is that even the furthest point of the city only seems a short walk away! It reminded me of a city in Ireland. Galway, on Irelands west coast, is a city of a similar size and has that same “nothing is too far away” feeling to it. I love it! In Galway, will you not only find some of the best people you’ve ever met but you’ll also encounter an atmosphere like no other. Hard to describe, it’s best summed up as a party town with a seriously laid back attitude. Everywhere is within walking distance and if you can’t find a decent pint of Guinness here, I’ll take you to the Guinness Factory myself! Still, I came to Brugge to chill out, meet some people and have a few laughs and I got what I wanted!

Then, what is there to do in Brugge? Drink for one. After tuning in to see Katie Taylors Gold medal performance, via a patchy internet connection, I made my way to the local bar to celebrate! Five minutes later, I’m chatting to two guys from Birmingham, UK and an Australian guy too! Hours later we were still at it! The lads were even nice enough to model some Isaacs tshirts too! In the picture you’ll see brothers Jared and Dale, and in the middle you’ll see Alex from Oz. 

I even thought them how to offer a cheers in Irish. Slainte! Meaning ‘health’ in our native tonuge, the Irish often raise their glasses and shout Slainte while clinking glasses. The guys had a unique way of learning how to say it. Pronounced like Launcher, as in rocket launcher, they soon got to grips with it. And lo and behold, I was given the nickname “Rocket Slainte!” Only in Brugge!

I was lucky to meet the guys last night. If it wasn’t for Katie Taylors win, who knows, I might have gone and seen more lovely buildings! Katie Taylor is a modern day Mohammed Ali for Irish Boxing! A true heroine. During the London Olympics, we’ve seen yet again that the Irish excel when it comes to boxing. The Fighting Irish eh? Doesn’t do much to help our stereotype, but a Gold Medal is a gold medal! Not only do the Irish excel in boxing, but also in horse riding and rugby too. Yet, when it comes to an Irish sport, you cannot go further than the GAA! With hurling and football, the passion is stirred nowhere as much as it is with the GAA. If and when you visit Ireland, you must take a tour of the brilliant Croke Park (just a stone's throw from the lovely Isaacs Hostel), home of the GAA in Ireland. It has a fantastic museum and will leave you salivating at the mouth to see hurling or football in action. And that can also be done in Croke Park! What are you waiting for!?

Tomorrow I plan to see the streets of Amsterdam. Don’t worry, I’ve got my protection. Sunscreen! It’s gonna be a scorcher! What I’ll see, who knows. What I’ll smell... well that’s easier to assume. Until then!

Follow me and my travels and Twitter at @ciaran_o_connor and @IsaacsHostel and on Facebook on the IsaacsHostel page!

Come on Baby Light My Fire

Ciaran Isaacs Ambassador here  Hello once again!

l find myself in Brugge, Belgium at the time of writing. What has happened since my last entry, when I was in London. Well... Paris has happened. Due to the never ending headache that trains and reservations are, I only arrived in Paris late Monday and had to leave for Brugge early this morning.

 However... with my one day, what did I do with myself!? Well quite a lot actually. Early in the morning after booking my train to Brugge, I went on a Pilgrimage. A pilgrimage for me anyways! For years, I have listened to The Doors and have wanted to visit the grave of their lead singer Jim Morrison for a very long time. As luck would have it, he is buried in Pere Lechaise Cemetry in East Paris. It was a really special moment for me finally laying eyes on the site where he was buried.

The famous Irish poet Oscar Wilde is also buried in the same cemetery and between him and Jim Morrison, I had a great morning! Of course, France isn’t the only nation to have a graveyard full of famous figures. In our own Dublin, Ireland we have Glasnevin Cemetery. Here you will find some of the most influential people in Irish history. Not only are there central figures from the fight for Irish Independence, like Michael Collins and Eamon De Valera, but as well there is Luke Kelly of the Irish traditional music group The Dubliners. Ever hear of Whiskey in the Jar!? I might bear a slight, indistinct resemblence to the man.

Yesterday, after visiting Pere Lechaise, I then took to the main streets of Paris. Using a guide from hostelworld.com I traversed the vast sprawling metropolis of the City of Lights, taking in the Norte Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and of course the Arc de Triomphe. Here is the guide if you’d like to explore it yourself. http://www.hostelworld.com/guides/city-guides/paris/france/ Of course the website offers a host of different guides for Ireland too. Whether it’s the mighty Cork or the quirly Galway, everything you need is here! http://www.hostelworld.com/guides/country-guides/ireland/

Later on I met Alex, from the travel website Hejorama. We chatted for a bit before taking our party to the side of a canal for a few more drinks! He offered me a real insight in life in Paris and hopefully, I did the same for his knowledge of Ireland!

One thing I noticed on the streets of Paris was all the music. It was everywhere! This is very much the same in Ireland, as the evening becomes night, almost every pub in every city comes alive with music. Traditional Irish music is something that can not and should not be experienced on You Tube or the likes. You have to sit there, listen to it and feel it! As has happened to me on numerous occasions, you won’t notice that you’re foot will start tapping along. It’s magic! If you visit Ireland, it is a must!

So as I leave you, I’m comfortably relaxing in Brugge. The funny thing is that now, Brugge holds a special place in the minds if the Irish because of In Bruges, the film starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. I took a brief stroll to the main square in Bruges earlier and lo and behold the Tower was closed! If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll get my reference. I don’t plan on getting up to anything that Farrell did in the movie, but if I happen to befriend a dwarf who is coincidentally here shooting a film..well then, you never know! If that happens, you might not hear from me for a few days. Until then, in my Irish language, Slan go Foill, or Goodbye!

Follow me and my travels on Twitter at @ciaran_o_connor and @IsaacHostels and as well on Facebook on the Isaacs Hostel page!

The National Anthem !

 The latest from our roving  Irish Ambassador....

Hmmmm... where to begin!? I’ve had a busy few days! Saturday I took to the streets of City Centre London to explore and navigate the bustling avenues of this city. I availed of a great free walking tour which took us from Hyde Park past Buckingham Palace, into Trafalgar Square and down to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. St. Stephen's clock tower was a great sight. What is St Stephen's clock tower? It’s more commonly known as Big Ben! Big Ben is actually just the bell inside the clock tower. The streets were alive with people, and though hard it was at times to get around all these people, it still made for a fantastic atmosphere. I happened to be wearing a green tshirt yesterday, so coupled with my ginger hair, I was practically a walking Tricolour. Essentially, I was Ireland's national flag for the day! It didn’t go unnoticed too as many people said "Hello" to by simply uttering “Irish yeah!?” I think I’m making it too easy for people! However, I didn’t let the opportunity pass me by and informed all I met of our own great big thing that sticks into the sky in Ireland. The Spire! It is only one of Dublins many landmarks, but is essential to see none the less! If you haven’t gotten a picture pointing right up the length of the Spire, then what else have you been doing in Dublin!?

Saturday evening was great fun, as I found myself having a bit of an international conference of sorts. alcohol included of course. There was me, three Argentines, four Canadians and one South African, sitting round a table, shouting probably a little too loud and drinking probably a little too much. Thankfully, I stopped short of singing the Irish National Anthem, but I was tempted into the first line!

Sunday was always going to be a great day. Around a month ago, I was lucky enough to win tickets to the Mens Single's final of the Olympics. How? Well, I had to go on air on a radio station in Ireland, against somebody else, and grunt, yes GRUNT, as if I was playing them in a game of Tennis! Luckily, my grunting seemed up to par and I won the tickets! Due to the very nature of competition, there could have been anybody in the final. However, as it happened, who was playing other than Andy Murray and Roger Federer! Fantastic! Seeing Murray race home with a three sets to zero victory was incredible, as the fans went absolutely bananas when he fell to his knees in glory! I brought along an Argentine by the name of Damian I had met in my hostel, and he was lucky enough to see a fellow country man, Juan Martin Del Potro recieve the Bronze medal for finishing third!

By evening Damian was probably sick of me trying to compare tennis to our own sport, hurling. If you haven’t seen it, then you must!. It is one of the fastest land games on Earth and played at such a fast pace that your eyes will struggle to keep up with the ball, or sliotar, as it’s called in Ireland. Damian and I ventured down to the Camden Market later on that day. What a place! Thriving with food and clothing of every design, this is a dream for those looking for an interesting place just to walk around and stare or for those wanting to splash the cash on some funky gear. I didn’t indulge in anything too off the wall, but you could easily spend a day in there just absording the atmosphere. I really enjoyed the place!

Monday evening I leave for Paris and I begin my travels of mainland Europe. I’ll talk to you then! Follow me and my travels on Twitter at @ciaran_o_connor and @IsaacsHostel

London Calling !

More News  from Ciaran: the Isaacs Hostel Ambassador 

Since winning this competition I’ve been interviewed on a few separate occasions relating to the opportunity I’ve been afforded by Issacs to travel Europe. However, on Friday the tables turned and I was the one interviewing somebody! Deirdre O’ Brien is the Assistant Features Editor with the Sunday Mirror here in London. We talked about everything under the Sun from living in London, to the Olympics, to her Irish background. Her parents originated from Cork and Limerick in Ireland respectively before leaving for Britain.

Born in Norfolk herself, Deirdre has had an illustrious past working in many publications, beginning her career in Newcastle before finding herself at the Sunday Mirror in Canary Wharf in this City. Where we really got stuck into conversation was when we began talking about reality television and debating the appeal it offers and subsequently receives from the Irish and British public alike. “Structured reality” as Deirdre put it, is how shows like Geordie Shore, Made in Chelsea and The Only way is Essex operate. Never heard of The Only Way... You’re more likely to see it in its abbreviated form TOWIE! Shows like these have made celebrities out of the likes of Amy Childs. Who is she? A star of the show, she brought the term Vajazzle to the public consciousness. I’ll let you find out what means yourself! Asking her about life in London, she informed me Brian Dowling, of Big Brother fame, regularly takes the same Tube as her! He’s a bit fond of the Sunbed too it seems!

Other than chatting to journalists, what did I do on Friday!? Went walking, to put it bluntly. There is no better way to see London than on your two feet. Before speaking to Deirdre, I ventured around taking in London Bridge (Yes the one from the nursery rhyme) the HMS Belfast and the Tower Bridge along my way. In the afternoon, I took a stroll down Cannon Street to the site of the recent Occupy London protests outside the historic St Pauls Cathedral. There was no one camping outside at the time but maybe the hordes of business men, who suddenly appeared in every pub and bar I saw after 5pm, may need a place to sleep later on. They must have that Friday Feeling!

Besides from chatting to other travellers and taking in the sights and sounds of London, I’ve been busy taking far too many pictures. No doubt they’ll end up in the glorious location of a folder on my laptop! My dorm is like Gatwick Airport with a number of nations being represented! There is no better way to learn curse words in multiple languages than in a Hostel dorm!

Until next time, ta ra!

You can follow my travels and me on Twitter at @ciaran_o_connor or @isaacshostels

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane (or possibly Dublin Bus)

Ciaran O' Connor :Isaacs Ambassador ..at the off!

A First Blog from Isaacs very own Wild Rover: Ciarán O Connor

Does this count as an “Official Blog Entry”? I’m still in Ireland you know. It’ll have to! My name is Ciarán O' Connor and I was lucky enough to be chosen by Isaacs Hostel to be their Ambassador for Ireland. What does that mean? It means I won a competition of theirs that will lead to me travelling solo through Europe promoting Ireland and Issacs abroad along the way throughout August. It's not your everyday find a Euro in the couch kind of luck. This is BIG!! Thanks must be paid James Clancy and Alan Duncan of Isaacs Hostel and Colm Hanratty of Hostel World for giving me this opportunity! Mucho Gracias!!

Before setting out to mainland Europe for a few weeks, I took the time to venture around Dublin with my girlfriend Aoife to take in what our capital has to offer to visitors. This resulted in the use of a Hop On, Hop Off bus. Surreal though it was to be ferried around a city I know quite well already, it was also highly enjoyable. There were pieces and parts of Dublins story that I was amazed I never heard before. Staying in Isaacs that night, we got a great feeling of the vibe of the place. Pretty electric to say the least!

Thursday morning I begin my walkabout of Europe, first touching down in foggy old London, although I’m sure the fog will be held at bay by all the mass hysterics induced by the Olympics. I have visited London once before, as a young child and remember nothing other than sleeping on a couch. Hopefully, this time, I’ll see a little more of the city. I plan to soak up the Olympic atmosphere and also indulge myself in them too. I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to the Men Singles Tennis Final in the Olympics for this coming Sunday. So, if you want to locate me on Sunday, you’ll find me in Wimbledon. I’ll be relaxing by Murrays Mound or Henmans Hill, or whatever moniker it’s under lately.

Preparing for this trip has been an activity in itself. Firstly, there’s the whole notion that I still don’t know exactly where I’m going! I have an idea yes, but where exactly, nope! That will be decided along the journeys path. Packing my bag has been a never ending game of Tetris, finding room for this and that. My Mother has dutifully tried to include anything that might be needed. Really though, trying to pack a blender in my bag? I’m joking, it didn’t get that bad! My bag is full of what I will need, what I will want and what I will use. I won’t get into the details but everything that needs to be there is there! I’ve just one more thing to add before I finish; Applications are now being taken for my Official Bag Pack Carrier....

Follow my travels and me on Twitter: @ciaran_o_connor and @isaacshostel

Isaacs Ambassador winner announced

Ciaran -Isaacs hostel ambassador
 getting ready for the off    

We are over the moon to have selected a winner for our Isaac's Ambassador Competition. A brilliant guy – Ciaran O' Connor a DCU student of communications from Co. Roscommon will be setting off on a month long blast around Europe promoting all that's good about Ireland (and we hope Isaacs hostel here in Dublin too!) He will be blogging about his experiences along the way and getting paid for It ! We are green with envy! But there is no better man for the job. Ciaran is truly very Irish (see pic!) real easy going, a laugh a minute charmer and up for an adventure!

We chose Ciaran from more than 100 applicants to represent the hostel and his country to the European youth and backpacker markets. Competition was tough with entrants submitting a 300 word piece on ‘What it means to be an ambassador for Ireland’ followed by tough panel interviews for the shortlist

Ciaran is hanging out at Isaac's Hostel in Dublin this week (already charming Isaac's backpackers and half inching travel tips) whilst working out an InterRail route (a tough job but it has to be done!) Meantime we are booking his hostels and sorting his meetings with travel writers across Europe .

He will be leaving Dublin this week commencing his adventure in London with wait for it.... a ticket for Olympic tennis final! (Which he won in another competition- the luck of the Orish!!) And then across the English channel for the month of August to Paris and beyond. You can follow his progress on our Facebook page or website and at this blog. If you meet him along the way be sure to say hi!