Oh Canada!

So I've fallen off the face of the Earth lately in terms of blogging... Due to a valid reason though of course. I've been in Dublin now for a month this Wednesday & can easily say I'm enjoying every second of it. Before I get cheesy though with my love of Ireland, I'll just say that being an expat always makes me appreciate my home country, Canada! What I'm missing...

A Trenton Police badge in the oldest pub in Ireland... Trenton's close to where my Mum lives.

Kraft Peanut Butter & Dinner, need I say more?! Though I did find what looks like a sketchy box of Kraft Dinner at one of the grocery stores here, at 4 Euro a box I think I'll pass.

Maple Syrup... All the 'Canadian' ones here are made in Ireland haha, but s'pose I'll survive! My first Irish breakfast with the fam, they literally gaped, mouths wide open gaped, at the fact that I poured maple syrup over their hard work. I'm determined to get the kids hooked already... Hahaha.

As much as I miss Canadian food, you can never go wrong with a home cooked Irish dish from what I've learned. Bangers & mash is my current favourite.

All Day Breakfast Buffets! I've yet to find one, but if anyone at all knows of one in the Dublin area I will buy your breakfast. Seriously though. Also I haven't found anywhere who does decent pancakes yet, so it's a good thing I'm a pro at home made. When I think about it, the pubs may just make up for it though & that's a bold statement...

Canadian Whiskey & Beer. I've found a few labels at the Celtic Whiskey place on Dawson Street, which is actually incredible for their selection, but there are still a few I've yet to find... Kokanee anyone? Guinness will happily do for now.

Swear one pint always seems to turn into ten though, a vicious cycle ha!

Poutine! No-one knows what it is here?! Not even my American friends, so I'm determined to make it for them at xmas... One major food group for Canadians that can't be replaced.

Timmy's of course. Though I've heard some Spars have them, I'm still on the hunt. I was actually debating on whether I should make a day out of it or not, too far? Not for good coffee.

Driving... I do miss having my own vehicle dearly. Also, trucks. Real trucks. I miss them too. Luckily the public transpo is something Europeans do well.

Sephora. Boots will do, but it's no Sephora. Though my wallet's not complaining whatsoever & I definitely have a soft spot for British cosmetics.

Snow/Ice Hockey/Snowboarding is one aspect I miss about home that I probably always will. Being able to go night riding on a whim & drive 15 minutes to the hill is now considered a luxury. Thankfully I have trips already planned to Norway (booked!), Austria & Finland for the season or else I'd probably go mad. 

A photo of our backyard my Mum sent me.

The palm trees here are lovely though & oddly enough I'm in love with the gloomy/drizzly weather. Also, I've been walking about in a t-shirt these past few days! IN DECEMBER. This is unheard of back home. Come to think of it I've got a few funny stares here, but it's warm. Rugby will never replace ice hockey for me, but I can deal! Already love the atmosphere rugby creates here, literally everywhere. When New Zealand won against Ireland the other weekend there were literally men in tears at the pubs, was brilliant. No sarcasm either.

Am I the only one who thinks it's bizarre & incredible cool that Ireland has palm trees? How did I not notice these on my last trip?!

Lastly... Medical Care!!! 50 Euro for a visit to the doctor here?! Um, no thanks, think I'll suffer. I admit Canadians are spoiled when it comes to our health & I'll always be grateful knowing that my friends & fam back home are well taken care of. They're the biggest part of what I miss back home & to add more sap to the mix, I'm ridiculously lucky to even have people I can say I miss. Bisous.

Seemed fitting.

Can I just end this by saying that as much as I already do & will miss Canada, the accent & genuinely nice people here make it easy to call Ireland my new home. What do y'all miss?! When you're an expat, when you're long-term travelling or even on vacation? I think it'd be interesting to know everyone's home comforts depending on where they're from & where they are now. Also, I have to add that I found it incredibly hard not to fill this entire post with hilarious Canadians memes. Google them for your own enjoyment, please! But I will leave you with this...
xxx

The County in Fall... (Photo Edition)

I decided to take some of my own advice for once & be a tourist in my own area, whilst I wait for my move abroad. I mentioned this in my post on how not to go crazy during the wait for travel, but often I forget to take these little day trips myself & usually tend to focus on the bigger picture, forgetting about the little things around me.

But on to the photos! One of my friends & I have recently taken a few day trips around the 'county' as we call it, which actually happens to be quite a popular area for tourists during the Summer. Living here I often forget how gorgeous it can be. I s'pose I should probably mention that this area is Picton & Wellington, better known for its vineyards (Ontario's Taste Trail) & beaches (Sandbanks Provincial Park & North Beach in particular). Being my favourite season, I felt the need to document everything of course. My favourite photos from our trips...

Campbell's Orchard

Apple picking with my girl.

This orchard is seriously gorgeous.

& another... One of my favourite fall festivities.

Typical selfy, because there's a corn maze behind me of course.

Still at Campbell's Orchard.

 

Sandbanks Vineyard (along the Taste Trail)

Wellington Beach

Along the beach... Wellington is quite a rocky beach whereas at Sandbanks you'll find it to be more sandy (never would've guessed eh?!) as well as you'll also find the dunes there.

Seaweed? Quite fond of this photo, not sure why.

The lighthouse in Wellington, a town of approximately 1200.

The boat harbour in Picton.

If ever in the area, PLEASE stop at Slicker's, a cute little ice cream shop in Bloomfield who specialize in their own homemade ice cream. My favourite flavour is campfire!

Because bridges are always necessary.

As are Ed the Sock Monkey sweaters... Had to add this.



I'm almost positive there will be more fall photos to come, having a slight obsession with the season & all. But as always if you aren't sick of my photos yet you can pop on over to my Instagram for plenty more! & I'd love to hear your thoughts, see your photos?! Do you ever pretend to be a tourist in your own area? What are your favourite fall festivities! Or am I the only one who acts like a 13 year old this time of year?

Until next time! & remember...
xxx

Capture the Colour: Canada Eh

I've loved seeing everyone's capture the colours, there are definitely some talented travel bloggers out there. So thank you for the tag Alex! This entry is purely for fun, so I decided to add in the colour orange because I'm awful with decisions. I figured what better travels of mine to represent than my own country?! Anyway, if you aren't sick of sunsets yet, you'll enjoy!

Yellow: One of my favourite places to wakeboard!... West Lake, Ontario (Sandbanks Provincial Park).

Blue: A beach in Wellington, Ontario I tend to frequent.

Green: One of the million fields in the countryside near my home (& my dog, Bourbon)!

Red: One of my favourite hobbies, fishing! In Stirling, Ontario (a.k.a. Hicktown).

White: A lily in my own backyard!

 

Orange: Pumpkin patches surround the area I live in during Autumn; this was taken at one of my favourite places to stop at on my way to work.

 

I would love to see Andrea, Katherine, Kelsey, Brooke & Claire do this. I think you'd all rock this! Until next time...

xxx