Tag Archives: Ireland

Dreaming of Poached Eggs and Bacon at The Malton Hotel

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On Saturdays, following a tradition from my childhood, I have eggs for breakfast. This morning, when I awoke I had a hunger pang for poached eggs. But not just any poached eggs, the poached eggs and bacon from The Malton Hotel in Killarney, Ireland.

I stayed at The Malton when I visited Killarney in March of this year, and celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by participating in the parade.

The Malton is a short walk from the Killarney train station and about a five to ten minute walk from the central part of Killarney. It is a perfect place to stay while exploring the area.

Malton front dark

Entrance to The Malton Hotel in Killarney, Ireland.

Entrance to The Malton Hotel in Killarney, Ireland.

The dining room of the Malton is beautiful with high ceilings and big windows that look out on the gardens behind the hotel. White linens cover the tables and proper silver is at each place setting. I was fortunate to be seated right by a window and could look out and enjoy the sunshine on a lovely clear day.

The dining room at The Malton.

The dining room at The Malton.

There is an ample breakfast buffet, but all I remember is the wonderfully amazing poached eggs atop English muffins with perfectly crisp bacon.

Poached eggs, English muffins, crisp bacon, grapefruit juice and a sunny view.

Poached eggs, English muffins, crisp bacon, grapefruit juice and a sunny view.

It was just perfection. I do not think I have ever had bacon cooked like the bacon here. Crisp and crunchy without being overdone. And. The. Eggs. They had a beautiful orange-yellow yolk, like nothing we have in the United States. Ahhh.

The poached eggs were so wonderful I ordered them two days in a row!

The Malton Hotel Killarney Ireland breakfast of poached eggs and bacon

Another day, another order of poached eggs and bacon

Sadly, I only have eggs in my kitchen – no English muffins or bacon on hand – so I could not attempt to recreate the delicious breakfast from The Malton today. It is probably for the best as I am still feeling under the weather due to my persistent cough (and am planning to visit the doctor this afternoon), but I have a smile on my face thinking about the wonderful breakfasts that started my day while visiting Killarney!

Breakfast at the Malton Hotel, Killarney Ireland with poached eggs and bacon

Another view of the beautiful eggs and bacon.

I was a guest of Brendan Vacations, but my opinion and review of The Malton Hotel are my own.

Pinterest The Malton Hotel Killarney Ireland dreaming of poached eggs and bacon

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Taking Flight for #FriFotos

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Last week, the theme for #FriFotos was FLIGHT. Finally I was able to share some of the photos I took from an airplane! I used to always want to sit in an aisle seat when flying, for easy access to the bathroom and to be able to stretch my legs. But, once I was seated at the window after a long-time of aisle-only seats, I saw that being by the window was fun – looking at landmarks, seeing the airport during take-off or landing, and spotting other planes in the sky.

Here are some of my photos from last Friday (May 30th). This week’s theme is colorful, so get your photos ready to post on Friday, June 5, 2015!

Aer Lingus planes in Dublin.

Aer Lingus planes in Dublin.

This bird is taking a break from flying and resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier, January 2015.

Resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier, January 2015.

Here is a view from my seat flying from San Diego up to San Francisco. Whenever I fly up the California coast, I try to sit in a window seat on the right side of the plane.

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Flying San Diego to San Francisco in October, 2013.

Leaving Los Angeles (LAX) and going east across the country, most planes bank to the south and then fly over the Palos Verdes peninsula. It was a beautifully clear day in December when I took this photo (en route to Newark).

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Beautiful view of the Palos Verdes peninsula. Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach – the “South Bay” are just up the coast.

Arriving into Los Angeles, the approach is from the east. Here, as the sun sets, you can see downtown LA in the distance and the beautiful mountains.

Approaching LAX, December 2014.

Approaching LAX, December 2014.

One of my happiest views from an airplane is when we fly to Hawaii, especially when we visit Kauai, our favorite island. Even though it was overcast and rainy the day we landed, we were excited to return for a relaxing stay.

Arriving into Kauai, December 2013.

Arriving into Kauai, December 2013.

Do you have any fun photos from your flights?

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and Spencer Spellman (@SpencerSpellman). Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Going Green For St. Patrick’s Day

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Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, is the center of all the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around the world. Since I arrived late afternoon on Tuesday, the city  has turned more green as it prepares for St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17th.

The city started celebrating early with the St. Patrick’s Festival on Saturday, with cultural events held throughout the city continuing through Tuesday.

Everywhere I turned, there was green!

The streetlights were green, lights over the streets were green and even the Westin Hotel turned green.

Many of the buildings are lit in green too. It definitely feels more festive.

The department stores are green: Brown Thomas, Clery’s and Penney’s.

Brown Thomas
Clery’s
Penney’s

All of the city’s large, iconic buildings are green.

Custom House
Mansion House of Dublin, the Lord Mayor’s residence
Heuston Train Station
Trinity College
Bank of Ireland, the former Parliament House
Dublin City Hall
Christ Church Cathedral

If you’re in Dublin already, or on your way, you are sure to be greeted with green wherever you go. And if you’re not in Dublin, or Ireland for that matter, Tourism Ireland, with the help of actor LIam Neeson, is encouraging everyone to #GoGreen4PatricksDay with this video

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Last minute trip to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day

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A few weeks ago, I attended the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure sure with my friend Lisa Niver (Lisa N.) from We Said Go Travel. At the recommendation of another travel blogger, we stopped by the Trafalgar and Brendan Vacations booth. While talking with Trafalgar’s Lisa Tran McKee (Lisa TM), Lisa N. mentioned that she will be visiting Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day. I mentioned wistfully that I had yet to visit Ireland and hoped to go some day. Lisa TM told us about Brendan’s’ recent promotion for a trip to Ireland – visiting Dublin and Killarney – and the opportunity to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Killarney. How fun! It was a great price, but the promotion had ended. Lisa TM said that she might be able to work something out if I was interested, and suggested I contact her for more information.

After reviewing the promotion, I was definitely interested. It was last minute, but I had frequent flier miles I could cash in for my flight, and I had the free time, so why not?

Lisa and I kept in touch via email, with Lisa working with the Dublin office of Brendan to see if they could accommodate me. Finally this week, I received confirmation that Brendan could make it work. Lisa held a reservation while I made sure I could book my flights, and once I did, the trip was on!

I had already visited my local library and was lucky enough to find Rick Steves’ Ireland 2015 book available, so I checked that out and some other guides for some last-minute research.

My flight leaves tomorrow, and I’m trying to pack and get coordinated so that when I leave for the airport, I will be ready for adventure!

Some of my must-have carry-on items. I like the mesh bags for my cables - makes it easy to organize and spot them when needed.

Some of my must-have carry-on items. I like the mesh bags for my cables – makes it easy to organize and spot them when needed.

I’d love to hear about any suggestions of things to do and see in Dublin and Killarney. My sisters and parents provided some tips from their trip, and Suzanne, aka @PhilaTravelGirl, sent me a link to her blog posts from visiting Dublin. I’m sure there is more to see than I’ll be able to in my short time there.

Follow my journey here and on Twitter and Instagram. #KRinIreland.