Croissant Craic Travel Tip #6 - Interpreting the Menu

Oops, I totally forgot about What's Cookin' Wednesday yesterday. Sorry!  This week my brain has been elsewhere; finalizing travel plans, cleaning house, and preparing for my parents' visit.  I can't believe they will be here tomorrow!


Because I forgot my food post for the week and I'm still working on sharing Irish travel tips I thought I would make up for it by combining the two! 

If you travel to Ireland you may be surprised to discover that Irish Stew and Corned Beef with Cabbage are not commonly featured on the local menus. They are Irish dishes, just Irish-American!  Bacon and cabbage is a much more common and traditional dish here in Ireland.  However, bacon over here is totally different than American bacon. Hopefully this does not confuse you if you read my post about The Great Bacon Debate. Irish bacon and rashers are not the same thing.  Irish bacon is actually a thick cut of cured pork loin. Bacon and Cabbage is prepared in a similar way to Corned Beef and Cabbage, so it seems Americans have only slightly altered the dish.


As for the remainder of typical Irish cuisine the best way to describe it is like farmstyle home cooking, hearty and simple.  Soups, stews, game, pork, an abundance of seafood, homemade brown bread, and potatoes done just about every way imaginable are the most common elements.  This is not to say Irish cooking is limited to being simple, but if you do something well why change it right? 


The food culture here is growing and changing. I feel lucky to live in Cork, which is without question the gourmet capital of the country! Check out my friend Evin's blog where she traversed Cork city on the Cork Gourmet Trail sampling some of the best cuisine available here.


Arriving in Ireland from the US you would not expect a language barrier, aside from the accent of course.  However, open up a restaurant menu and you may question weather English is in fact the national language.  Some things are obvious and I'm confident you'll figure them out on your own, while others may leave you scratching your head.  Here is a short list I've compiled of typical Irish menu items you may encounter:


Boxty - an Irish potato pancake typically made of shredded potatoes and fried on the griddle

Black Pudding- don't be fooled this is not a sweet dark chocolate treat.  Far from it!  It is actually blood sausage.

White Pudding - similar to black pudding minus the blood, often has oatmeal and spices in the mix


Bacon - Cured pork loin

Rashers- Irish breakfast meat most similar to Canadian bacon

Courgettes - zucchini 


Aubergine - eggplant 


Rocket - Arugula.  This bitter green is in just about every salad here.


Coriander - Cilantro.  In the states we only call the dried seed of the plant coriander and the green leafy part is cilantro.


Hake - White fish similar to cod or haddock.  This fish is available in the US, but nowhere near as common as here in Ireland.  


Prawns - No brainer right?  Prawns are shrimp!


Goujons - Chicken fingers or fish sticks depending on your protein.  

It is also worth mentioning that tap water is perfectly OK to drink and there is no need to order bottled water in a restaurant.  Additionally ice is not common.  You may receive a few cubes in your glass, but don't expect it everywhere you go.  Better yet, skip the water and wash your meal down with a pint!

Surely I have missed a few things, but what I did not cover I am sure you can ask your server to clarify for you. My best to you on your dining adventures in Ireland.  Bon Appetit!

Croissant Craic Travel Tip # 5 - Clothing & Shoe Sizes, & Fashion Trends

It is no secret to those of you who know me that I enjoy shopping. OK, I love shopping! Living abroad I am quickly learning which retail shops stock the brands I like and cater to my taste. 


So if you are anything like me and you arrive in Ireland on holiday you may want to take a little time out of your busy sightseeing schedule to do a little shopping. Nothing beats the thrill and excitement of racks of pretty frocks, and shoes all lined up in neat little rows. 

However, the thrill may fade when the sales clerk asks what shoe size you take and you suddenly realize you have no idea what your equivalent size is. 


Don't panic! The sales clerk may very well be in the know when it comes to conversions and can help figure it out, but just in case they are not I am including these handy dandy charts for you!  Take note that I have included not only UK & Irish sizes but European sizes as well because many of the major retail chains in Ireland are from mainland Europe.

Women's Clothing
United States	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
Europe	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
UK and Irish	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22

Yes, it takes some getting used to so that you don't feel like a fat cow wearing a size larger than your normal.  It is only a number, and that is important to remember in any country.  It is the fit that matters most, not the number sewn into the back of your skirt!


When it comes to shoes you will find that half sizes are nowhere near as common here as in the states.  If it is a higher-end brand half sizes may be available, but don't hold your breath.  The other funny thing to note is while you add a size to convert your clothing size, you subtract  to figure out your shoe size.  In the states I wear a 7 1/2 shoe, over here I am typically between a 5 or 6.

Women's shoes
United States	5½	6	6½	7	7½	8	8½
Europe	36½ /37	37/37½	37½/38	38½/39	39/39½	40	40½
UK and Irish	4	4½	5	5½ or 6	6 or 6½	6½ /7	7

I am not intentionally leaving the men out.  Oddly enough men's shirts, suits, and pants sizes here in Ireland are the same as in the US.  Their shoe sizes however are not.  When shopping for men's shoes subtract a  half size.  So a US 11 is an Irish/UK 10 1/2.


Obviously, trying shoes and clothing items on is a no brainer to ensure a proper fit.  However, if you have a general idea of your equivalent sizes while traveling abroad it may just save you a little time and hassle. 


If you've made it this far fantastic!  I know size conversion is not all that exciting. So in an effort to make for more interesting blog reading I am going to interject my own personal opinions and observations about Irish style.  Most of these observations and opinions concern the under 25 set.  Like most Western cultures fashion varies among individuals and is constantly changing. Here is what I have observed:

• Irish girls love fake tan! Too often I see day glow orange legs exposed to the damp cool Irish weather and it just doesn't make any sense!
• Hair tends to be big, and backcombing is all the rage. (think the late Amy Winehouse)
• Make-up is thick and heavy, lots of black eye liner!
• Out at the pubs, skirts and dresses are very, very short and heels are very, very high!
• Many men wear their hair in what I can only explain as faux-hawk meets fade (tried unsuccessfully to find a photo)
• despite the trends in fashion magazines showcasing wide legs this season, skinny legs are still very much in here.
• The teenagers love American brands especially Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister.
• Shorts over tights are a big trend now
• opaque tights
• converse sneakers

I'm sure there are many other fashion trends I'm missing, and they may not be that far off from trends in the US for all I know! However, as I said fashion is constantly evolving and is up to the individual. One thing I do know is you won't see me anytime soon rocking streaky orange legs with my mini skirt, sky high heels, and mile high backcombed hair, or an Abercrombie sweatshirt for that matter.  That ship has sailed.

Croissant Craic Travel Tip - #4 Money, Money, Money

I recently returned from a two week trip that took me to four different countries within the European Union. Did you know that only 17 of the 27  EU countries utilize the euro as their official currency? Ireland is part of that group known as the eurozone, just in case you were wondering. Anyway, of the four countries I visited only one of them used the euro.  So I had to keep up with four different kinds of money!

In England  it was the British Pound

In Denmark it was the Danish Kroner (crown)

 in the Czech Republic it was the Czech krona

and in Germany the Euro!

Isn't it so fun and colorful?! Kind of  looks like monopoly money, especially in Prague where the conversion rate from Czech Krona to USD was roughly 17 to 1, and the banknotes come in denominations up to 5000! Unfortunately, as fun and colorful as it is this is not monopoly.  It is quite real, and it spends just like any other money!

Unlike Prague however, if you're traveling to any of the 17 eurozone countries your dollar won't go quite as far. Today's conversion rate is 1 EUR = 1.44 USD.  Obviously the rate will vary from day to day but it certainly has not changed dramatically since we moved here six months ago, so don't hold your breath if you are planning a trip any time soon.

Hopefully you won't let a poor exchange rate stop you from taking an amazing holiday!  If you suck it up and make it over the pond chances are you are going to need some cash.  Once you step foot off the plane and clear customs you have two immediate options for procuring some green, or do they call it color?  

Option one is the currency exchange booth, but I would suggest skipping directly to option two as currency exchange booths typically have the worst exchange rates. 

Avoid Currency Exchanges at the Airport!

Option two is locating an ATM.  Make sure it is a bank owned and operated ATM and not a commercial one that charge crazy extra fees.  

In Ireland these are a few of the reputable banks when looking for an ATM 

Of course it's nearly impossible to avoid extra fees, but if you check with your bank or credit card companies before leaving you can determine which option is best and incurs the lowest fees. Additionally, contacting your bank and credit card company before you go protects you from having a hold put on your card if unusual spending patterns are detected to protect against fraud.

Options three for obtaining euro lie outside of the airport.  Option three is to walk into a brick and mortar bank and exchange money at the counter. Even banks charge fees, so be sure to check with the teller if the rate is any lower for exchanging larger amounts. 

I love checking out foreign currency.  It is just so different than in the states.  I often find my wallet getting heavy because I end up with so many one and two Euro coins.  While we have silver dollar coins in the states, they are rarely used and fairly large.  Over here they're about the size of a quarter although slightly thicker; and sometimes they get tossed in my change purse and I forget I actually have a fair amount of money in my wallet even if I don't have any banknotes.

Cash however is not your only option when it comes to spending money in Europe, like the rest of the world major credit cards are accepted most places.  However, in Ireland the chip-and-PIN system for credit and debit cards is the norm.  These cards are embedded with a microchip, and when making a purchase you must enter a PIN in order to authorize the transaction.  While this is wonderful for Europeans making secure purchases, it can be a big pain in the rear for Americans.  Some machines simply don't accept US credit cards. Often you will need to inform the clerk that your card is a swipe, and even then you still may be asked to enter a PIN.  

When using credit cards don't be fooled by merchants who offer to convert the bill to USD.  While it seems like they are doing you a favor, you actually end up paying more because you have added yet another middle-man.  So you are paying the merchant for the conversion service in addition to paying foreign transaction fees to your credit card company!

Bottom line is most hotels, restaurants, and shops that serve Americans accept US credit cards, with or without a PIN number.  However, when traveling to smaller cities and towns, and visiting smaller shops, cash may be the preferred and best option.

Tried to keep this post short, but money is an important topic to cover when considering travel plans!  Hope it helps prepare you for any upcoming plans you may have.  But the best thing you can do to prepare for a trip to Europe where money is concerned is start saving!  Especially if you're coming to Ireland.  Being an island country makes things just that much more expensive than mainland Europe, or even the UK.