"Orlikins Goes To ......" orlikins's Profile

Don't Count The Years, Count The Memories! :)

My most popular VT page seems to be Dublin, which I'm delighted about. Dublin is such a popular destination, it can be hard to try to write something that doesnt sing the praises of Temple Bar & Trinity college! There is more to Dublin than that.

But don't just look at this page and Dublin, please check out my other pages too!

I did quite a lot of backpacking when I was a student, but now that I have joined the real world, I get to travel for my business sometimes. Which is nice :-) I still enjoy going on road trips. But I've been a bit spoilt by executive travelling, I couldn't share in a hostel dorm now full of snoring strangers, now that I'm used to hotel suites WITH FREE SOAP & TOWELS!!!!

So here is a basic history from my first foreign excursion in 1998 til now.

1998 - Geneva (my first time on the Continent!), Munich, Spain
1999 - Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Belgium.
2000 - Prague
2001 - Backpacking around the Baltic states from Finland to Poland in two weeks. Germany on business.
2002 - Andorra, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the UK. Learned to drive, got a car and did a couple of daytrips in Ireland.
2003 - Did not stray too far. I visited Paris, the Isle of Man and Belfast, Northern Ireland. And the usual weekends away in Ireland.
2004 - Germany & Switzerland. Northern Ireland, Netherlands.
2005 - Weekends away around Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland, business trip to England, a week in Portugal
2006 - Killarney, Limerick, Wexford, Amsterdam, Belfast, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego and Mexico. (a pretty good year so far!)
2007 - Berlin, Aran Islands, Belfast, Hungary
2008 - Galway (for work), Lough Ennell, France (Lille), Belgium (Bruges & Brussels)

It is important for me to try to blend in as much as possible. I _hate_ to stick out as a tourist. As a translator and language professional, local accents and dialects fascinate me & sometimes I might even learn something ;) If I don't go abroad at least twice a year, then I get very upset *grin*

Also, out of reasons of convenience, necessity, whatever, I usually travel on my own, which is why I think "blending in" is important. As a single female traveller, I do not want to draw attention to myself, who needs that kind of hassle? Some of my pages will have tips for single female travellers, which are 100% based on past experiences.

I refuse to stick to a guide book - I prefer to discover a place my way.
Why follow a path that has already been trod upon? Just because some bar/restaurant/musueum is in a guide book does _not_ mean it has to be visited for the sake of it.

I believe in only visiting places that genuinely attract you, not for the sake of ticking it off in a tour-guide list just because some book says it is a "to-do" thing. You would not catch me dead in any of those Dublin bars recommended in tourist guides! :) They've been completely ruined for me and other locals because they are are now full of tourists consulting their little guidebooks, marking it off as "OK, we've done that one". HOW BORING!! Grrr! Look up from your precious little book and actually SEE what is going on around you! I'm not a big fan of package holidays either - I don't see the point of going to some ugly resort in Spain full of Brits & Irish people getting drunk and avoiding the person they shagged the night before. Depends on the resort, of course. :) Some people love that sort of holiday, I don't.
%c*

Mails, friends list, questions etc...

Dolmen - ancient Celtic burial site

I hope you enjoy reading my pages & I'd love it if you left a nice comment.

I've kinda stopped logging in to VT as much as I used to. I've been here for 6 years now so I guess I've gotten bored with it and a lot of people I used to know here aren't here anymore, so it is why I've lost interest, to be honest.

I'm just here to stick my travel pics and tips online and maybe check out a couple of forums. I don't bother with my VT mail either.

Sorry if that comes across as being harsh (I don't mean it to be), but if you're looking for penpals, there are plenty of other nice people you can write to :)

- Whatever I know about a country/town goes into the relevant pages.
If I don't know about it or have not seen/done it for myself, then I don't write about it. You'll have to keep looking in VT or do a Google Search. :)

Bosco

So what's with the pic? Only Irish people would really get this, but this little red-head is called Bosco, who was a puppet who was repeated on Irish day time TV for like 20 years. Even more annoying than Barney, if that is possible. He's gotten a bit naughty now that he's hit the puberty years, as you can see ;) He's the Irish version of the Evil Bert phenomenon, really...

Orla of Cleves

Good old Photoshop - thanks Rob! :)

Intro Updated Jun 14, 2008
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Personal Pages (1)

Written Jun 14, 2008

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Thinking of coming to Ireland? Read this!

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Comments (282)

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ricky52 Jul 9, 2010 at 6:39 AM

I can't seem to get you birthday right. Again I have failed to deliver on time. I am so sorry I missed it again. I hope you still had a great day. Note to oneself, "Must try Harder"
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MissyWQ Jul 5, 2010 at 4:14 PM

Be sure to wear your Birthday-suit, the one with the center button. LOL
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Gillybob Oct 16, 2008 at 4:23 AM

Missing you around Misc., babe! Gillybob greetings.
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johncudw Jul 14, 2008 at 4:53 AM

Like your pages and photos Happy belated birthday greetings from John and Gail in NJ, USA
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littlesam1 Jul 7, 2008 at 9:05 PM

I have not chatted with you in a long time. I hope you have a wonderful birthday.
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Fergie01 Jul 5, 2008 at 8:30 AM

Happy Birthday to YOU!!!! many happy returns....cheers from Ontario Canada ~ Deana
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olja1234 Jul 5, 2008 at 8:14 AM

Happy, Happy Birthday to you!
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a2lopes Jul 5, 2008 at 7:02 AM

Happy birthday Orla and many happy returns of the day. Greetings from Lisbon which is waiting for your visit again maybe next year for the Euromeeting. Cheers
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polardabar Jul 5, 2008 at 3:54 AM

happy birthday! :D cheers, polar*
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piglet44 Jun 29, 2008 at 11:14 PM

Hey Orla , Happy Birthday (coming up) how was Berlin? we are going soon?