by David McGuffin | Jun 20, 2012 | Culture & Customs
IRELAND has changed a lot in the last fifteen years. Recently, while traveling in Ireland, I decided to take an informal survey on tipping/gratuity customs in the 21st century. My research is based on interviews with restaurant and pub patrons as well as the wait staff, bartenders, and pub owners. To get a perspective on the entire Republic/Country, I surveyed folks in Dublin, Dingle, Doolin, and Galway. The results were quite a surprise and have prompted me to modify the information I give to my tour members. Here is how it all stacks up:
The “old Irish people” never tip. They count their pennies to the tee.
Modern and younger Irish people (under 35 years), usually tip when ordering food. Seldom when they just have “the drink.”
City Pubs – If you are simply served a drink by the guy/gal behind the bar – no tip is expected.
Country Pubs – If it is not busy and the bartender “chats you up” (strikes up a conversation), then leave a 15% tip with each drink or at the end of your drinking session. If the bartender is the proprietor, then no gratuity is expected, however, it does not hurt to offer to buy him/her a drink.
Restaurants and Pubs that serve food – A 15% tip is standard for good service. Up to 20% if exceptional service and extra “chatting up.”
To wrap it all up, restaurant and pub staff are more and more giving good service and hoping for the tip. My advice is to do the right thing and chip in to help the sluggish Irish economy.
by David McGuffin | Oct 9, 2011 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
For much of my life, I’ve packed my travels into the summer months. Like many, this is necessary because of vacations, work, and school schedules. There are many positive aspects regarding travel during this time known as the “high season.” Longer days, swimming and beach opportunities, fresh summer foods, maximum opening hours for tourist destinations, fewer things to pack, less chance of rain, fewer travel delays, and extensive tourist resources are just a few. However, given the choice, I’d choose to travel during the spring, fall and winter.
My number one reason for travel between October and May is COOLER temperatures. Here is my annotated list of reasons to travel to Europe in the winter, spring, and fall.
- Cooler Temperatures – click here for a chart of European cities average temps and rainfall.
- Fewer Tourists Crowds – Imaging experience the Louvre without the crowds, get intimate with Mona Lisa, enjoy Castle Neuschwanstein without the ques, and experience Venice’s Piazza San Marco sans people and pigeons.
- Lower Airfares – Great bargains abound on all the airlines. In the past week, I have received discount airfare offers from at least six airlines offering deals to Europe during the “off-season.”
- Seasonal Varieties in Food – Some foods just don’t go down well when it is hot outside. In Italy, I enjoy papardelle pasta with wild boar. It is ok in the summer, but in the cooler months (especially during hunting season), the meat is fresh and the hearty sauce sets well on one’s stomach. The same can be said for the rich and heavy fare served in Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
- Unhurried restaurant and hotel staff – Off-season, you are more likely to enjoy a visit with local folks, restaurant staff, and hotel owners. With more time and fewer tourist, these folks actually have the time and desire to invite you into their lives.
- Shorter days and longer nights – click here for a detailed “hours of daylight” table. Enjoy dinner at 7:00 instead of 9:00 p.m. followed by an illuminated stroll in the cool of the evening.
- Orchestras and Opera – The great symphonic orchestras, operas, and ballets are in full concert season. In the summer, the musicians are on holiday and out of town.
- Snow – As a boy from the south, snow is a welcomed change for me.
- Christmas Markets pop up all over the place from December to the New Year! Enjoy local crafts, fine music, skilled artisans, good food and drink, and a festive atmosphere.
Here are some additional links for off-season travel:
- Christmas Markets
- Octoberfest
- Grape Harvesting Season is usually in September and a bit earlier north of the Alps
- St. Patty’s Day Parade
by David McGuffin | Aug 6, 2011 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
There has been a tradition in Italy for many years in which two lovers secure a padlock to famous sites. The symbolism here is that their love is forever joined together at the site by the act of locking the padlock. Pretty romantic, eh?
Over the years, I have seen this tradition spread to the far reaches of Europe. I don’t know if the tradition has made it to the USA yet, but I bet it will someday. I first ran across these padlocks in Florence, on the Ponte Vecchio. Here there is a bust of Cellini, the famous goldsmith of Florence, and all around it were padlocks secured to the railings. Recently, I’ve noticed the city of Florence has placed a sign on the site stating, “It is illegal to put padlocks here.”
In the Cinque Terre, there is a path known as the “Via dell’ Amore” (the pathway of love) connecting the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola. Along this pathway, there is a “graffiti wall” where lovers leave their own graffiti scribbles and mark their special spot with a padlock. Lining the path are thousands of padlocks marking the site where love was securely locked in the hearts of two lovers. There is even a hardware shop in Riomaggiore that sells specially engraved padlocks with the Cinque Terre logo.
Originally, there was a wall of “lover-themed” murals along one section of the pathway. These were beautifully crafted designs by artists commissioned for the project. Almost as soon as the murals were completed, people began adding their own bit of graffiti. As you can imagine, this small amount of graffiti turned into a big glob of graffiti completely covering the original works of art. This went on unchecked for many years. In June, when I arrived in the Cinque Terre for the first time this season, I noticed the walls had been completely whitewashed, totally obliterating the original murals and the countless thousands of individual graffiti. Now, in August 2011, the whitewashed wall is filling up with new graffiti works, by new strolling lovers, leaving their marks of fame.
Yesterday, as Charlotte and I were walking this “lover’s lane,” we noticed a new tradition has sprung up. Apparently, it is a cheaper alternative to the padlock and has spread like wildfire along the path. The two lovers, instead of “locking thier love” with a padlock, now simply tie any object in a knot, symbolizing “tying the knot.” Unfortunately, this has created an ugly appearance at the once charming “Via dell’ Amore.” Now it has the appearance of trash and rubbish collecting along the path.
Trashy Love?
The matter is even more complicated in that the National Park has no direction and few employees as a result of scandal and corruption. Hence, there is no one to “police” the area and keep it clean.
by David McGuffin | Jul 15, 2011 | Culture & Customs, David's Journal, Destinations, Eating & Drinking, Experiencing Europe, Restaurant Reviews
Candice Brown, a former student, has family who live in France. Luckily, Candice and I were able to coordinate our travel schedules so that we could meet up in Lyon, France.
Preplanning is the key to getting a seat on one of Europe’s busiest trains. I booked my TGV ticket online, several days in advance (visit http://www.voyages-sncf.com, choose your route, and pay by credit card online). The journey was a breeze once at the Paris Lyon TGV station. I zipped through the French countryside at lightning speed and was in Lyon in just over two hours.
Candice, our friend Abby, and her grandfather Jean-Paul met me at the station in Lyon. We hurried back to Jean-Paul’s home where I met Chantelle, his wife. After a little visit, we were off to explore the town.
Starting at the Cathedral, on the highest summit, we made our way downhill through woody parks, medieval cobbled streets, the Renaissance city, and finally the 20th century “new” town. It was a delight to have Jean-Paul and Chantelle as my private guides. I felt so special that they would devote a day to showing me around their hometown. An added bonus was visiting with Candice and Abby, not in Orange Park, but in France.
One of the highlights was our dining experience. The Restaurant Les Adrets (here is the TripAdvisor link) was located in the heart of the old medieval town and seemed to draw attention from only the locals. Jean-Paul told me that reservations were essential, and luckily, he had booked us a table! There was no menu and very few choices, but that did not matter, because the food was divine!
For my starter, I had toasted bread loaded with greens, olive oil, and fresh anchovies. It was amazing! A funny thing: when I asked Jean-Paul how to say “anchovy” in French, he laughed and said, “It is a French word, so it is anchovy.”
I’ve had a lot of salmon in the past few weeks, but Restaurant Les Adrets’s salmon plat was the best so far. It came perfectly prepared and fresh from the sea. The local wine from “Cote du Rhone” was presented in a traditional “pot” or glass bottle, only available in the Lyon area. The bottle had several inches of glass at the bottom. I speculated the bottles were made that way so that they would not tip over after a bottle or two!
Later, we returned to Jean-Paul’s and Chantelle’s home where we sat, talked, and visited. This was the best! I picked up so much about French culture, protocol, and customs. Like any grandparents, they were proud of their grandchildren and their immersion into their (French) culture. I am truly thankful to have had an opportunity to experience Lyon with the perfect hosts in Jean-Paul and Chantelle.
Lyon- Candice, David, and Abby
Candice and Abby, thanks for showing me around!
by David McGuffin | Jun 14, 2011 | Culture & Customs, David's Journal, Destinations, Eating & Drinking
Fado in Coimbra is different than that of Lisbon. In Coimbra, Fado centers around the university community and is sung by men dressed in traditional academic capes, robes, and leggings. Like in Lisbon, it is accompanied by classical guitar and a specially tuned Portuguese guitar, but sounds totally different.
My group and I arrive early at A Capella, a small 14th century chapel turned tapas bar and Fado venue. The owner and chief Fado singer were practicing a rock and roll set scheduled for performance at 12 midnight. Luckily, we were able to preorder a set dinner menu of lamb or fish.
The actual Fado began at 9:20 p.m. and continued in four-song sets until midnight. We all enjoyed the performances of the male soloist and guitar ensemble.
The food was good and by the end of the evening, the chapel was packed with 80-100 people drinking, eating and enjoying the Fado experience.
by David McGuffin | Jun 13, 2011 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
England has Oxford, France has Le Sorbonne, Florida has Gainesville and Portugal has Coimbra. Yes, Coimbra is Portugal’s university town with lots of interesting things to see and do.
We arrived in Coimbra around 2 p.m. on a Saturday. Having never been there, I was not impressed with the hotel’s location in a sort of dumpy part of the new town near the station and the river. In fact, the hotel staff had to convince me that Coimbra was worth an overnight stay. As it turned out, the Hotel Oslo has a wonderfully helpful staff, a good location to the sights and clean and modern rooms. I am glad I stayed in Coimbra.
I split up my afternoon at a medieval fair in the Cathedral Square and down by the river in a shady park. My friends Susan, Mrs. Mc and Lindsay are traveling with me on this whirlwind trip through central Spain and Portugal. Consequently, we kind of take it slow and easy because Mrs. Mc is a bit fragile and about 25 years older than me. However, she is a trooper and is willing to try and do almost anything. When it comes to climbing up and down steep cobbled lanes, stairs, and paths… it’s slow, but steady, going.
Today, the climb from the river to the top of town was crowded with about 3,000 people attending the medieval fair and once we arrived at the cathedral square we all knew it was not the place for us. There were all sorts of meat being cooked and sold right off the spit. Beer and wine were flowing freely and local were dressed in medieval period costumes acting out their various roles. If it were not so hot and crowded it could have been fun, but with steep streets and unsure footing, this was not a pleasant experience.
Down by the riverside was a different story. Pleasantly cool and shady, we all could have taken a nap on a park bench. Instead, we enjoyed a drink at the riverside cafe while watching local children learning to sail in their own little one-man sailboats.
Afterward, we took advantage of the traditional siesta by resting back at the hotel for a few hours.
IRELAND has changed a lot in the last fifteen years. Recently, while traveling in Ireland, I decided to take an informal survey on tipping/gratuity customs in the 21st century. My research is based on interviews with restaurant and pub patrons as well as the wait staff, bartenders, and pub owners. To get a perspective on the entire Republic/Country, I surveyed folks in Dublin, Dingle, Doolin, and Galway. The results were quite a surprise and have prompted me to modify the information I give to my tour members. Here is how it all stacks up:
