TOURISTY TIMES IN MALLORCA & MAGALUF


This post is coming way after the fact, I wrote it a while ago, but recently been quite busy and having been going through some shit. However, this way my trip to Spain in early October.

Mallorca, or Majorca as the Irish spell it, is a lovely island in the Balearics and technically part of Spain. Its official language is Catalan, though you see German, English, and Spanish translations almost everywhere you go. My friend and I were staying in Magaluf, a very British touristy area, known for its crazy β€œspring break” type summer madness with copious amounts of booze, sex, and crazy shenanigans. However, we came at the tail end of the tourist season, so there weren't hordes of crazy young drunk Brits out and about and it was generally pretty quiet. 

Obligatory random weird bikini & sky shots.

Magaluf is very centered around the British tourists. All the restaurants serve British food, or variations of British food, and most of the remaining party promoters were British. Being an American and an Irishman in a sea of Brits can be somewhat entertaining. However, people were always more interested in why I was there, seeing as they don't see many Americans there. Our holiday was very centered around the touristy areas of Mallorca unfortunately. That's what you get when you book a last minute holiday with a company that sells holiday packages. That also means, we didn't get to eat that much amazing authentic Spanish and Mallorcan cuisine, but we did get to experience some great stuff.

"Kansas City Barbeque" Sauce found in Belfast. It wasn't bad. 

Our flight to Mallorca was supposed to leave at 6 am. However, we both slept through our alarms and woke up after our flight was supposed to depart. My friend was freaking out, as I was trying to calmly figure out our options for the cheapest and earliest flight there. After scouring options and being unhappy with how expensive the flights would be, I finally realized that I forgot to check if there were any flights from Belfast, which thankfully proved to be the best and by far the cheapest option. We ended up making it to Mallorca at 2 AM the next morning.

In comparison to the quickly fading Irish summer, the weather in Mallorca was lovely. I would have preferred a bit more heat to compliment my beach holiday, but it was still amazing, nonetheless. My friend and I spent a few days of the holiday just lazing around Magaluf and the beach, drinking too much cheap booze. This proved to be quite bad for me as well, since the alcohol and penicillin I was taking for my respiratory infection didn't mix well at all. At all.
The highlights of the trip were when we actually left Magaluf and went to the much more cultured and interesting cities and areas of the island. That and the one day we tried this simulated surfing experience, which proved to be super fun. 

Delicious cod paella, wine, and weird inedible pig fat.


We rented a car for three days and unfortunately only used it for two. Oh well. Driving proved to be incredibly stressful. Haha. He got his license just a couple years ago, but had not driven since actually getting his license. Also, him being from Ireland where they are drive on the wrong side of the road was a factor. I felt like I was coaching a 16-year-old on their first time in a car. Okay, maybe it wasn't thattt bad, but still.

Coffee & Cake, the caves, and a random stop on the road.

Anyway, we decided to spend one day driving to Cuevas Del Drach and spent time in Porta Cristo. On our way to the caves, we stopped in Palma the capital city for a late lunch. We went to a lovely restaurant and both ordered off the menu del dia. For something like 13 euro, you can get a starter, a main course, a dessert, and half a jug of wine. We were first handed the regular menus, which had all the translations in various languages, but we had heard about the menu del dia that many restaurants do, and asked for that menu instead. Since this was the menu of the day, it was only in Catalan. We both have a basic understanding of Spanish, but this still proved to be quite difficult. My starter was a lovely cod paella, and my main was supposed to be a pollo dish, however, what I got instead was not something I would never order (though I am still unsure the name of what I was actually served). I was given some sort of fat and bone dish that was at one point a pig. There was not any edible meat. Just FAT. Needless to say, eventually the waiter came back, and in his very poor English said that I was given the wrong meal and asked if I wanted the correct dish. The chicken dish proved to be lovely. I had tiramisu to finish off the meal, but since I was driving, I had to begrudgingly give my friend the remainder of my wine. Overall, a lovely, and very authentic Catalonian meal. 

Alcudia

The next time we ventured out, we went to Alcudia, which was quite lovely. We spent time walking around the old town there and for food, ended up getting a shared tapas platter that wasn't super authentic, but still good. As we were leaving Alcudia, there was a "hidden" beach nearby that according to the internet, was a hellish hike to get to, but absolutely beautiful. The hike was more difficult than I was expecting, but Coll Baix was so beautiful once we arrived. Too bad we got there pretty late, and it was no longer really warm enough to swim. Plus the water was kinda freaky with all the seaweed trapped in the crashing waves, especially after another couple had gotten in and started yelling for help. They were German and apparently one got caught in the tide, and the other got bitten by something. Despite all this, the beach was still beautiful though.

Goat chilling on our hike down. Just attempting to swim in the freakish beautiful water.

On our way back from Coll Baix, we stopped in Palma again to grab some dinner. We were trying to find a specific restaurant and happened to come across the Lorien, a small bar that is Lord of the Rings themed. It was terrific! After drinks, we ended up going to different restaurant than we had originally intended, and felt like mad bums walking in with our shorts and t-shirts. However, the food was amazing. We ordered various tapas and pinchos, and I failed at getting a good picture before we devoured everything. It was divine, though. 

The Lorien bar, and a lovely tapas and pinchos restaurant.

Those were the highlights of the trip. It ended up being a nice holiday despite our initial hiccups, and the super touristy area we stayed in. Spain, I will have to traverse one of your more cultured cities on my next visit.
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POTATO, SAUSAGE, & VEGGIE HASH + THINGS THAT KEEP ME SANE WITH THE SEEMING IMPOSSIBILITY OF FINDING WORK IN DUBLIN

It's been awhile since I have written anything on here. I have been stressed and a bit down. So I'm going to bitch a little bit. I apologize. It has been so incredibly hard for me to find work here. It doesn't matter what sector either. I have applied to restaurant/hospitality jobs, admin/secretarial work, and of course design jobs. I have even contacted recruitment companies. Ireland does not have a good system when it comes to interviewing for restaurant jobs. It's really actually total bullshit. A potential employer is allowed to legally not compensate you and have you do a trial for up to four hours. I have done quite a few of these trials, with not even a simple call to say, "hey, sorry you didn't get the job." 

Tortilla pizza, and kitties! Two of my favorite things.

Tortilla pizza, and kitties! Two of my favorite things.

I have now been in Ireland for nearly 4 months, and out of those 4 months, I have worked (for pay) a total of just under 1 and half months. DO YOU KNOW HOW AWFUL THAT IS? My savings are massively suffering.

Okay, enough bitching. Time to be positive. I have not and will not give up hope! I also have had some interviews the last couple of weeks, as well as an upcoming interview tomorrow. *crosses fingers* I also did have the opportunity to do some freelance work for an event agency company last week, which ended up being really cool. 

There are a few things that have been keeping me sane in my transient phase. Unfortunately, they have gotten to be a bit on the unhealthier side. Drinking, cigarettes, and eating pretty terribly (not all the time, thankfully). I am in the process of getting myself back on track.

Did I mention I like to cook? Stuffed ground beef, veggie, rice, and lentil peppers, served with asparagus, and a spinach, white bean, pear, yogurt salad.

Did I mention I like to cook? Stuffed ground beef, veggie, rice, and lentil peppers, served with asparagus, and a spinach, white bean, pear, yogurt salad.

Staying positive, eating healthy, and working out can do wonders on one's emotional and physical well-being. I can and will be healthy and happy and fulfilled!

So, I love to cook. Cooking also makes me happy. Being happy is good. So here is potato, sausage, and veggie hash that I whipped up the other day for breakfast.

Potato, Sausage, & Veggie Hash

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(Ingredients were actually approximately halved from photos below, because I realized it would have been way too much for two people)

Ingredients (all measurements are of course approximations, because I don't follow recipes or measure anything)

6 small-medium red potatoes
1/2 head of small broccoli head
2 green onions
1 small onion
5 cloves of garlic (I didn't have any)
10-15 cherry tomatoes
2 mixed color bell peppers
6 small sausages (more would have been tastier)
3 large kale leaves (no need to trim)
large handful dill
large handful cilantro
2 eggs

Seasonings (to taste, no idea how much I put in)
1 tbsp olive oil
Turmeric
Chilli powder
Fresh ground black pepper
Sea Salt
Mixed herbs
Cumin

For garnish
Shredded Cheddar
Chopped avocado

Now, basically just look at the pictures and it's pretty self explanatory. It's really simple to make.

Step 1

Chop up potatoes in bite size pieces. Next slice onions into thin strips. Add oil, potatoes, and onions to a large frying pan. Cook until potatoes are nearly soft. Cook sausages in another pan simultaneously. 

Step 2

While the potatoes & onions and sausages are cooking, cut up all the ingredients into bite sized pieces ("bite sized" is based on your personal preference). Once the sausages are done, cut those up into small pieces as well.

Step 3

Once the potatoes are mostly soft, add the rest of the vegetables, but save the herbs, green onions, and tomatoes until the next step. Cook until the veggies are tender, but still have a bit of a crisp.

Step 5

Once everything is nearly cooked, start frying your eggs. Make sure you keep the egg yolks intact. Runny egg yolk is super yummy! Add the herbs, green onions, sausage bits, and tomatoes and stir it all together. 

Step 6

Portion out food onto two plates, add garnishes, and then NOM your face off. 

Man, the 4th of July is going to be so strange to celebrate here in Dublin. I mean it's 'MURICAS birthday, and I have no 'MURICANS to kick back a cold one with while eating loads of bbq and lighting things on fire. Oh well, I can and WILL celebrate and do these things, even if it is by myself. :)

I hope all this food distracted you a bit from my complaining. I really am blessed to be here in Ireland, this is really a special opportunity, and I am thankful for the opportunities I have had, even if they aren't exactly what I want or need at the moment. Now, on to enjoy the Irish "summer!"