Lidl Ireland finally doing real, tasty German food

This is going to be the weirdest blog post I've ever written, but I must share this amazing gift Lidl is making us German expats living in Ireland this week. And all others brave enough to try new and exciting food!

In Ireland, we have two large, popular German supermarket chains: Lidl and Aldi (while in Germany there's a bunch more shops like these). They have a large selection of food at a discounted price and I do my main shop at Lidl. 

In the 9.75 years I've been living in Ireland they have never offered the German food I love: Spaetzle, Schupfnudeln, Nuernberger Wuerstchen, Leberkaese, Currywurst. 

One gets used to this grave oversight in product supply. Sure, black pudding and bacon rashers are great comfort foods too. But as of this week, Lidl is actually offering the good stuff! All I've missed (and more), available in Lidl:

My flatmate and I have been stuffing our suitcases when coming back from Germany to bring back a few weeks' supply of Spaetzle ("Egg noodles"), Schupfnudeln ("Potatoe noodles"), Leberkaese ("Bavarian style mini meatloaf") etc.  

Check out the selection in Lidl's Newsletter: http://www.lidl.ie/en/6595.htm

To make it even better, it couldn't have come at a better time: We ran out of supplies from the Christmas break a little while ago and the next trip to Germany is 1 month (for her)/ 2 months (for me) away. 

So this was the combined shopping, which should last us for a few weeks:

I'm very grateful to Lidl, you've made a bunch of German expats very happy this week! Let's hope it catches on and becomes a regular thing. These things don't necessarily have to become part of the product line, but once every 3-6 months would be amazing! 

And then there's Aldi. Due to it's lack of freshly baked breads and pastries it's only my second favourite supermarket. But in keeping tabs on what Lidl is doing, they might do these German superfoods in a few weeks too. 

Aldi's commercials are great here in Ireland, check out some of my favourites:

More great news: After stacking up all the food in the fridge, there's even a bit of space left, so we can go back to Lidl and buy some more Spaetzle tomorrow, because, you know, Every Lidl helps...

10 facts about Ireland

1 - Fries are chips and chips are crisps, i.e. fish and chips, pack of crisps

Kylemore Abbey

2 - Getting around on a bus is way cheaper than train, luas, taxi.

3 - Good fast food: Supermacs, try tacco chips

4 - Public holidays are always set on Mondays (except Paddy's Day and Christmas, but should these fall on a Saturday/Sunday, then Monday/Tuesday are given as a day off)

5 - People go to the local shops in pyjamas.

6 - A visit to the doctor costs between 40 and 60 euro.

7 - The weather: In winter it's cold and wet, in summer it's slightly warmer and wet.

8 - Don't miss the one day of summer

9 - Tana French writes great crime novels

10 - Imelda May is a popular Irish singer who also looks very stylish. 

Trip to Wicklow Gaol

Supposedly one of Ireland's Most Haunted Places: The former jail in Wicklow town. I took part in a night tour last weekend, it was very entertaining. I didn't meet any actual spirits though. 

The tour guides/ actors made the experience very life-like. As new inmates, we were introduced to life in Wicklow Gaol.

Introducing: Really really thick socks

It's this time of the year again: Days are getting shorter and it's getting colder. Cold feet anyone? 

Try these:

I've been knitting very warm socks and getting the creativity flowing with the different cable patterns. This style is inspired by my trip to the Aran Islands (where the famous Aran sweaters are sold). The yarn is also called Aran yarn, but it doesn't mean the yarn is from the sheep from the Aran islands. It just means that this is the suitable yarn to knit those big, warm, heavy Aran sweaters. And surely, the material will work well with socks too. 

Last year I made the first pairs, and I tested them myself. 

Test results: 
The socks are warm. The ones with cable pattern especially.
The socks are great inside the house, to wear instead of shoes. 
The socks are great for wearing in bed too. 
The socks make great presents
The socks are washable, I've washed mine quite a few times, and they are still as new (in the washing machine, 30 degrees, with other knitwear)

The material is between 25 and 30% wool, 75 to 80 % acrylic (except the grey ones which are 100% acrylic). It's very soft and nice. 

As always, none of the socks I have for sale have ever been worn, I don't have the greatest pictures, but the socks were not worn by anyone before. (I have a bit of an issue with feet myself). If there are photos showing my socks worn by somebody, then a fresh pair was knitted for Etsy. 

Socks can be bought here (while stocks last): 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Gigi82Knits?section_id=12177719

Trip to Galway: Galway City (6)

We chose Galway as the base for our trip to Western Ireland . From Galway, the ferry to the Aran Islands is only a 45 minute bus ride away and the beautiful scenery of Connemara is right on it's doorstep.

 

We stayed in a lovely B&B, The Prague House. It's very close to the city centre (at most 10 minute walk), it's quiet, clean, with a friendly hostess and a delicious breakfast (great choice from a breakfast menu, though we would always go for the full Irish breakfast). 

Yarnstorming in Galway:

Read more about my trip here or here or here or here and also here

Trip to Galway: Kylemore Abbey (5)

Kylemore Abbey is a beautiful building in Connemara. It was built in 1867, but not completed until 1871. Mitchell Henry, a wealthy surgeon from London, had it built as a gift to his wife who wanted nothing more than to live in Connemara. He and his wife went on their honeymoon to Connemara where he promised her the house. Years later, his father passed away and from the inheritance he bought the grounds and built Kylemore Castle, as well as the gardens which were very advanced for their time (i.e. they grew bananas in Connemara ). The gardens are restored and well worth a visit. There's also the gardener's house to visit.

 

Mitchell and his wife Margaret had 9 children together. Unfortunately, Margaret died when she was only 45 years old. She was laid to rest in a mausoleum that was built for her.

 

 Mitchell Henry was popular with the locals and represented them as an MP. In the end, he had to sell the house because it was very expensive to upkeep. He died in 1910 in a hotel room in London . At this point, Kylemore was run by nuns who granted his wish to be cremated and buried next to his wife in the mausoleum.

 

 

Read more about my trip to Galway here,. here, here or here

Trip to Galway: Connemara (4)

After the previous day's exhausting excursion to Inis Mor, we decided to take it easy on Sunday and go on a bus trip to Kylemore Abbey and Connemara. Tours are offered in abundance in Galway, there's a choice between lots of operating companies.

We went with the Galway Tour company, a bus full of people. The bus took us to Kylemore Abbey first, I will write about this beautiful building next.

Connemara:

 We also saw a wishing tree, where clothes of the sick are hung so they get magically better:

I didn't quite understand why this is so special, but the tour guide kept pointing it out. So this is Connemara turf:

 

This is a white horse that's friendly with the tour guide:

 

This is Ross Errily Friary:

 

Trip to Galway: The Aran Islands: Inis Mor (2)

Beautiful coastlines, the rough Irish countryside, a sandy beach, the Atlantic Ocean, stone walls, cows, horses and donkeys: Inis Mor (English: Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands):

There are a few ferries going to Inis Mor, we took the 10.30am ferry out and the 6.30pm ferry back. In winter the last ferry leaves earlier. Taking the ferry can be an adventure in itself, the Atlantic ocean is rough, there's water splashing on the deck, people get seasick, people see dolphins...

 

Having been on a few trips around Ireland, I had the experience that it usually rains, even in mid-August. I was pleasantly surprised that the sun was shining when we got to Inis Mor. This meant that we could hire bikes and make our own way around the island. There are plenty of bikes to rent, for 10 EUR you can choose a bike for the day.

Otherwise you can:

- Hire a horse-drawn coach

- Go on a mini-bus tour

- Walk around the island

 

If you're a "sporting ace" like me (I hadn't been on a bike for about 10 years), you'll be wrecked at the end of the day, but it's not so bad: The routes are mostly even, there's very little traffic (just the occasional minibus) and you can take lots of breaks. I did like the freedom of the bike, and it's much quicker than walking. Also, the bikes aren't locked, everyone just leaves their bike near them when they stop and hop on again later.

The main attraction was Dún Aengus, I will write about this little hill tomorrow.

Trip to Galway, Connemara and Inis Mor

Last weekend I went on a weekend trip to Galway and from there I visited Inis Mor (engl: Inishmore) and Connemara. Here are some impressions, more to come in the next few days:

Spectacular view from Dun Aonghasa over the cliffs on Inis Mor

A sandy beach on Inis Mor. On a sunny day! In Ireland! Who knew...

Evil looking cow

Kylemore Abbey in Connemara