Europe: Part 1

My Dad and I have long talked about doing a trip to Europe together. The goal was to get tickets to a MotoGP race, then plan a fun trip around it. Earlier this year, we finally committed and bought tickets to make it happen! From cold pints in Dublin, ancient artifacts in London, spritzes in Vienna, and the incredible grandeur of the alps, the trip was an grand adventure and one for the books…well…this one!

City Exploration

The trip plan first came together after I was able to score a couple business class tickets to Dublin. The trip started off with a 24 hour layover there, which was jam packed but super fun! My itinerary was dialed in down to the minute, and even required some jogging across the old cobblestone streets from one activity to another just to make it in time. We got lunch at an old pub, Brazen Head, did a cocktail making class at Jameson (so fun!), did a tour and whiskey tasting at Teeling, and the explored the streets, stopping for a pint of Guinness along the way.

The next day we made our way to London, where we would explore for several nights. The first night we went to a drum and bass festival on the east side of London which was fun. A cool indoor and outdoor warehouse-style venue along the water with several stages. The next day we had a traditional Sunday Roast which was soo good, then explored and walked all over London. The next morning we enjoyed an awesome tour at the British Museum before having a delicious indian food lunch and then made our way back to our hotel to work.

Our last morning, we got up super early to fly out to Vienna. Vienna is one of my favorite cities…I had only been there once but it left an impact on me and this second visit cemented that. Such a clean, orderly, beautiful city with endless gardens, old architecture, incredible museums, and fun things to do.

On the Road

After exploring Vienna for a few days, our real trip began. We shut our laptops and picked up our camper van to head into the countryside. Next stop, Spielberg! That is where the Red Bull Ring is located, home to the Austrian stop of MotoGP. The venue was full of campers as far as the eye could see. Thankfully, we had a more relaxed campground as others were very much the party campgrounds, with endless revving of motorcycles, chainsaws, blasting music, and more beers (and beer bellies) than I have ever seen in my life! It was a blast. We spent the weekend enjoying the various races and all the other events surrounding it. Mark Marquez is unstoppable.