A Day In The Lalz

A DC Based Style and Travel Blog by Lauleh.

Spain

#TBT | Spain – Seville & Cordoba

This week’s #ThrowBackTravel is Seville & Córdoba!! As mentioned in last week’s post my family and I took a two week long trip to Spain back in May 2010. This week I’m highlighting out trip to Seville & Córdoba! 

We flew from Barcelona to Seville and stayed at Hotel Simón (for 3 nights) in the heart of the city. After settling in to the hotel we went out to dinner to a local place recommended by the hotel staff. After dinner we just walked around the city and walked over to Torre del Oro.


Day 1 in Seville consisted of visiting Alcázares Reales de Sevilla, Plaza de Toros, Bike ride at Parque Maria Luisa, Plaza de America, and Plaza de España. In addition to all these amazing sites we visited the most memorable part of out stay in Seville was that Seville FC won the Copa del Rey the day before and there was a constant parade going on in the city. Everywhere we went we kept running into the soccer team bus which was a riot. It was so much fun being part of the celebrations! In the evening we went to a flamenco show at La Carbonería‎ which was recommended by a friend of mine who was studying abroad in Seville. The show was free and I absolutely loved it because it was authentic Flamenco dancing! It wasn’t that tourist trap glitzy flamenco show that everyone goes to. I highly recommend going to La Carbonería‎ for an authentic show.


Day 2 of our stay in Seville we took a train to Córdoba for a day trip. We started the day at the Great Mosque of Córdoba or also known as Mezquita. In addition we went to Puerta del Puente, Roman Bridge, and Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

On our last day in Seville we went to the Cathedral of Seville and made sure to climb the bell tower to get a picturesque view of Seville!

Seville & Córdoba were a great introduction to the South of Spain! I loved everything about Seville – the atmosphere, the food, the sites, the hospitality – it was all perfect!! Check back next week for details on our trip to Granada! Have a lovely day!
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Spain

#TBT | Spain – Barcelona

This week’s #ThrowBackTravel is Barcelona! My family and I took a two week long trip to Spain back in May 2010. We spent one week in Barcelona and then galavanted around Spain for another week. This post is brief throw back to our lovely week in Barcelona! 

The highlights of Day 1 included La Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, Telefèric de Montjuïc, Outside Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, and Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. We were very ambitious – or at least I was – and we saw a lot! Being at the Magic Fountain at sunset to watch the water fountain show was beyond incredible! 

We took it easy on Day 2 and started the day off at Port Vell and walked by the marina. We also stumbled upon a lovely parade in Port Vell. In addition we went to the Barcelona Cathedral and climbed the tower to get a breathtaking view of Barcelona.

Day 3 highlights included Park Güell, Palau Reial de Pedralbes, Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria and La Rambla. Our hotel was walking distance from La Rambla therefore we were there all the time! My favorite part was going to the Boqueria and getting fresh juice from the market! 


On the last day we hit up Museu Picasso, Palau de la Música Catalana, Parc de la Ciutadella, and finished off with paella dinner on a lovely restaurant on La Rambla. No pictures were allows in the Palau de la Música Catalana but I had to sneak some shots of the beautiful ceiling! I highly recommend a visit if you are going to Barcelona!

The month of October will be dedicated to Spain and I will be sharing all about my trip to this beautiful country! Tune in next week for Sevilla & Cordoba! Happy Thursday!
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Europe, Ireland, Style, Travel

Ireland | Fashion

Day 1
Sweater: Old Navy (old) | Jacker: The Limited | Pants: Banana Republic | Scarf: Haute Hijab | Handbag: Longchamp | Watch: Fossil
Shoes: Sperry (old)
Day 2
Tee: Banana Republic | Jacket: The Limited | Pants: Banana Republic | Scarf: Zeena | Shoes: Sperry 
Handbag: Longchamp | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Watch: Michael Kors
Day 3

Shirt: J.Crew (old) | Vest: Piperlime | Scarf: Zeena | Belt: The Limited (old) | Pants: Banana Republic | Boots: Rag & Bone x Hunter | Rain Jacket: Lululemon (old)
Day 4

Sweatshirt: J.Crew | Blouse: The Limited | Scarf: Haute Hijab | Jeans: The Limited | Shoes: Sperry | 
Rain Jacket: Lululemon | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Day 5

Cardigan: Anthropologie | Blouse: The Limited | Jeans: The Limited | Scarf: Zeena | 
Belt: The Limited | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Shoes: Sperry 

When packing for Ireland I tried very hard to be practical and not over pack! I searched endlessly for fashion tips for traveling to Ireland in June but came up short. All that I found was pack a rain coat and make sure to have an umbrella! There was a definite lack of “Hijabi guide to packing for Ireland.” Therefore I approached packing for Ireland with the solution of layers and practicality. We were in Ireland for 5 days therefore I packed 5 outfits – I mix & matched  pieces to save room. In addition I only packed 3 pair of shoes – black Hunter rain boots, mint Sperry boat shoes, and black Sperry flats – and 1 pair of heels to wear to my cousin’s graduation ceremony. I was extremely proud of myself at the airport when I weighed my suitcase and it was only 38 pounds! Yay!

The best thing I packed was my Longchamp Large Le Pilage Tote – this bag was a lifesaver! It literally fit everything I needed on a daily basis! I managed to fit my DSLR camera, extra lens, rain jacket, umbrella, snacks, water bottle, phone, and wallet. Every time someone needed something it was in my magic mom bag! At any given time it rains in Ireland therefore I constantly had my Lululemon rain jacket on me at all times. The jacket is extremely lightweight and 100% waterproof – the second best thing I packed on the trip!

Ireland was a blast and memorable trip because I was surrounded my by family. We had such a blast and I definitely recommend a family trip to explore this beautiful country!!

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Ireland

Ireland – Day 5 | Dublin & Wicklow

Our last day in Dublin began with brunch at Herb Street. The food was delicious and the place became busy very quickly! The restaurant was in the more modern parts of Dublin which was a complete 180 from the historical parts we were in. Very nice area and definitely a must see!

After brunch the gang split up. My mom, sister, and I booked a half day tour to Powerscourt Estate in Wicklow. The tour I booked was through Love Ireland – started at 2:15pm and ended around 6pm. We boarded the bus at the Visitor Centre on Lower O’Connell street. The guide on the bus explained all the significant landmarks on our drive to Wicklow. We took a short break to see Ireland’s east coast beach.

Once we arrived at Powerscourt Estate we had about 2 hours to explore the garden and grounds of the estate. The estate garden was beautiful! Recently it was voted Number 3 Garden in the World by National Geographic! I took probably 500 pictures of flowers and landscape at the estate. Everything was just beautiful and serene! 

Once we returned to Dublin we walked back to our hotel. On the way we managed to stop by Ha’Penny bridge to capture these beautiful shots.

I can’t believe we were only in Ireland for 5 days because it definitely felt longer! We managed to see and do a lot in the shot time we were there. Being surrounded by family made the trip even more memorable. The weather thankfully was very cooperative and made the trip very enjoyable! Thanks for all the memories and fun Ireland! 
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Ireland

Ireland – Day 4 | Cliffs of Moher

Galway Latin Qaurters
Claddagh Shop
Claddagh Shop
Flags of Galway Founding Families
Galway
Day 4 in Ireland consisted of a full day tour to the west side of Ireland! I booked this tour through Dublin Tour Company and couldn’t be happier about it! I’m usually not a fan of tours and prefer to plan everything myself. However since we were a group of 8 and in Ireland they drive on the left side – I thought it would be best to just go with a tour company. We boarded the bus at 6:50am in Dublin and left for the west coast. 
Our first stop was the city of Galway. We met our local guide, Donal, for a walking tour of Galway. The tour began in the Latin Quarter of Galway, then we walked to the Claddagh gold shops. Our guide mentioned that apparently Kimye was in town a week ago for their honeymoon in Galway and Kanye bought a 40K Claddagh ring for her – he showed us the shop if anyone was interested in buing a replica. We passed and just bought one from the market for 25 euros. The walking tour lasted for about an hour.
Lunch in Doolin
Doolin
After Galway we got back on the charter and headed to the small town of Doolin for lunch. We had delicious Fish’n’Chips and Chowder at O’Connor’s.
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
My sister capturing the breathtaking views of Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Sheep at Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
After lunch the charter headed straight for Cliffs of Moher. At the cliffs we had two hours to explore. The entire experience was breathtaking. I gave my mom a heart attack with all the times I went close to the edge to take pictures. At some point she just started yelling at me. We encountered a minor rain storm while at the cliffs but once that passed the sun was shining and it was very majestic. Pictures don’t do justice for how beautiful the Cliffs of Moher are! 

Dunguaire Castle
Dunguaire Castle
Views of The Barren

On the drive back to Dublin our driver stopped by Dunguaire Castle for a photo opportunity. Our driver was absolutely hilarious and very knowledgeable. I definitely recommend this tour with Dublin Tour Company for anyone who is in Dublin and wants to take a day trip to Cliffs of Moher! For the price it is very convenient and you get to see all the highlights of the west coast!
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Ireland

Ireland – Day 3 | Howth

Day 3 in Ireland consisted of a day to tour to Howth. Howth is a coastal village on the east coast of Ireland. I booked the Howth Day Tour via SANDEMANs New Dublin Tour in order to have a guide to walk us through Howth and give us a bit of history as well as make sure we don’t get lost! The tour began with meeting at Dublin City Hall at 9:30am to meet our guide. Eoin was our guide – he is student at Trinity College and extremely knowledgeable – and if you are wondering how to pronounce his name it’s “Owen” but as he said Eoin is the correct spelling because the Irish way is the right way!  Checkout reviews and more pictures about the tour company on TripAdvisor.  Once the group gathered we walked to the DART and rode the train to Howth. Upon arriving in Howth we began the walking tour. The highlights included Howth Castle, Rhododenrous, Clifftop Walk, Viking Raids, Medieval Ruins, Ireland’s Eye, Howth Harbor, Howth Abbey, and Bailey Lighthouse. We had a break for lunch at Summit Inn about midday – lunch was not included. After lunch we had the option of taking the upper cliff path (shorter) or lower cliff path (longer). My family voted on the upper cliff path and thankfully Eoin tagged along with our group while other members of the tour decided to break off and go on the lower cliff path. Once back at the harbor we got back on the train and went back to Dublin around 4pm.

For dinner we went to The Church in Dublin to celebrate my cousin’s birthday. This venue used to be a church – St. Mary’s – and in 2005 after much renovation it reopened as a cafe, restaurant, bar, nightclub. The venue was definitely interesting and the food is beyond delicious! On a Friday night it was very busy but thankfully my cousin managed to lock a reservation for us. My sister mentioned to the hostess that it was our cousin’s birthday and they went above and beyond and brought out a delicious dessert with a sparkler candle and totally surprised her!! Our waiter – Valentine – was such a character and made the dinner very memorable! We had a fabulous and fun time at Church!
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