The Schengen Area. Ever heard of it? As much as your brain wants to associate it with Japan, it actually makes up most of Europe. And if you’ve thought about traveling across the pond for an extended period of time, it’s something you should be familiar with.
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The Schengen Area comprises 26 member states that have officially ceased an operational border control between each country. Expanding its zone since, the Schengen Agreement occurred 33 years ago in Schengen, Luxembourg for the purposes of creating a sole jurisdiction for country-to-country travel, with a uniform visa approach. Currently, all but 6 of the EU countries are members, with the exceptions being Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Ireland, and the UK. In addition, 4 non-EU participants, in Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland, also abide by its role.(http://biblio.ucv.ro/bib_web/bib_pdf/EU_books/0056.pdf)
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“So what’s the big deal?” you might ask. Well, depending on your nationality, you might need an initial visa to be admitted into the Area, unless you’re from North America, which for these purposes, we’re going to assume that you are. So don’t worry about that commencing visa, North Americans! BUT, take heed, as a carefree jaunt between the many wonderful European-outposts may quantify into a very unfortunate situation down the road.
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Under Schengen policy, no outside traveler is to extend his or her stay over the allotted 90 days within a half-year period. In other words, you have a 3-month total stay over a 6-month duration inside any of the Schengen countries. We know, you were told there would be no math, but please bear with us…so, if you initially flew into France and remained for 2 weeks, visited England and Ireland for another 2 weeks, then went over and stayed in Italy for a month, you would be roughly halfway through your allotted time you could stay, as England and Ireland don’t count towards your total. You would then have about 45 days within the Area, spread over another 4 months, if you so chose. There are, though, a long-stay visa and residency permit options you could apply for in advance (see bottom link for more details).
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When planning your European trip, especially if you think there’s a possibility of being there a while, be cognizant of the landscape and know exactly what countries are represented in the Zone (which are most) and neighboring states that don’t adhere to it. In addition to the UK and Ireland, another nearby country we visited was Morocco, which obviously isn’t part of Schengen, as it’s located in Africa. Thanks to our time spent in these states, we were able to sneak under our time allowed with a few days to spare (we unwisely weren’t aware of the Schengen duration-limitations until about halfway through our trip).
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So what happens if I’m a few days over my 90-day limit?” you might later ask. Really, it depends on if the customs officer at the airport is having a bad day or not, or if in fact he notices the offense. If he doesn’t realize you’ve overstayed your welcome, well, you’re good to go. Likewise, if the officer sees it, but is in a good mood, he will likely convey the infraction to you and just warn you not to go over next time. However, even if only a few days, and ESPECIALLY if you’re a week or more past your 3-month limit, things could get rather serious. Contingent on the country, penalties could range into the hundreds-of-Euros. And even in some extreme cases, border control has the power to ban you for a year or longer from re-entering the Schengen Area.(http://biblio.ucv.ro/bib_web/bib_pdf/EU_books/0056.pdf)
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Odds are you’re not going to spend near 3 months during your visit to Europe. Although it’s possible to spend a lifetime and not see even close to all that Europe has to offer, we get it, people get busy and can’t take off for that long. However, for some, like us, an opportunity arises where it’s possible to make the journey and spend a longer duration. And for these instances, have fun planning and experiencing your trip (it’ll be a blast!), BUT, do so with regard to your ever-running clock of time spent within the Schengen Area. Ignorance, at the immigration desk, can no longer be used as an excuse (not that it could before)!
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​Check out this site for more helpful information on the intricacies behind the Schengen Area and how it relates to your country of origin: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/

When you think of NYC, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The Statue of Liberty? The Empire State Building? Times Square? Central Park? These most assuredly stand as triumphant symbols of the Big Apple and it's very likely any layman has heard of at least a couple of them. What many people may not realize, however, is that these icons reside within only one of the 5 boroughs (or in the harbor), that being Manhattan. ​
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After the short commute, some of our favorite locales were Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick. See, we fancy ourselves as craft-brewery connoisseurs and these three neighborhoods certainly don't lack in the creation of new and exciting beer-tastes. Kings County Brewers Collective & Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co., in particular, offer a relaxing indoor-outdoor environment with top-notch suds, along with friendly & knowledgeable staff (and no, we are not sponsored by either of the two). A casual stroll to the next brewery will greet you with colorful murals, expressive people and up-and-coming cafes and shops, which all help to deem Brooklyn as one and the most trendy and hipster-friendly regions in America. 
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But it's not all super-tight jeans and music-snobbery in Brooklyn. Families can enjoy a fun-filled day at the beach, the nationally-renowned aquarium, or braving the historic Cyclone wooden rollercoaster, all on Coney Island. And for the money-conscious clan, it's hard to patrol many avenues without coming across one of the myriad parks, which act as an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle. A couple of the more well-established greeneries are Prospect Park, Fort Greene Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, where you can find majestic views of Lower & Midtown Manhattan, with the Statue of Liberty glistening to your left. And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, there are designated piers that boast a vast array of recreational activities, such as basketball, skating, soccer and table tennis. 
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Finally, there's Downtown Brooklyn. Although dwarfed by its neighboring Manhattan, Brooklyn's city-center acts as any other large city's downtown would. It comes complete with a large collection of high-rise buildings, lively bar- and restaurant-filled streets, and 2 professional sports teams, in the way of the Brooklyn Nets & the New York Islanders. An assortment of culture and unique opportunities are around every corner in this high-paced downtown of a borough within the greater City. 
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Nestled just south of the Arctic Circle, Iceland stretches 40,000 square miles, but with a population less than that of downtown Cleveland, making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Where it lacks in population though, it certainly makes up for with its awe-inspiring natural beauty. From glaciers and fjords to black-sand beaches and majestic waterfalls, it’s hard to look in any direction and keep your camera out of your hands.

​Although it might seem daunting to visit this Nordic island in winter, many would argue this would be the optimal time. The northern lights, or aurora borealis, has been gazed upon since the Vikings established colonies in the 9th century and that sentiment of wonder has been carried on today by Icelanders and tourists alike (unfortunately, we weren’t part of those tourists, as we came a few weeks later than the ideal viewing time). And a great spot to view the lights, while beating the chill of winter, is immersed in a hot spring-fed lagoon, which there are plenty for your choosing.

​Conversely, late April through September offers its own advantages in the forms of 15-22 hours of sunlight per day and the opportunity to traverse more areas of the island that otherwise would be buried in snow and ice. Additionally, for you bird-watchers out there, it’s during this time that the Atlantic Puffin nests along the rugged cliffs throughout the island.

​Through our experience and suggestions from friends and locals, we discovered a few helpful tips for those of you that might be interested in visiting this magical island.

With a trip of a week or less, don’t be a hero; try and focus on more of the local sights:
Due to its deceivingly-large size, and especially with only having 6 days to work with, we found that it would be too rushed to try and circumnavigate the whole island. By looking at the map and planning out our days, we decided to cut our losses on the far-off places and focused more on local areas that we could explore in a day (from Reykjavik across to the other side of the island is just under 9 hours one-way).

For those who are cost-conscious, we suggest opting for a rental car and an Airbnb in Reykjavik:
There are certainly advantages to seeing the island via tour bus and we were actually close to going that route. However, after price-comparisons with car rentals we found that it was a little cheaper going with our own set of wheels (this included full protection, which we advise you get, due to prevalent gravel roads) for a few days than 3 bus tours. Adding to this, the freedom to explore key sites on our own time as well as off-the-beaten-path-type places gave us all the more reason to get our own buggy.
Regarding the second half of this tip...because of the vast majority of the population being located in Reykjavik, Airbnb’s are much more common there than in the ancillary cities along the perimeter. Thus we found prices to be much more affordable than not, especially for the private-dwelling variety, which is extremely scarce (and expensive!) when you get out of Reykjavik.

​Don’t eat or drink:
Well, OK, you can do these things if you are either really wealthy or heed our advice. Being a remote island-nation, Iceland is very expensive and when it comes to restaurants and bars, this is no different. From just perusing the local establishments, we found your average beer to be about $13, soup $20 and a burger $25. Most places however, have happy hour for drinks that have varying timeframes which brings a pint down to $6-8. But, unfortunately for food, we didn’t see any such deals. We stocked up at the “cheap” grocery store, Bonus, which had some reasonable prices within. That being said, make sure your lodging accommodation comes complete with a kitchen, as it came in really handy for us to prepare meals.

​Don’t fret about exchanging your cash:
Virtually EVERY business in Iceland accepts credit card. So save your frustration, poor exchange rates and ATM fees, because you’ll be able to swipe everywhere.

​Leave your translation book at home:
Normally a priority of ours when we travel, we try to speak the basics of the country’s language as much as possible. However, Icelanders might be better at English than Americans. In addition to Icelandic, most everything is written in English and locals are quick to offer assistance in English first. Although reveling in these comforts might not be the most cultured thing to do, we did find Icelandic to be both highly-complex yet similar in certain instances.

​By incorporating our newly-found tips, we were able to execute our main objective: explore the vast beauty that Iceland exudes. And even with time constraints limiting us to a fraction of what the country has to offer, what we did see was truly extraordinary.

​All within a two-hour drive of Reykjavik, we discovered some fantastic sights along the Golden Circle (Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir & Kerid Crater), Glymur - the tallest waterfall in Iceland, at 198 meters, the Secret Lagoon, and Dyrhólaey.

​Last, but not least, Reykjavik itself is a quaint, modern city set amidst the picturesque landscape. If you can get by the exorbitant prices, this capital city boasts great museums, a lively art-culture and very friendly locals.

​So if you’ve always dreamt of going to Iceland or you discover one of your possible flights to Europe stops-over in Iceland for any length of time, DO IT. It’s a place unlike any other and most certainly worth your while. We will definitely be back to continue our adventure where we left off.

All’s well that ends well, yeah?

Not exactly...

The British have influenced the Emerald Isle for over 8 centuries, especially the last 4, when the Crown began heavy colonization. They made it a point to try and “civilize” the Irish through attempts at converting them to Protestantism, a gradual nixing of their language and culture, and an upheaval from their lands.

Have circumstances ever had it to where you went somewhere or did something spontaneously, that you otherwise didn’t plan beforehand? Sometimes things happen out of the blue that ultimately push you in a direction that was previously unforeseen to you. Typically those occurrences tend to be memorable, be it for good or bad.

What if we told you that you could plan and create the good ones?

​While many of these surprise instances occur in general life, many happen within the realm of travel that ultimately you cannot foresee, like meeting new friends and being invited to their house for local traditional cuisine (which just isn’t the same in a restaurant). Experiences like these are great and are truly what’s wonderful about traveling.

​But especially when considering getting from one place to another, the power of circumstance is really in your hands. If time and schedule permit it, areas in between your planned destinations can add an enriching, unexpected adventure to your trip.

While searching for bargains, don’t overlook the areas in between your departing city and destination. Literally look at the map and see what’s in the middle and you may end up getting a bonus jaunt that you never would have even thought of.

We’ve been fortunate enough to take advantage of this method a few times on this trip, but the one most rewarding is our current, which happened out of brainstorming how we were eventually getting back home in the Spring.

We originally had it in our minds that we were going to leave from Malta and venture to either Paris or London for a short sit before flying back to the East Coast. This was especially the case as these cities were the cheapest to depart from; so we thought...

​BOOM!

Not only was the flight from Malta to Dublin substantially cheaper than to London or Paris, it was also more cost-efficient for flying back home. And to put the cherry on top, two fantastic house-sits enabled us to turn a few days in Dublin into a month-long adventure around the island.

As you can imagine, this within itself has brought amazing experiences that we otherwise would have missed out on, including Melissa being able to reconnect with relatives in Galway after 13 years, and you just can’t put a price on that.

​So now, unfortunately, we are at the end of this originally-unexpected trip across the Island of Ireland and it’s time to book the tickets to leave from here to home.

THINK AGAIN!

After looking at flights from Dublin & Belfast back to America, we again conversed and decided to break out the map, as we had a slight wonder about what the feasibility of a stop-over in Reykjavik might be.

Lo and behold, a flight from Belfast to Reykjavik ($44!!) and then Reykjavik back to JFK combined to be cheaper than Belfast straight to JFK. Unfortunately, with only a handful of days left in Schengen Territory (more on that later), we have yet to find a short pet-sit, but nevertheless are thrilled about this very unique opportunity.

​So if the time permits, don’t be afraid to peruse the map and explore some options between points A & B; you never know what you might find.

​To all of our friends and family: Yes, we are (gradually) making our way back home. But for now, we are enjoying these final, unexpected opportunities! :)

Have you ever wanted to go to Barcelona? Who wouldn’t, right?

With it’s unique Catalan culture and language, the Mediterranean Sea, and ancient history, this is an international destination for any traveler.

What about Dublin? I mean, another astounding YES, right?

Most of us have enjoyed a pint of Guinness and have been told by pretentious friends that, “It’s so much better-tasting when you drink it in Dublin.”

​This modern metropolis ties centuries-old tradition together perfectly to form a major global hub of the arts, technology and history.

​“How on Earth could this happen?” you might ask.

Well, it just so happened in these two spots, that the towns themselves and the immediate surrounding areas turned out to be hidden gems that we had no idea about prior to arriving. These sits especially, have really revealed to us the notion that living like a local offers so much more than wearing the tourist hat.

These attractions are what we envisioned when we signed up for pet-sits in the greater metros of these iconic cities. We were delighted that these sits were three- and two-week-long stays, as we had plans to regularly explore every nook and cranny with our pets. And despite not being right in the city center, both locations offered easy and quick train rides downtown.

So after our combined five weeks in the two cities, we ended up visiting a grand total of 1-TIME.

​It feels as though, now, that if we had focused on Barcelona & Dublin exclusively, we would have missed out on broadening activities, like experiencing an annual fire festival (we have the burn marks on our clothes to prove it) in Sant Pere de Ribes with newly-found friends, or immersing ourselves in live Irish folk music while celebrating Good Friday with a pint for the first time (www.pioneeringpetpals.com/blog/aoine-an-cheasta-to-you) in a quaint coastal town.

​The City of Tarragona was a short train ride away and offered fantastic glimpses into ancient Roman life in the forms of a greatly preserved amphitheater, city walls and an impressive acqueduct, which citizens relied upon for their water consumption, bathing and cleaning. This city was truly a sight to behold and we were even able to take Harry on the train with us!

​Moreover, a really introspective experience in County Meath came in the form of Newgrange, an ancient Neolithic burial and ceremonial site. To the untrained eye, this area might just look like a big hill or mound, but once you get up close, you can see the near-impossible feat our ancestors of 5,000 years ago took to create such an awe-inspiring marvel.

Three generations of work in the making, these early Irishmen used their ingenuity and brute strength to move several-ton boulders from miles away and assemble them into an architecturally-sound passageway and chamber.

Here, they carved beautiful designs in the stone to honor the remains of their loved ones who were set to rest amidst the chamber. It was here where their spirits would dwell until the winter solstice, when the dawning sun would rise and perfectly slip through the only window of the structure and run down the passageway to the chamber, where the sun god would extend his hand to the waiting souls and take them up to Heaven (our tour guide demonstrated this by turning all of the lights out inside and used his flashlight to mimic the sun, which that alone gave us chills).

But really, the accessibility to trails and parks enabled us to take our dogs-at-the-time, for long adventures that we all really enjoyed. From seaside cliffs, national parks and a religious Mecca in Montserrat, to sheep-populated fields and seals bobbing in the bay in an old Viking town, these are memories that we will certainly hold dear, and we like to think that Harry, Eli & Kim will, too.

Don’t get us wrong, we ended up visiting both Barcelona & Dublin and absolutely loved them. Everything we mentioned previously about both holds true and then some, and will certainly make it a point to return.

​However, being lucky enough to be situated in such ideal locations for a good length of time enabled us to really explore and find out about these magical areas of Spain & Ireland, that sadly (or maybe not so sadly) many travelers will not get the opportunity to visit.

​And to do a lot of these things with our furry friends really makes it that much more special.

Not wanting to miss a moment of the Goodness, pubs are enthusiastically opening their doors at 7 AM. Citing changing demographics, a reduction in traditional religious practices, and benefits from tourism, alcohol retailers and politicians alike have sided together to make this a reality. Moreover, a lot of the public over the years has held onto the idea that Jesus’ crucifiction was done in an act of love and should be celebrated, which is in contrast to how some might see it as being a solemn and sad event.

Ultimately, whether you’re a believer or not, everyone loves to wake up to round chocolates in the form of Easter eggs. And now in Ireland, for those willing, one can even complement those with a whiskey that was purchased on the Friday before.

Now, raise a glass to the Risen!

Heck, even Jesus drank wine.



Happy Easter! We will be testing out and celebrating this new found liberty in the Republic amongst other Irish-folk and our furry pals, Kim & Eli.

​In the midst of one of our light-heated banter sessions, my geography teacher/track coach, Mr. Givogue, challenges me:
“Name a place, any place, and I’ll locate it on the map.” I think for a few seconds, as the bragging rights that were dangling in front of me came into focus. Finally, I think of the most random, seldom-known country I can manage and with a triumphant smile I echo, “Malta.” Instantly, I can see the wash of unease over Mr. Givogue’s face, and my confidence was confirmed (which doesn't typically happen, as he is well-versed in most everything). Conveniently averting his attention away from me, however, he addresses the entire class with instructions for homework before the bell rings. But after tending to his newfound interest, he turns back to me with an ominous stare that read, “I’ll see you at track practice...”

​So while only hitting the tip of the iceberg with this short piece, we encourage you to go and discover for yourself what really makes this a hidden jewel of the Mediterranean. It’s definitely going to be a priority of ours to get back, and hopefully the return trip involves a reunion with our new friend, Cocoa.