stut

Not recommending you drink rain water, just pointing out there's plenty of it falling at any given moment.

Can't speak for Ireland, but you do see protein drinks like Upbeat and Ufit in the UK quite a bit now. I'd dispute that they're "healthy" personally, but that's probably one for OMNI. If in doubt, shops like Holland & Barrett sell them quite regularly, as do places like Boots.

If you like oatmeal (porridge over here, although the oats are often treated differently) then preprepared tubs that only need hot water are readily available, and make for a good in-room hotel breakfast. Supplement with baked goods as desired.

Mizter T

I agree, but it read like you were saying tap water was bad...

Ldnn1

I think you've hit the nail on the head there, Silver Fox.

I'd suggest OP ease off the food planning and just play it by ear when they're here. Call it an adventure!

LondonElite

Someone upstream may have posted this, but I'm sensing a reincarnation of librarygal!

helosc

I didn't exactly post this but I did post a link to the funny thread about lack of ice in Europe - and am now seeing that it was actually started by librarygal.

However I don't get the impression that the OP here is complaining, merely not knowing too much about travelling outside of the US and seeking information.
And I think she is taking the flack she is getting fairly well.

TravelingNomads

LOL. I'll have to look her up. Guys, I'm a mom to 4 kids. I'm used to planning things out so that each can get to school activities, Dr visits, etc. Then add in grocery shopping, cooking, working, etc. I'm a planner because I have to be, but think of it this way. If I stress about this all now, I will be able relax while on vacation.

LondonElite

I have four children as well. My advice is don't stress and just let it flow. I'm sure you and your kids will have a lot more fun if you just let the holiday happen, without too much planning about breakfast shakes and microwaves. I'm not trying to be funny but I'd guess the kids would be more adventurous in terms of going with the vacation vibe than you, so I'd just plan the sights and general direction, and let the little things like breakfast just.......happen.

TravelingNomads

To be fair, this post was originally just a question about a cheap griddle in the budget forum. The fact that it's now 9 pages long is hillarious to me. Seriously, you should see how many pages long my Word document about this vacation is. I just don't know if we'll ever get to go back, so I want it to be perfect! And guys, I'm not complaining. I was just genuinely a little surprised at some things that are different. I can't wait though. Just some of the phrases you guys use sound cute to me.

"Winding us up"?? It sounds like you're saying that I'm giving you flatulence, but I think and hope it means a joke. OMNI? No clue on what that means and holidays are on specific days of the year, not a vacation which can be taken anytime your boss can be persuaded to let you escape since they work you on weekends, at 2am, through lunch, etc. Trust me, they can make you work holidays, but a vacation means you can not answer when they call. It's amazing!

Silver Fox

Here's another: you are going on holiday - not vacation ! Stick it on the list. Enjoy !

TravelingNomads

Oops, put my response in the post above. Answer me this seriously. Should we do the Christmas swim? If so, do they supply towels? Can we rent them if not? We want to feel like we're celebrating our Irish heritage.

LondonElite

What was the title song of National Lampoon's Vacation?

Anna Phor

As a UK expat living in the US, I want to take pity on OP and offer some concrete suggestions for food ...

For breakfasts; fresh fruit, cheese and crackers should be easy to get in most places. If you are traveling to small rural villages, do a supermarket run in advance. Cereal and milk are also easy. If you buy small cartons of milk, it won't spoil out of the fridge for a day or so. The climate isn't that hot.

For lunches, look out for bakeries and make sure at least one time to have a sausage roll. These are delicious and completely unavailable in the US.* For lunch on the go, packaged sandwiches are easy to find. These will come on sliced bread and include meat, cheese, and probably butter, but nothing else. If it says ham and cheese, it has ham, cheese, and butter. No mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, etc. A pork pie is a worthwhile lunch. Eat it cold.

If you see millionaire's shortbread, I highly recommend it.

*It's a long way to the shop.

NWIFlyer

i think this may have just won "most surreal question ever posed on FT", for which massive congratulations! .

I'm not familiar with how it works in Ireland, but in England these swims (or more usually dips) usually take place on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day, raise money for charity, and therefore you'd be expected to provide your own costume (swim or fancy dress), towels and warm clothing for afterwards. I'd think it highly unlikely hiring would be possible. Having done a couple, I can assure you the sea can also be (and usually is) extremely cold - this is not for the faint hearted, and nor would I regard it as something that celebrates heritage.

Ldnn1

Are you from oop North by any chance, Anna?

Don't quite agree on your description of sandwiches by the way. If you go anywhere like Tesco or M&S, yes they have some 'simply' sandwiches with just ham or whatever, but they also have a wide range of sandwiches which include salad, mayo and other adornments. The cheese ploughmans is a British classic of course.

It's also worth pointing out that not everything comes on sliced bread any more! Everywhere sells filled baguettes, wraps, salads and whatnot in addition to the traditional sandwich.

LondonElite

I think things have changed since you were last in the UK.

The mega-factories which churn out the sandwiches for M&S, Waitrose, Sainsbury, Tesco, etc have expanded their range considerably, so that there are hundreds of different combinations of bread, filling, dressings, etc. Also, these days most sandwich packages, whether they contain baguettes or the familiar bread triangles, have a helpful window so that one can spy the contents/filling of the sandwich before committing to purchase.