TRAVEL: Merida, Mexico - townhouses, temples and tortillas

Travelling to Merida, Mexico, isn’t the easiest thing to do, particularly when travelling from a regional airport like Newcastle. My journey began early on a Sunday morning, where I caught a flight from Newcastle to Heathrow, and then from Heathrow to Mexico City. Bare in mind, travelling from the UK to Mexico takes a whopping eleven hours, so make sure you have something to entertain you on the flight, or comfortable things to sleep in!

Mexico City has to be one of the most confusing airports I’ve ever set foot in – it’s effectively a long corridor on two levels with no obvious directions. My advice: print out directions for inside the airport before you go so you know where you need to check in and the like! Luckily, I’d done this with direction for The Courtyard by Marriott hotel where I was spending the night before my final flight the next day, although it did still take me a good fifteen minutes to make my way there.

Jetlag wasn’t on my side, so it was an early start (luckily they start serving breakfast at 5am) and my first taste of Mexican food was excellent – refried beans, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, chilaquiles (tortillas topped with red or green sauce and cheese) and tlacoyo (black corn tortillas with cheese and chilli). They also had a great selection of waffles, hotcakes, omelettes and breads, so you certainly wouldn’t be going hungry!

Giving myself enough time to get lost again, I headed back into the airport to check in for my Interjet flight to Merida, and was glad I’d given myself the extra time as the queue for check-in was humungous. Don’t worry if you don’t have time for breakfast as the airport itself is lined with hundreds of stalls selling traditional Mexican food, and believe me when I say the food is good.

You’ll also have plenty of chances to practice your Spanish if you wish – I was asked at check-in if I spoke Spanish, to which I replied “un poco,” and was the conversation then proceeded completely in Spanish. (Yo entiendo mas que puedo hablar). A short while later, I was engaged in Spanish conversation with someone in the waiting room – Mexicans are very friendly!

My primary reason for visiting Merida was to attending the International Student Energy Summit, a biennial conference which invites students from across the globe to some exciting location (last time it was held in Bali) to hear from leaders in the field and engage with likeminded students. I was collected at the airport by members of the SES team and driven to my hotel for my time in Merida, the Hampton Inn by Hilton. Getting out of the van, the heat hit like a tonne of bricks, and it wasn’t even the ‘hot hot’ season! Sunscreen is a must.

Having a bit of downtime before the conference began, I headed across the road to admire the natural beauty of Costco. You heard right. This Costco, however, was different to most in the fact that it has a cenote, naturally occurring sinkholes which are connected by underground caves spreading all across the Yucatan Peninsula; right in its carpark. While this is undoubtedly one of the less attractive cenotes (some are extremely beautiful – more on that later), it’s something different that you won’t find anywhere else.

Whilst the area of Merida I was staying in was a 7km away from the centre (and I would recommend staying closer to town if you can), I was pleased to find it wasn’t completely devoid of attraction, and opposite Costco was not only a massive Mexican flag, but a line of small shops which opened onto the street. The only problem was that they were across an 8-lane highway from where I was currently standing. How does one cross such an obstruction? You walk into oncoming traffic and hope the cars don’t hit you, apparently, so that’s what I did. It is slightly daunting knowing that once you cross you may never be able to get back depending on the traffic situation.

I wandered alongside the shops for a while, getting a feel for what the locals eat, drink and do, before finding myself at a massive shopping centre which appeared almost out of nowhere. Out of curiosity (and a wish for some sweet, sweet air-conditioning), I made my way into the supermarket inside – very different from back home. Here, everything was piled sky-high (how they ensure the food at the top of the piles don’t go out of date is beyond me) and they even had a tortilleria where you can get as many freshly made tortillas as your heart desires.

The following day, I caught the hotel shuttle into town. Don’t do this if staying at the Hampton. I was told at the check-in desk that the shuttle would take 20 minutes to get to the only drop-off point of the Fiesta Americana, and then a further 20 minutes to walk into the centre. With this in mind, I thought catching the 8:30am bus would give me ample time to be at the Cathedral for my tour, starting at 9:30am. How wrong I was…

The bus left late to begin with, and then drove about 20 minutes, dropping 2 people off at a university campus. We then drove to a cenote where more people were dropped off. At this point, it was 9:05, and another of the passengers was already late for his tour leaving the Fiesta Americana at 9am, so he checked his Google Maps to discover that we had headed in the complete opposite direction of town and it would take us a further half an hour just to get back to the Fiesta Americana. We ended up driving back past our hotel, arriving at the Fiesta at 9:35. Needless to say, neither of us were particularly happy being very late for our tours.

I literally begged the shuttle driver to take me to the Cathedral, to which he reluctantly agreed, and we arrived there at around 9:45. I ran as fast as my legs would take me to find my tour, and by some act of God spotted a man in a pink t-shirt speaking to a group – a sure sign of the Pink Cactus tours, right? I’d made it! And only just, as a minute after I arrived, the group moved on to another part of town and there’s no chance I would have been able to find them. To conclude, take a taxi into town!

The tour itself was very good – despite only taking in a relatively small area of land, we managed to see a lot in the hour and a half tour, including the Plaza Grande, Teatro Peon Contreras, shops selling bejewelled beetles due to an ancient myth, beautiful churches, colourful buildings, the Santa Lucia Plaza, before ending up in the artists foundation. And the best bit? It was free! At the end, you can pay what you think the tour was worth, and it certainly was worth it. A great way to spend the morning.

I asked our guide how I should spend the next three hours before I needed to register for the conference, and he suggested to check out Paseo Montejo. Firstly, I retraced my steps a bit to visit a chocolate shop in the Santa Lucia Plaza to buy some Mayan chocolate as presents. The shopkeeper was very nice and let me try a number of the chocolates so I could make my decisions – I settled on an 82% dark chocolate, and milk with corn chips. I then headed to the Plaza Grande to take some photos of the Merida sign and pick up an overpriced snowglobe (it had to be done).

Paseo Montejo is a broad boulevard lined with utterly stunning mansion-like buildings, so I can see why it had been recommended. You can easily spend an hour or so strolling down the street admiring the beautiful architecture. The street even has free wifi, so I quickly Facetimed my Dad (to make him jealous of the sunny weather, of course) and checked the route back to the hotel, which I’d decided to walk as I had a few hours to kill. Perhaps not my best decision, as it was midday and 35’C, and I did end up getting a bit lost, but I’d say I’ve certainly seen a lot more of Merida than most tourists now. If you make a similar decision, please ensure you take a lot of water with you – heatstroke is definitely a potential issue!

That evening and the following three days were spent attending the conference, and included special events such as an opera performance at the Teatro Peon Contreras (be warned, the one we saw was in Italian with Spanish subtitles), a cocktail reception right next to the Cathedral, and a Gala Dinner in one of the glorious Paseo Montejo buildings. I understand my target audience probably aren’t as interested in energy as I am, but if you’d like to find out more about the conference, do get in touch!

Given I’d travelled halfway across the world for the conference, I had decided I might as well stay a few extra days afterwards to explore, so on Saturday I headed down for a leisurely breakfast only to find that the hotel had messed up my tour bookings and I was meant to leave 10 minutes ago. Again, not particularly pleased with the way the Hampton handled this so I wouldn’t stay there again if I returned to Merida. Nevertheless, everything was eventually sorted and I headed out on a different tour, this one organised by Mayan Heritage to Chichen Itza, one of the most impressive remnants of the Mayan era. Luckily, we arrived early at the archeological site, although it was still very busy – the earlier you can get there, the better. Entrance was 242 pesos which you pay yourself, but I would recommend following a similar route to me, as the whole tour, including transport, a guide and lunch had cost me 600 pesos, whilst choosing a tour guide at Chichen Itza would set you back 800 pesos alone.

Our guide was very informative and walked us round the main temples and buildings, explaining things like the ceremonial sacrifices which occurred following ball games, what was found inside the main temple, how clapping in a particular place in front of the temple would cause an echo that sounded like a bird call, and ‘beauty regimes’ implemented by the ancient Mayans like strapping boards to babies heads to make them more round and ‘attractive’.

We were then given about an hour to explore independently, and the site is very large so there are plenty of places to walk and take photos. I spent the remainder of the time checking out the hundreds of stalls lining the pathways towards the Temple which sold all kinds of crafts like tiny stone temples, Mayan calendars, crocheted bags, magnets and more. As most of the stalls were selling the same goods, the stallholders were more than willing to try and have the lowest prices to attract customers, and we were followed around by calls of “One dollar! Almost free!” wherever we went. I ended up with a stunning Mayan painting, ceramic Mayan calendar, and a tiny Dia de los Muertos skull, haggling my way around and ending up with some pretty good deals!

After Chichen Itza, we headed to the Ik Kil cenote, where 80 pesos got you access to swim in the stunning pool – definitely worth it. You could backstroke into the centre of the cavern and look up at the hole above, with vines dangling down and Motmot birds flying overhead. One of the girls on my tour said it was the most amazing place she’d ever been too. It’s certainly one of the most exciting places I’ve ever swam! It was tiring work though – the cenote is 50ft deep so you have no chance of touching the bottom, meaning you have to keep treading water or find one of the ropes around the edge to hang onto. An hour was more than enough for me, and how refreshing it was. 

Our last stop of the day was lunch at a lovely buffet stop. On one side of the room, they had Mexican cuisine – sopa de lima, pork cochinita, refried beans – and on the other, international food – hot dogs, quesadillas, mashed potato, corn chowder. A great mix and definitely meaning you wouldn’t need dinner later. We also had mid-dinner entertainment in the form of dancers balancing beer bottles on their heads. A successful day I think.

The following day, I headed out on another tour with Mayan Heritage, this time to two more Mayan ruins – Uxmal and Kabah. Both were considerably smaller, and notably less busy, than Chichen Itza, but with distinctly different architecture. I enjoyed Uxmal in particular as unlike Chichen Itza, you were allowed to climb some of the ruins, giving a fantastic view of the Mayan site and the surrounding forest area from the top. I did think to myself during these tours whether it had been worth choosing them, as once you’ve seen one Mayan ruin, you’ve seen them all, but I was glad I had as they were quite different from one another. Had I another day in Merida, I probably would have headed to Celestun, a beach famous for its hundreds of flamingos, which may be worth visiting if archaeological sites aren’t your thing.

Having seen it on a number of other tours to Uxmal and Kabah, I asked our guide if we could visit the nearby chocolate museum, Choco Story, which he agreed to take us to if everyone agreed (thankfully they did). Again, the entrance fee wasn’t included, but when in Rome… The museum was a series of cabanas each of which explained something about cacao, such as its role in sacrifices and offerings, as a monetary alternative, and had its use had spread across the globe. One stage was also a ritualistic ceremony which I think was supposed to represent praying for rain. Whilst clearly touristy, it was still interesting to watch. 

Perhaps my favourite part was watching the process of making Mayan hot chocolate, which we then got to try (very bitter) and had the opportunity to add in sweets and spices to tailor it to our own taste. The museum also served as an ecopark which was very exciting, and we saw spider monkeys, jaguars and deer; a nice addition to the iguanas and snakes we’d seen at some of the ruins. Well worth a visit if you have the chance.

Again, our final stop was lunch at a place I have written down as Ca-Nah, and just in time too, as the heavens opened (clearly the rain ceremony had worked) as it does occasionally in Merida. The food wasn’t quite to the same standard as the day before, but it felt traditional nonetheless.

On my final day, I ordered an Uber to the airport – do not do this. Apparently Uber drivers get told off for going too close to the airport so most won’t take you there, despite you still being able to book it on the app, so I was charged a cancellation fee. Instead, we took a taxi – 200 pesos (around £7) isn’t bad for a 30 minute drive. My plane trips back weren’t split with an overnight stay, so after leaving early on Monday morning, I arrived back in the UK late on Tuesday night – a long trip. Worth it? I think so. 

My advice regarding Merida: prepare for weather (hot and sunny or hot and torrential rain) and mosquitoes – suncream and insect repellent are musts. If you don’t mind slumming it, stay in a hostel. My hotel cost whopping UK prices, whereas friends who stayed in pleasant hostels in the centre were paying only £7 a night. Don’t just stick to the touristy attractions – whilst the Mayan ruins are once in a lifetime experiences, don’t miss out on checking out the city and Paseo Montejo which are definitely worth a look. 

Did you enjoy this blog? Make sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry - I'm spending the whole summer traveling so they'll be lots more like this coming soon! Also be sure to let me know in the comments if there's anything I missed in Merida (or Mexico!), and I'll be sure to check it out next time I'm there!

Top Albums of 2017 (So Far!): Part 2

Well done, you’ve made it halfway through 2017! Now that we’ve reached the mid-way point of the year, it’s time to look back at some of the great albums we’ve been blessed with over the last few months. And boy, has there been a lot! Whilst big names like Brad Paisley, Chris Stapleton and Zac Brown Band have all recently released new records, I’ve decided to pick the four albums that you might not be as familiar with that I’ve loved this quarter. Don’t worry, there’s something for everyone! Read on…

Bailey Bryan – So Far EP

Why it made the list: Not heard of Bailey Bryan yet? Don’t worry, you will soon. She’s one for the new generation of country fans as is clear from her social media inspired music video for the poppy and relatable lead single Own It. Listen to it a couple of times and you’ll be singing along too. Whilst only a 5 song EP, Bailey manages to fit in a variety of different styles, from radio ready tracks like the early Taylor Swift sounding Used To (think Tim McGraw, Fifteen vibes) to ballads such as Hard Drive Home and the piano-driven Scars. Named as an Artist of Tomorrow by Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, So Far is a strong introduction to an artist I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more from over coming years. 

Top Tracks: Used To, Own It, Hard Drive Home 

Raelynn – WildHorse

Why it made the list: It’s rare that I find an album where I enjoy every song in equal measure, but somehow Raelynn has managed just that with her debut album. WildHorse is a modern country album with both songs that you can imagine rocking out to at her concert like The Apple and those you can imagine belting out at karaoke night like Lonely Call and Love Triangle. Raelynn has an extremely strong voice (no surprises there, having been a contestant on The Voice in 2012) which coupled with the beat-driven vibe prevalent throughout the album makes for a fierce combination. However, that’s not all – each song tells a unique story, ranging from youthful insecurity, dealing with a broken family, and knowing when you’re in love, so if you’re into storytelling and meaningful lyrics, this is an album for you.  It’s really, really good.

Top Tracks: Love Triangle, Diamonds, Say

Midland – Midland EP

Why it made the list: Another EP, but this one’s very different from the above albums. The EP starts with the retro Drinkin Problem that wouldn’t seem out of place in a diner jukebox. In fact, the whole EP is filled with classic sounds coupled with smart lyrics as made clear in Check Cashin’ Country, which assures us that whilst they might have been made for mainstream media, they ‘sure aren’t in it for the money’ but instead, their aim is to bring back an authentic sound to country music, and they certainly achieve just that. Somehow they’ve taken traditional country and put a very modern spin on it, but it’s difficult to determine which side comes through more. They’ve certainly brought back a lot of what we’ve been missing in the genre for the past few years. If Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney have room on your playlist, consider adding Midland to that bunch. I’ll take another round please.

Top Tracks: Drinkin’ Problem, Electric Rodeo, Check Cashin’ Country

Charlie Worsham – Beginning of Things

Why it made the list: If I didn’t know these songs were all on the same album, I’m not sure I’d be able to tell what genre each of them was in, let alone that they’re all by the same artist. We’ve certainly got some real downhome country with tracks like Southern By the Grace of God, in fact one of the most country songs I’ve heard in a long time as noted by lyrics such as “country is as country does, and look here cause you can’t out-country me”. And yet, the next song Call You Up is a completely different big band style track, whilst Birthday Suit could slide easily into a rock album. I won’t lie, not all tracks are to my liking, and I might skip one or two of the more humorous songs when it comes on my shuffle, but with an album with such variety, that’s to be expected. However, I know that side of country has a very popular fanbase and that a lot of Charlie’s fans love those tracks. I’m just glad he included something for everyone. 

Top Tracks: The Beginning of Things, Call You Up, Cut Your Groove

Do you agree with my list? What albums are you most looking forward to hearing in 2017? Let me know by commenting below, and make sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry to stay up to date with future additions to my Top Albums series, as well as reviews and interviews from your favourite artists!

TRAVEL: Toronto, Canada - high-rises, Hornblowers and home runs

 Unlike a lot of big cities, Toronto doesn’t seem to scary at night, which was good for us, arriving from the UK at around 10pm local time and taking the UP Express and Subway from Toronto Pearson airport to our hotel, the Marriott Bloor-Younge. A relatively painless journey which is exactly what you need after having spent 7 hours on a plane!

The Marriott was a perfectly pleasant hotel to stay in – large, modern rooms and really decent breakfast options if you choose to have that included in your room cost though. Be warned though, if you veer off menu (and we weren’t told exactly what options were included by our servers) you will be charged the ‘extra’ over the allotted monetary value that each guest is given for breakfast. But very nice and big breakfasts, making the perfect way to start the day, and meaning you can probably get through the day with just a coffee break until dinner. Plus, I discovered they allow dogs in the hotel for a small extra fee, so might be one for any dog owners out there!

Our first day in Toronto involved a self-guided walking tour by my brother, who’s been living in the city for almost a year now. Our first stop was Tim Hortons, of course, given that it is a true Canadian staple and part of my aim for our trip to Toronto was to try as many Canadian delicacies as I could! We had a box of 10 Timbits (donut holes) to share – ask the server to give you one of each flavour if you can. Admittedly, they were a bit dry, but that may just have been at the franchise we tried, but it was interesting to try different flavours like sour cream, or salted caramel. I heard the coffee was good too.

 

Following this, we walked down to the Waterfront, where I stopped for my second Canadian delicacy of the day – a ‘beaver tail’ at the aptly named BeaverTails, apparently the place to visit for these stretched out pieces of dough with a plethora of different toppings for you to choose from. I decided to go as Canadian as I could with the maple topping which was then drizzled with chocolate syrup. Really really delicious – but make sure you eat it quickly as it tastes best warm! I also found out (sadly after I’d paid) that you can go for half and half on toppings, meaning you get two for the price of one, which I would definitely recommend.

Our next stop was the Distillery District, what seemed to be the hipster area of the city with a bunch of independent shops and restaurants. Get there quickly if you plan to eat, because the queues get really big around lunchtime, but there are plenty of places to eat so you won’t be stuck for choice.

I would absolutely recommend taking a long walk round the lake where you can get a spectacular view of the city skyline and watch the planes fly in to the tiny Billy Bishop airport. It’s a popular place for wedding photos as well which is always nice to see. Definitely worth the walk.

Shopping-wise, check out the Hudson Bay Company department store, where you should be able to get pretty much whatever you need. They also have a nice Canadian section if you’re looking for souvenirs without the hassle of checking out all of the souvenir shops across town.

That evening, we headed over to the most notable building in Toronto, the CN Tower, for one of the coolest things I’ve ever done – the EdgeWalk. This involves walking around the circumference of the CN Tower roof, 1168ft above Toronto. It’s pretty high up. It begins by getting kitted up in a special Walk suit (very stylish), putting on a variety of harnesses and getting safety briefed before heading up in a special elevator up to the top. Your guide then attaches you to two ropes which tie into a rail that runs around the EdgeWalk and then you’re off to gaze down hundreds of metres over the city. Probably not an activity for anyone with vertigo. 

As we walked around, our guide told us the different areas of Toronto we could see, and encouraged us to do a number of activities, including ‘Toes Over Toronto’, where you stand with you feet hanging off the edge; a leaning backwards over the edge with the rope holding your weight, and finally leaning forwards with basically nothing between you and the city. The experience comes with a reasonably hefty pricetag for your 30 minutes EdgeWalk, but it truly is a once in a lifetime experience, and the photos turn out pretty cool. If you can, I would recommend doing it.

I then joined my family at the 360 Restaurant a bit below where I’d been doing my EdgeWalk. In my opinion, the food was quite mediocre, but I guess you’re paying for the view, which is pretty spectacular as the Sun starts to set. I set up a timelapse which was great as we revolved, giving views of the entire city.

The following day was road trip day. Our first spot was Niagara-on-the-Lake, a quaint town about an hours drive away with a beautiful main street with some lovely shops and places to eat. We stopped at Cows for ice cream, apparently Canada’s best ice cream shop (according to Cows) which also sold cute novelty t-shirts with logos for things like ‘Doctor Moo’, ‘Cownton Abbey’ and ‘Moonions’.

We walked down to the edge of the lake, where on a clear day you can see the Toronto skyline, but we were blessed with a very drizzly and grey day without much of a view. We then drove to Niagara itself. What you don’t see in the pictures of the falls is what’s opposite the falls – massive high rise casinos and quirky shops in the shape of upside down houses, the Empire State Building, or with giant chocolate bars outside. Some might call it tacky, but it’s worth a look anyway, purely for its audacity. Keep driving along by the edge of the Falls and you’ll pass all of the extortionately priced car parks and find one right at the end where you can park for free and save yourself $18.

We got tickets for the Hornblower cruise, Canada’s equivalent of the Maid of the Mist (give yourself enough time to queue for tickets, especially during high season) and managed to get a space at the side of the boat at the top. If you don’t mind getting wet, this is probably the best place to stand. And yes, you will get wet. Very wet. The delightful pink ponchos did a pretty good job at keeping us dry, but I had my hand up to take photos and ended up with a river flowing down my sleeve, leaving me pretty saturated! The boat takes you right up to the falls so you will get drenched by the spray, but it is an incredible experience, and up that close you can really feel the force of the falls.  

We walked back along the side of the Falls to dry off, which was particularly nice as a rainbow came out. It was very busy so you couldn’t get too close to the edge at a lot of points due to tourists, and this wasn’t even the high season. At the edge, it almost didn’t look real as the water flowed so smoothly over the edge into the violent depths below. Ethereal.

We then took the scenic route to Port Colborne, which involved driving past some of the largest houses I’ve ever seen – I’m talking 13 bedroom, 4 garage houses with enough yard space to build seven more same size houses. Interesting to see how the other half live! Dinner was at Smokin’ Buddha, a very unassuming place in a town I don’t see many people visiting – we were only going because a colleague of my brothers had recommended this restaurant. I certainly am glad we did – it was quite possibly the best meal I’ve ever had, or at least in recent memory. I started with a delicious spinach and artichoke dip (why don’t we get these in the UK?) followed by a Thai yellow curry. Well worth the drive. Then, the long drive back to Toronto.

The next day we were up early to walk over to the other side of town to Mildred’s Temple for brunch where we had been recommended to try the blueberry pancakes, although probably not the best idea after the massive breakfasts we were treated to in the hotel. One mildly exciting fact about the restaurant is that the Air Canada flight safety announcements are played in each of the bathrooms. Interesting to say the least.

It was then time for what I was perhaps most excited for – a baseball game! This took place in the Rogers Centre just next to the CN Tower, with the Toronto Blue Jays playing the Baltimore Orioles. I absolutely loved it – the game itself was thrilling to watch, with balls being pitched at over 90mph, a few homeruns, and a lot of foul balls which were always cool to watch as they soared into the crowd with everyone trying to catch them.  

There was no time to be bored either, as during the pitching changes they had little gameshow type things broadcast on the screen like Deal or No Deal where spectators could win prizes. Unlike a lot of sports, it was also very civilised. Whilst the home crowd didn’t necessary cheer for the other team, they didn’t boo them either even when it became clear the Blue Jays weren’t going to win. The final score was 11-4 to the Orioles – a really great way to spend an afternoon.

I then took the opportunity to head up the CN Tower, as my EdgeWalk ticket gave me a free trip up the tower to be used once on the 3 days following my walk as well as going to the highest viewing point, the SkyPod which would ordinally cost an extra $12. 33 flights up from the normal observation deck, you could actually feel the wind moving the tower – very disconcerting! The windows up here were slanted so you could look more directly down at the city, and I stuck around to watch some of the EdgeWalkers heading round, who waved up to SkyPod. However, I’m not sure that I would suggest paying the extra to head up – the view is only slightly higher up so you might as well save your money.

Dinner was at Momofuku, a hip noodle bar on University Street, where I had a delicious ginger scallion noodle bowl followed by a cereal milk ice cream from the upstairs ice cream bar Milk. Personally not my cup of tea, but if you like the taste of the milk left at the bottom of your cereal bowl, this one might be for you.

Our final day in Toronto was a trip out to the Toronto Islands. As it was off season, the ferry wasn’t too busy and a lot of the attractions on the island weren’t open. I imagine it would be a bit like Coney Island during summer. Still, it was nice to spend about 4 hours walking the 11km around all of the islands which are all interconnected and offer some great views of the city skyline. There are also a few small beaches dotted around where you can stare off into the distant and enjoy the solitude of being away from the city, albeit not that far!

Back on the mainland, we headed for my final Canadian delicacy – poutine (chips, gravy and cheese curds) at Smoke’s, the best place in the city for this particular dish. If you’ve got time, stroll along Queen Street which has some super cool shops and murals to enjoy – a bit like London’s Brick Lane. I picked up an official Blue Jays jersey from one of the sports shops along the street. Ladies, if it fits, I recommend choosing a L or XL kid’s shirt as it’s about half the price of an adults! Then hotel, subway, UP Express, airport, and home.

My advice regarding Toronto: head in off-season, particularly if you’re planning to visit Niagara. Sure, it might be a bit colder, but you’re in Canada, what do you expect? Organise your movement around the city – whilst spread out, it is walkable so try and plan what you’re going to visit depending on the district you’re in. We didn’t quite have this down and ended up doing some back and forth, which takes it’s toll on the legs!

Did you enjoy this blog? Make sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry - I'm spending the whole summer traveling so they'll be lots more like this coming soon! Also be sure to let me know in the comments if there's anything I missed in Toronto, and I'll be sure to check it out next time I'm there!

Interview: CATHERINE MCGRATH, Under The Bridge, London

A few months after first seeing her perform at the Under The Apple Tree Roots Festival, I was lucky enough to catch up with rising star Catherine McGrath ahead of her set supporting Kelsea Ballerini on Kelsea's first trip to the UK (you can read my review of both acts here). Read on to find out Catherine's thoughts on touring, convincing people to listen to country, career aspirations, and of course, Taylor Swift!

Ciara’s Country (CC): It’s Ciara here and I’m joined today by perhaps the most exciting new addition to UK country music – it’s Catherine McGrath! Thank you so much for joining me today.

Catherine McGrath (CM): Thanks for having me!

CC: So to kick off the interview and get people to know you a little bit better, can you tell me one fun fact about yourself that people might not know?

CM: Umm, I don’t like hot chocolate. It’s weird, I don’t like coffee, I don’t like milkshakes.

CC: What do you have when you go to a coffee shop then?

CM: Just water or tea. I’m so basic.

CC: I feel like tea is quite an Irish drink though, so it suits you, and is probably something people didn’t know about you before! So I first saw you perform a fantastic set at the Under The Apple Tree Roots Festival last September – what have you been up to since then?

CM: That was like one of the first big shows I played, and since then I’ve been on tour with Canaan Smith, The Shires, and have just been doing as much live stuff as possible. I’ve been releasing songs about every three weeks and am just about to put out an acoustic version of my song Just In Case, and we’re just doing lots of festivals over the summer and keeping releasing music. It’s been so fun.

CC: Very exciting! It seems to me that you’ve been the opening act for just about anyone who’s toured the UK recently, what’s that been like?

CM: It’s been so fun! It’s so crazy, even just Kelsea Ballerini, as soon as I saw she was coming to the UK I was texting everyone – my manager, my agent – and I was like please, please, please can I get on this show. I just love country music and I want to play to the people who love it too and meet them, and want them to like my music too and get out there as much as I can too.

CC: So has it been you proactively seeking out these opportunities then?

CM: Yeah, definitely. It’s all music that I love and for the festivals, I’ve never played at festivals so that’s going to be fun. That’ll be different to what I’m used to because so far it’s been artists that I know and love.

CC: And I guess C2C was one of your first festival experiences.

CM: Yeah, that was one of the best weekends of my life. Even just being there in general and watching everyone playing was just the dream.

CC: So you’ll be back next year?

CM: If I’m not playing, I’ll definitely be there anyway!

CC: Great! Have you had any crazy experiences on tour so far?

CM: I don’t think so. It’s weird because I had a picture of being in a bus and driving around everywhere with everyone, but for us it’s kind of like been getting trains to the venue and then having to leave and get back home by midnight, and so it wasn’t what I thought but it’s been really fun. Nothing crazy yet, but we’ll see…

CC: So touring is a bit different to what you’d expected.

CM: It can be quite stressful.

CC: Hopefully tonight won’t be!

CM: Tonight’s going to be fun I think.

CC: Have you had a career highlight so far?

CM: Playing C2C definitely is the biggest thing I’ve done. And tonight is probably going to be a highlight, playing with Kelsea because I love her music so much and she’s one of the people who if someone asked who inspired me and who I love, Kelsea Ballerini is always in there.

CC: Who are some of the others?

CM: Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts – they’re all the people I started listening to first. It’s kind of a mix of everything but they’re the main people I love.

CC: I couldn’t agree more with those choices. So so far you’ve released your EP One and most recently a couple of singles – how do you choose which songs are the ones you put out?

CM: I’ve been writing for just over a year, so I had this whole list of songs, about fifty songs, that I went into a meeting with my record label and management and we just listened to all of them. Luckily I’m with a team of people who have the same kind of tastes as me so we all picked together and all loved the same songs so it was really easy to pick the ones we wanted to put out.

CC: Can you tell me a bit about the creative process when it comes to writing songs?

CM: It’s always different but a lot of the time, I think of a random lyric and I write it in my phone, and I’ll go into a session and someone will say ‘do you have any ideas for what you want to write about’ and I’ll bring them to the table, or experiences that have happened to me. Then everyone talks about it and what they’ve been through and it kind of goes from there. Everyone pitches in.

CC: Is there one song you found particularly interesting to write?

CM: Yeah, I have this song called Wild which I’m going to release but it’s not out yet. I literally went into the studio the day after I went to a Coldplay concert, and I was on a rant about the guy I went with. I was writing with Lindy Robbins who wrote down everything I said and we kind of pieced together a story word for word as I’d said it, so that was a really interesting way to write a song. It turned out very honest.

CC: That’s something for us to look forward.

CM: I’m so excited to release that. I sing it live but I don’t have a proper version yet.

CC: Will we be hearing that tonight?

CM: You will!

CC: So you mentioned Coldplay there – it seems your music taste is quite broad.

CM: Yeah, I started listening to country from Nashville when I was about 12. My family loved traditional country and so I kind of grew up with that side of it, but I was also listening to what was on the radio and what my friends listened to – Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, that kind of stuff. I think the music I write and listen to is just a blend of everything. If a songs good, it’s good. I don’t really restrict myself to genres, but country’s the main thing I listen to.

CC: I’d say that’s the case for most country fans. 90% of the music on my phone is country, the other 10% is anything and everything! So as well as your songs, one of the things I particularly have enjoyed is your music videos because they seem very innovative in that they’re tailored to social media.

CM: Those videos were so fun. I was standing in front of a green screen and then to see it come to life is just so cool. I love social media – it’s how I’ve found people who liked the same music as me because my friends didn’t like the same music that I did. It’s just fun to post pictures and stalk other peoples lives too.

CC: Are you managing to get your friends into country now?

CM: I think in general, not even just my friends, people are starting to realise that country is more than what they think it is. I think people have this idea that country is only Johnny Cash, or it’s only George Strait.

CC: Or songs about tractors and beer.

CM: Yeah! And I do love that side of country music but there’s so many different kinds now – there’s Sam Hunt and Maren Morris and all these people who are breaking new ground with country, and I think as people listen to it they realise it is cool and they do like it and then give it a chance. I think it’s growing as people hear songs on Spotify and things like that.

CC: Speaking of Maren Morris, I know she’s coming over in November – maybe there’s an opening slot for you there?

CM: Ah, I have to take everyone I can get! I saw her at Country 2 Country and I was like ‘oh my gosh, I love you’. She’s amazing.

CC: That was definitely a C2C highlight for me. So with all this music you’re releasing, will there be a full length album on the way soon?

CM: At some point I definitely want to put out an album. Right now there’s no specific plan, I’m still writing. We’ve got some songs that I like and I just want to get some more. My main focus right now is to start playing for people and getting people to know who I am and what they think of what we’ve got so far before I put out a big album. It’s definitely on the bucket list to get that done.

CC: So more singles and acoustic versions then?

CM: Yeah, some more songs are coming your way soon hopefully.

CC: I have to say I find it really exciting meeting you at what is pretty much the beginning of your career. What are your aspirations for the next 5 to 10 years?

CM: I just want to be able to play music and see people enjoy it. I’ve seen people at Country 2 Country who knew the words to my songs and so when people ask me what I want I always say I’d love to see people know the words to my songs, or dance along, or say ‘I know exactly what you mean in that song’. Even in these first few shows that I’ve done, people have known the words and have told me that my songs mean something to them. That’s just what I’ve always wanted, and so for that to keep going or grow onto a bigger scale, that’s what I hope to do.

CC: I’ve seen photos of you after shows with huge lines of people queuing up to meet you. It seems people really are interesting in knowing more about you and your music!

CM: Yeah, it’s crazy – every night I think ‘nobody’s going to show up’ and then loads of people do and they’re all so nice. It’s so cool because they’re the people who love the same music as me and are like me that I didn’t even know existed when I was 12. It’s been so fun.

CC: I think we definitely get that kind of homegrown country vibe to you as well that we like.

CM: Irish as well. The Americans love the Irish. I went to Nashville and everyone was like ‘I have a great-grandad who’s Irish!’

CC: When I played one your tracks to my friends, they said ‘Is that Taylor Swift? I’ve not heard that song before.” I definitely get some Taylor Swift vibes to you so that’s a career trajectory I can see you going down.

CM: That was actually how I got into country music. I listened to Taylor’s album and then she talked about Rascal Flatts and all these artists and so I started to look at that and get into it. That’s really cool to hear!

CC: What kind of music would you say you’re listening to right now?

CM: Right now I’m listening to Sam Hunt, Kelsea Ballerini, Raelynn – I really love her.

CC: Her new album is fantastic.

CM: The Apple is my favourite track ever. And Love Triangle – oh my gosh. There’s just so many people I love. I go onto Spotify and listen to the country playlists and listen to all their songs and find out that way. There’s a guy called Steve Moakler as well who I discovered recently and he’s amazing. An endless list.

CC: Would you ever consider covering any of their songs?

CM: Yeah, I put up covers on YouTube every few weeks or so and I just cover whatever songs I love, or something someone’s asked me to do that I really like. So I’d definitely do covers of those.

CC: So you’re taking fan requests then.

CM: Yeah, I used to wait and read all the comments on my videos and think ‘oh, that’s a good idea’ if I didn’t know what to cover next.

CC: Are there any artists that you really like who you think are underrated and deserve more recognition?

CM: There’s a guy called Donovan Woods who has really good acoustic style and lyrics. He’s from Nashville and he’s amazing but I don’t think many people know who he is but I tell everyone about him because he’s amazing, so you should listen to Donovan Woods.

CC: Will do! Is there a dream artist you’d love to collobarate or perform with?

CM: Taylor Swift, Kelsea Ballerini and Raelynn. They’re my three hits.

CC: Well I suppose tonight is almost ticking one of them off! I’ll expect you to perform with the other two over the next few years, okay? And my final question for you tonight is what’s the one question that you wish you were asked in interviews but never have been?

CM: I don’t think so. If I was interviewing I would have no idea what to ask. You’ve done a pretty good job! But no one’s ever asked me what my favourite chocolate, so maybe that one because I’m very passionate about chocolate.

CC: And what would your answer to that be?

CM: Cadbury Dairy Milk or Lindt, hands down.

CC: There you go, you can add that to your rider then. Thank you for answering all of my questions and I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today!

CM: Thanks for having me!

I hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it! You can find out more about Catherine McGrath on social media @imcathmcgrath, and keep up to date with all things country by following me on Twitter at @CiarasCountry. Thanks for reading!

Concert Review: JOHN MAYER, The O2, London

Without a doubt, John Mayer is, and has been for a number of years, my favourite musician, so to say I was excited to attend his The Search For Everything Tour would be an understatement. I’d first seen him perform in 2014, and three years later, I was back for round two.

I was attending the second night of his London gigs at the O2 which had sold out shortly after release, prompting him to add another London date for the previous evening. The night kicked off with Swedish singer-songwriter Andreas Moe, who I was excited to see as he’d also opened for John Mayer on the European leg of his World Tour in 2014. Moe started with his most successful song Ocean which I recognised from the last time I had seen him perform, which brought back pleasant memories.

Like Mayer, Moe is a talented guitarist, and this showed in the guitar solos he performed during Frozen River and Free Fall. It’s clear Mayer has been a big influence on Moe, as he recalled listening to one of Mayer’s songs for hours on repeat before finally finding it in a record store and starting his dream of one day performing on the same stage as John. I particularly enjoyed Bus Stop, a new song where the beat of the bass drum pounded right through your heart. Moe’s songs to me seem like ‘road trip songs’ – the kind you can imagine listening to as you roll down highways – think Family of the Year’s Hero. He finished his set with Calling Out and This Year, before taking a bow to the happy crowd to mark his final show on The Search For Everything Tour.

Forty-five minutes later, the arena lights dimmed and the stage screened welcomed to the crowd to The Search For Everything Tour. Mayer didn’t make a grand entrance as many artists I’d seen perform on this stage often do, instead simply walking on stage with his band, guitar in hand. The entire show was very minimalistic, with a simple set using only the screen behind him. He doesn’t rely on gimmicks, pyrotechnics or choreography, because his incredible vocals and guitar skills do all the talking for him.

The screen behind him introduces ‘Chapter One – Full Band’ and we hear the opening chords of Waiting On The World To Change. One benefit of John’s music is that each song is so different it’s often easy to tell which song is coming up as soon as you hear the first few notes. The show included a mix of tracks from both Mayer’s latest album The Search For Everything as well as old favourites, and Chapter One mixed new songs like Helpless and Moving On And Getting Over with older songs like No Such Thing. This Chapter ended with Changing, complete with a heart-rending guitar solo that reminded the crowd that John rightly deserves his position as one of the best commercial guitar players out there.

The lights dimmed for a moment as the set was changed and we were welcomed into a completely different atmosphere for ‘Chapter Two – Acoustic’. The band had left the stage along with their instruments, and all that remained was John and a Japanese bridge in the middle of the stage, accompanied with a stunning Japan-inspired backdrop complete with Mount Fuji and sakura trees galore. I must say, the visual displays used during the concert were almost cinematic in style and completely stunning, sometimes projecting images of John on stage and at other times showing night time city skylines, the inside of a ‘Fight Club ending’ style building or soft Californian sunsets.

The crowd cheered as John began to play the recognisable beginning of Dreaming With A Broken Heart before subtly flowing into Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967. This acoustic section was enjoyable because absolutely nothing more was needed to enthuse the 20,000 strong crowd than just John and his guitars (which he changed more often that you could count). Again, it became clear just how talented John is on the guitar as he extended songs to include highly impressive guitar solos, his face contorting with passion and making it look like man and guitar really were one. After Stop This Train, John also showed off his harmonica skills during Whiskey Whiskey and Neon and it was hard to draw your eyes away from his fingers picking at the guitar strings facing than our eyes could focus.

The set went dark again but was swiftly replaced with an introductory video for ‘Chapter Three – John Mayer Trio’ where John, bass player Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan explained their decision for including the jazz / blues trio as part of this tour. They presented a very different sound to the previous chapter, going full-on rock during Crossroads and Good Love Is On Its Way with Steve going all out during drum instrumentals, and John allowing his falsetto to shine during Vultures. I’m more of a fan of John’s ‘vibey’ tracks so this was probably the part of the show where I was less engaged (although still very engaged) but appreciated the variety that the show set-up allowed for.

‘Chapter Four – Full Band’ saw a return of all band members who we were introduced to one by one, with John explaining that each were good enough to play an entire gig on their own, and yet they chose to play with him instead. This was highlighted when guitarist David Ryan Harris took over the mic to sing the opening lines to one of John’s tracks, and automatically had my money for any solo gigs he’d like to do in future. Again, the set transported us to another visually stunning destination, this time the inside of a candlelit barn as John played In The Blood, one of my favourite lyric driven songs with honest lyrics like ‘How much of my mother has my mother left in me? / How much of my love will be insane to some degree? / And what about this feeling that I’m never good enough / Will it wash out in the water or is it always in the blood?’ Unlike many pop artists, John’s lyrics tend to have more substance which, along with the vibey style and incredible guitar skills, are what make him stand out to me.

The barn was replaced with dancing pandas for Still Feel Like Your Man where John put us all to shame by reaching high notes that we can only dream of. Whilst not replicating the dance moves seen in the music video for this song, John endearingly shuffled around the stage which was certainly something that kept me smiling throughout the concert. The tone was turned down a notch as he began to play Slow Dancing In A Burning Room, one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard which I think would be a perfect wedding song, in spite of its subject matter! This section finished with Dear Marie, a song John is particularly proud of given it, and album Paradise Valley’s, different style to his previous work.

The band exited the stage but the crowd kept singing parts of Dear Marie and so they soon returned for encore performances of Edge of Desire and Gravity, during which phone lights began swaying around the arena. The band left again and the set changed to a single piano towards the front and a plain white background. Alone for the final time on stage during ‘Chapter Five – Epilogue’, John played piano-led versions of I Will Be Found and You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me before disappearing through a door in the middle of the screen. The credits began to roll on the screen as we were told ‘The End’, just in case any of us were hoping for ‘Chapter Six’. I certainly was.

John played for a little over two hours, so I think we certainly felt that we were getting what we paid for. My only qualm would be that the set list changes every night, and I found myself almost wishing I’d gone on the previous night instead when John played a number of my favourites including Daughters, Free Falling, and Why Georgia. However, the fact that the set changes every night is testament to John and his bands skill in performing a complete anthology of songs. If I had it my way, I’d have gone to every night of The Search For Everything. 

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