We take lots of photos while visiting hotels in Europe.  While most of them look fine and accurately capture each hotel, every now and then we notice something unexpected in the corner of the frame.  Something lurking in the shadows.  Something creepy.

That’s right Cheapos:  sometimes we take pictures of budget hotel ghosts!

Think we’re kidding?  Just have a look at the photos below and see if you notice anything peculiar… mwaaahaaahaaa!

#1.  Creepy toilet

This bathroom shot was taken on a sunny day, in a room filled with natural light. So why does this toilet give us the creeps? Because it’s haunted!

#2. Floating leg in shower!

Looks like a typical bathroom scene in a trendy London hotel, right? Everything looks up to snuff, until you notice the floating GHOST LEG in the shower!

3. Haunted London bedroom!

This was nearly a “hotel crush,” until we developed this shot and noticed the menacing ghost orb floating above the bed—and the greenish pillow stains of guests long gone… (Editor’s note:  This hotel did not make our final cut…)

 4. Phantom in Brussels!

This photo was taken by Meredith while making her rounds in Brussels last spring. So who’s that man in the corner? A G-H-O-S-T!

5. Ghost orb in Dublin bathtub!

Another orb appears… this time in a Dublin bathtub. We shouldn’t have been surprised. ORBS TAKE BATHS!

6. Pioneer man in Paris pension!

We swear, we were alone in the room when snapping this shot in the Latin Quarter. Who gave him a key? GHOSTS DON’T NEED KEYS!

7. Maverick looking out the window!

Imagine our shock when we studied this shot of an un-named London youth hostel (located “steps from the British Museum”). How did she get there? No wait, she’s just a figment of our imagination, VANISHING BEFORE OUR EYES!

SEND US YOUR CREEPY SHOTS!

Have any spooks shown up unexpectedly in your photos? Email them, we’ll post ‘em! Happy Halloween, Cheapos!

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Travel is all about new experiences, whether in a museum, a castle, or a restaurant. In Dublin’s pubs, fish and chips always please, although it’s nothing new. But, behold brown sauce! It’s tangy, very Irish, and can be found in little packets… for free!

Bring home a saucy surprise

The “Chef” brand of brown sauce hit the commercial Irish market in 1921 and has accompanied meat and potato dishes ever since. Much like Americans use ketchup, the Irish pair brown sauce with all kinds of dishes: baked ham, potato cakes, soda farl, and so forth. Brown sauce sports a unique and zesty flavor. Americans might describe it as a tangier A1 Steak Sauce, while Brits might find it similar to their HP Sauce.

Brown sauce is commonly found in single-use serving packets on the tables of restaurants and pubs. Dress up your meal with some special sauce at the bar, and then stash away a couple extra packets for the diners back home. 

While you’re at it…

As long as you’re grabbing things off the table, be on the lookout for sugar or vinegar packets sporting interesting quotes, illustrations, or depictions of local sights. After all, nothing is sweeter than a sugar packet stamped with a quote from Oscar Wilde or James Joyce. (For inspiration, check out this collection of Irish and British sugar packets.)

Also see: Our list of recommended budget hotels in Dublin.

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Photo by ladgie353

A quick tour of Southeast Dublin will land you in the cobblestoned Merrion Square, home of many of Dublin’s government buildings. Here you’ll find at least two great structures well worth a visit.

Leinster House, the former residence of the Duke of Leinster, today houses Parliament, and is surrounded by gardens and sculptures. Nearby, on Upper Merrion Street, stands the Department of the Taoiseach, which is similar to the Prime Minister, and also houses the Department of Finance and the Attorney General. Dubliners, known to scoff at any over-the-top pomp, sometimes refer to the ornate building as “Chas Mahal,” a reference to the late Charles Haughey, the sixth Taoiseach. (Most residents, however, simply refer to the structures as “Government buildings.” Simple, but it works.)

All government buildings here are free and open to the public. You must book a tour in advance (for groups only) if you wish to see Parliament, but show up during normal hours of operation at Leinster House and the Department of the Taoiseach and you can view current exhibits and take advantage of free guided tours, free tickets for which can be picked up at the nearby National Gallery (also a free sight).

Once you’ve completed your tour, be sure to take a gander at the structure at One, Merrion Square. This Georgian structure, where Oscar Wilde once lived, is now a museum.

More information, including tour times, can be found on the Dublin Tourism Board’s website. 

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When visiting any city, we’re always relieved to find free activities to take the burden off our wallet. We’re happy to report that enchanted, moody Dublin offers a wide-range of high class sightseeing opportunities that won’t cost you a euro-cent. Our three faves:

Dublin Castle

For die-hard history buffs, reaching the Dublin Castle is like reaching the legendary pot of gold. The impressive stone castle is perched high atop the center of Dublin, overlooking the city. Tour the 13th-century Norman Tower and take a trip through the halls of its medieval prison. Free guided tours of all buildings on the castle grounds are available daily. Check out this historical landmark’s web site, with its interactive maps, 360-degree panoramic photos, and bite-sized history lessons.

Tip: Leave time for the gift shop where crystal jewelry and one-of-a-kind Belleek china pieces abound.

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Old meets new at the impressive national modern art museum, housed in the 17th-century Royal Hospital Kilmainham, once home to retired soldiers. The museum was founded in 1990 and has been an artfully-big hit in Dublin ever since. As a result of generous donations and grants, its doors open daily for free. (cue: applause) A bit off the beaten path—it would take you about 40 minutes on foot—we highly recommend hopping on a bus and heading west of the city to take advantage of this collection.

Tip: Guided tours are free, but fill up quickly. Phone ahead or email the museum at least three weeks in advance to book a spot.

National Gallery of Ireland

Less of a gallery and more of a giant art consortium, this collection offers masterpieces by Irish superstars and European masters, alike. Free tours and lectures are offered daily and are often pegged to national themes. (Recent offering have included Turner’s influence on 20th-century artists, and the significance of Yeats and his diverse body of work.) The National Gallery is centrally located just off Merrion Square.

Tip: Stick around for a concert! Offerings range from chamber orchestra to quartets highlighting Irish composers. Many, but not all, of the concerts are free.

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Photo by pentimento

Writers, get your pencils, pens, and laptops ready! Every Wednesday, the Irish Writers’ Centre hosts a free Scribblers Corner from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m., a time slot that corresponds with the city’s lunch hour. City residents and visitors alike are welcome.

Each week, writers receive a topic and then spend approximately 20 minutes writing whatever comes into his or her head. At the end of writing time, each participant will read out their work, with no feedback given. Scribblers Corner is not a writing class, but rather a time for writers to become inspired and listen to the work of others in a relaxed atmosphere.

For more information, email the Irish Writers’ Centre.

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Photo by Darklight Festival

The Darklight Festival is Dublin’s premiere festival for filmmakers, animators, and artists. The festival explores work that investigates the intersection of art, film, and technology. This year it will kick off on Friday, June 22, 2007.

In addition to screenings of digital filmmaking, a kids program, a symposium, lectures, workshops, and even virtual activities will round out the festival schedule.

If you are visiting from afar, the festival is happy to recommend hotels near the venues as well as distribute travel information about Dublin. Tickets can be pre-booked, and special student rates will apply if you can produce a valid student identity card when you collect your tickets.

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Photo by Floppy Monkey Puppy Love

Try this for some quick math: 4 days + 22 fabulous restaurants = 1 great culinary event.

This year’s Taste of Dublin will be taking over the city’s Iveagh Gardens for a long weekend of fun and food from June 14 - 17, 2007. In addition to offering the chance to taste the delicacies of some of the city’s best restaurants, this year’s event will also host a Chef’s Demonstration Theatre that will feature some of the UK and Ireland’s best loved celebrity chefs including Rachel and Darina Allen, Nevin Maguire and Antony Worrall Thompson.

Tickets can be booked twenty four hours, and group bookings are available.

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Johnson Castle will once again showcase the world famous Wexford Opera Festival. The festival begins today and will run through June 17, 2007.

This year’s line-up includes three breathtaking shows: Kurt Weill’s Silverlake, a combined performance of Busoni’s Alrlecchino with Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinnella, and Dvorak’s Rusalka.

Students are in for a special treat this year, as Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency and radio station Lyric FM have teamed up to sponsor 20 student seats for each performance. Student tickets will sell at the reduced price of only €30. Email boxoffice@wexfordopera.com for more information.

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Photo by cassiefornia

If you’re not familiar with the work of Jack B. Yeats, brother of famed poet W.B. Yeats, now is a great time to swing by the National Gallery in Dublin. The Gallery’s impressive collection of oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings by Yeats recently moved from the Dargan Wing to the newly renovated Beit Wing, which was its home from 1999 until its recent move.

The gallery says that the smaller space provides “a more sympathetic scale” in which to showcase its collection of paintings by Yeats, Ireland’s principal 20th century visual artist. We’re no art world copy writers, but we buy it, considering the dreamy, impressionistic tone of Yeats’ work.

Cheapo Bonus: entrance to the National Gallery’s permanent collection is free, as are public tours on Saturdays (3 p.m.) and Sundays (2, 3, and 4 p.m.).

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Photo by Taz Nelson

With a total circumference of over seven miles, the Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed park in Europe. Now it’s neatly serviced by the LUAS green line, and still boasts totally free entry. There’s no reason anyone visiting Dublin should overlook this urban playground.

The mix of sports fields, polo grounds, gardens, and valleys means that there’s something for everyone at Phoenix Park. Even if you’re not dazzled by the landscape, a quick trip to the Zoo, a glimpse of the Aras an Uachtarain—the Irish President’s house—or a turn about Ashtown Castle will make even the most minute trip worthwhile.

Just make sure you keep your eyes open for stray Frisbees, soccer balls, bikes and kites as the Park can get almost as crowded as the city on sunny days!

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