Ireland

About a month ago my friend Amy and I got to take a little trip together. We spent about 5 days driving around all of Southern Ireland. To sum the entire trip up in three words: It. Was. AMAZING. Ireland is one of the most beautiful countries I've been to. We had great food, saw the most beautiful places and had great weather (which is rare so we were extremely thankful for that)!

I just have to pause and take a second to acknowledge how much more fun it was because of who I was with. Amy is one of my closest friends in Italy. If you've kept up with my blogs at all or have seen any pictures on social media you're probably already familiar with her. She is by far one of the coolest people I've ever met. Travelling with her was so easy and so fun. She was always happy, always singing and always up for taking the long route. She has a knack for adventure and finding the best restaurants to eat at. All in all, super thankful for her! (Ok, cheesey-ness over. Sorry, Amy)

We did so much and saw so much that I thought I'd break this post up by day. Plus, this way if anyone reading this is going to Ireland maybe this itinerary can be useful to you.

Day 1: Cashel & Cobh

- Cashel -

After landing in Dublin we got our car and made our way to Cashel. Once there we got lunch (which was so delicious and a nice break from Italian food). It also ended in a free voucher to The Rock of Cashel which was our next stop after lunch so that was a win! The castle was one of the first in Ireland and was something else.

- Cobh -

Next we went to Cobh (which is actually pronounced "Cove"). It's is a little port city on the water in the very south of Ireland. Aside from being the cutest town ever it is also full of history. It was the last place the Titanic docked before it sunk, it was influential after Lusitania and was big in the "rivalry" (for lack of a better word) between England and Ireland.

This place was idyllic. I think that the beautiful sunset, water, adorable houses and the high from just getting into Ireland helped but, as you can see from the pictures, it was very quintessential. While we were there we explored the town by walking along the pier and going into the church in the center of town. After being in Europe this long I have been into my fair share of Cathedrals and the one in Cobh was one of the most beautiful one's I've been in. Cobh is a hidden gem that is worth the time stopping in if you ever get the chance.

Day 2: Blarney Castle & Killarney

- Blarney Castle -

Obviously anyone who goes to Ireland has to go to Blarney Castle. What I expected was to see the castle and kiss the Blarney Stone. What I didn't expect was the beautiful gardens, walking paths and the Blarney House (which is a beautiful estate on the property). We obviously kissed the stone but then spent most of the morning and afternoon just walking about the grounds.

As we drove toward our lodging in Killarny we stopped at a few other places along the Ring of Kerry. Here's a funny picture of one of our favorite estates. (Also - praise the Lord for self-timer. That's how we got many of the pictures of the two of us for those wondering (1) how we got pictures of us two and (2) why they're always at an upward angle.)

Day 3: Dingle, Cliffs of Moher, & Galway

- Dingle -

The next day we made our way to Dingle which is a peninsula on the west side of Ireland. It use to be known as the end of the world before North America was found because it is the farthest western point in Europe. Amy and I drove the peninsula which is apart of the "Wild Atlantic Way." The road name is telling. There road was extremely windy and there were moments where another car would be coming and I had no clue how we were going to fit but we managed. Thank goodness Amy can drive manual and was use to driving on the left side of the road because I don't know that I would have been able to do the drive without getting a few scratches on the car but she KILLED IT. Aside from the fear factor, though, the drive was amazing. So picturesque.

- Cliffs of Moher -

Next we drove to the Cliffs of Moher. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend we went to a place that was less touristy. As you would expect, the view was pretty captivating.

- Galway -

Next, we made our way to Galway. As soon as we got on the road we put on Ed Sheeran's song 'Galway Girl' and we were off. We only had one night there so the only thing we did there really was go to a bar. But, not just any bar! It was actually the bar that Ed Sheeran filmed the music video for Galway Girl in. (If you've never seen it and would like to - click here.) It's called O'Connors Pub. It's a very eclectic bar. It's very unique. As a plus, we actually met the owner of the bar and he told us some fun stories about when they were filming the music video.

Day 4 and 5: Dublin

- Dublin, Day 1-

That morning we woke up in Galway and went to the town to explore but didn't stay too long. Eventually we made our way to Dublin where we returned the car and explored the town. Anyone who goes to Dublin goes to a place called Temple Bar. The moment we walked in we knew why. You have to know, before we even got to Ireland Amy had one dream - to hear someone play the fiddle. It was at Temple Bar that all her Irish dreams came true. There was a local three-man band playing and one was playing a fiddle. They played some songs people new but also a good number of traditional Irish sounding songs. It was so fitting and the best way to round out the trip.

- Dublin, Day 2-

The second day in Dublin we didn't really have a plan for so we just took it slowly and did whatever we wanted as we came across things. We started with a morning coffee and walk in St. Stephen's Park. We stayed there for a while and then found things around the city to explore. We found a castle and a book exhibit with books that were thousands of years old. Then we went to a small museum about the history of Dublin. Something that Amy loves to do when she travels is to learn something historical about the place she's in and I love it!! I've adopted it too and am so thankful for that. There's something about learning while you travel that enhances the entire experience. After that we got dinner, went to our hotel and that was that. Our Irish adventure was over.

This was hands-down one of my favorite trips I've ever taken. Beautiful places. Kind people. Good food. Rich History. Even better company.

It really doesn't get much better than that.