Ireland was by far my favorite part of the trip. I passed out on the plane (I seriously have no recollection of the flight) but I remember waking up and looking out the window as we landed—I was the green countryside and distinct Irish cottages dotted over the region. I think I literally gasped out loud. For the next few hours I think I kept nudging my friends and saying, “GUESS WHAT. We’re in Ireland!”
I have always wanted to visit Ireland. Not only have I heard so much about it and seen so many breathtaking pictures of it in various movies, but my parents lived there for a few months and talked about how wonderful it is. I was so excited that one of my deepest wishes was coming true!
After we disembarked the plane, it took us a while to gather our things and sort a few details out. We then took a bus to Dublin, found our hostel and made the plans for the day. Unfortunately, we were exhausted from not sleeping the night before but were not able to check into our room for another few hours. So, we decided to brave the rain and wander the city for a while. After a little bit of trudging around, Molly went back to sleep while Clio and I wandered for a little bit. Dublin has such a different feel than the other cities. Of course, everyone told us that Dublin is the most touristy city but we still enjoyed ourselves.There are so many pubs—on every corner and every street. The people are incredibly nice and so friendly. It’s a wonder how they can be so upbeat with all of the rain they get! But everyone we encountered was open to talking to us. Plus, their accents are so fun!
Clio and I didn’t last long in the rain—it had been a long day even though it was around three in the afternoon. We went back to the hostel to nap for the afternoon and gain some energy. I went to talk to one of the guys at the front desk, who was incredibly helpful. He helped make the trip so amazing. He suggested a bus tour around the western side of Ireland and then staying the night in Galway. At first I was a little doubtful but then realized that the real Ireland is the west coast—the countryside and green landscape. So, after helping us sort out a few details, the rest of our trip was successfully booked!
That night we ate at the Brazen Head Inn—the oldest pub in Ireland. It was delicious – I am obsessed with their brown bread and stew. We had a great night just relaxing and chatting all night in the pub, with traditional Irish music playing in the background. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Also, this pub had signed dollar bills plastered all over the walls. Ironically, one right in front of my face had ‘GO PACK GO’ written in bright green letters. I couldn’t stop laughing!
The next morning we woke up at the crack of dawn, packed a few belongings, and met our tour bus (after some difficulty navigating the streets. It’s a confusing city!) We signed up to take the McCoughly tours—a bus that takes us from Galway all of the way down the west coast and then back to Dublin. We hopped on the bus at 7:30am and arrived in Galway around 10am. The tour was amazing and showed a great side of the Irish culture. Our bus driver played Irish music over the speakers in the bus (I unfortunately didn’t get a cd, I totally forgot!). Our first stop was in the Burren, a farming region in Ireland. It was gorgeous. We completely lucked out and were blessed with a sunny day—something that never happens during November. In the Burren (pronounced ‘Burn’) we went to the McCoughly farms, where the son led us on a hike up the hills to see the entire countryside. Words can’t describe its beauty! He was great in telling us about the history of the Burren and facts about Ireland in general. One interesting thing—the Burren is one of the only places in the world where the farmers lead there cows up the mountain for the winter. The way the landscape is designed is that it is actually warmer on top of the hills than in the valleys.
After our hike, we went back to their ‘Grandma’s Cottage’ and had coffee and carrot cake. The bus continued on to a few more destinations. My favorite—of course—were the Cliffs of Moher. I don’t think I could even describe how gorgeous they are. I would have to recommend anyone to seeing them. It is something you will always remember for the rest of your life. Anyways, we had a blast there. The sun and rain were in and out – we saw gorgeous rainbows! So, we decided to hike around the top of the cliffs, something I wouldn’t suggest. There is so much rain that the path turns into mud and makes it very easy for someone to slip or fall off of the cliff. (Not saying that happened to me or anything, I would give my parents a heart attack. But I’m just saying. It COULD happen. And when there is a choice between slipping off of the cliff and getting your foot covered in mud by trying to balance yourself, choose the mud).
We traveled around the countryside until dusk and then returned to Galway. I have to say that my friends and I had the most amazing day. We couldn’t stop ‘oohing’ and ‘aahhing.’ I decided on this trip that I had to return to Ireland. So, someday, it will happen!
Anyways, we returned to Galway and made it our mission to find a hotel or B&B. After traveling for a week and staying in hostels that were not necessarily the cleanest places, we needed our own room and our own bathroom. It just had to happen. So we wandered around the city and eventually found a hotel for relatively cheap. So we booked a triple room, put our stuff down and found a pub for dinner. We had a great night—drank a Guiness FINALLY and met some Irish people. It was fun chatting and getting to learn more about the culture. I think we slept well that night—I have never slept so soundly since being abroad. We woke up pretty late and just laid in bed laughing, sharing stories from the night before. We were in complete bliss in our hotel. It felt like a little piece of heaven.
Once we finally decided to get moving, we showered, packed, cleared out of the room and found a great place for breakfast. It was right by the ocean and the people who worked there were so sweet. Omelets for breakfast and coffee?? Best way to start the day. Together we bought the Claddagh rings—an Irish tradition that represents love, loyalty, and friendship. It was definitely a bonding moment.
Needless to say, I think we were high on Irish life at this point. We wandered around the city, visited the Cathedral, and unsuccessfully tried to find where my parents lived back in the day. It was hard to say goodbye to Galway, but we had to board the bus for the two and a half hour bus ride to Dublin. We arrived, finished some details for our trip back to Florence, packed our suitcases, and then went out for dinner. Molly and I ordered the most ridiculous stew—Guiness and Beef stew. Don’t get me wrong- it was absolutely delicious, but it was HUGE. And so filling. Irish food is definitely nothing to write home about but it is very comforting. It is a perfect match for their rainy weather.
We weren’t able to go out to any pubs that night in Dublin—after so much traveling and bouncing around different countries, we were exhausted. After packing our belongings, we crashed in preparation for our early morning travels back to good old Florence. I am seriously in love with Ireland and cannot wait to plan my next trip back! It won’t be for a while, of course, but it is a country that needs to be explored with enough time. And possibly a car as well.
