Our Stay at Ashford Castle

I'm a little embarrassed that it's taken me almost two months to finish my posts about our trip to Ireland... But I'm happy (for you... a little sad for me) to say that this is the last post I'll do about our trip.

After our insane day trip to the Aran Islands, we spent the night at a cozy B&B in Galway, eating coconut cheesecake in bed while it poured rain outside. Galway is right on the coast so with the wind that night we were basically hiding inside from a monsoon. We slept in the next morning and after a long (and incredible) breakfast we headed into downtown Galway to shop around. They have a TopShop as well as amazing department stores in Galway and it was really hard for me not to buy all the things.

After picking up some sandwiches at a local deli we headed up to Cong, where we would be staying for the night. When we booked our trip, the tour we picked let us pick what B&B's we would be staying in, and then they automatically booked us for a night at the Ashford Castle. We didn't realize, however, that Ashford Castle is an actual CASTLE (that makes me sound idiotic but seriously) and five star resort, with grounds that encompass the entire town of Cong. When we drove over the moat and up to the valet parking, our mouths literally dropped when we realized that we were staying here for the night. The castle has hosted celebrities like Mel Gibson and Ronald Reagan, and we felt extremely out of place. Traveling through Ireland on a tight budget doesn't typically entail a night in a castle.

But we went with it. We spent the afternoon in the drizzly (but refreshing) rain, roaming the miles of walking trails the castle has. We couldn't afford to do any of the fancy things they have at the castle like falconry, horseback riding, fishing tours, or archery, but we were content with touring the grounds and resting in the drawing room. 

I was proud of myself in the fact that I did a little bit of research of dining options at the castle before we left for Ireland. The George V dining room runs about 75 euro a person, and Chin and I both knew that wasn't going to fly. Also, we tried to pack light for our trip and the dining room requires women to wear a formal dress and the men a suit coat and tie. We opted for the more casual (and much less expensive) dining option and ate at Cullen's. In the summer months, Cullen's is located in a cottage right next to the castle, but in the winter, Cullen's is literally located in the Dungeon of the castle. They send the cheap, young, married students to the dungeon for dinner, and we were totally fine with it. It turned out that the less expensive restaurant was still the nicest and most gourmet of our trip. Perhaps not the most traditional Irish meal, but incredibly delicious. 

After our rugged day in Inis Mor, Ashford Castle was a little taste of luxury that we felt pretty undeserving of. We felt like a king and a queen and pretty much decided that someday when we have some real money we'll come back in the summer and do falconry and eat in the fancy dining room. But until then, we're totallllyyyy fine with our one night stay at Ashford. 

The grounds were unbelievable, and the castle dates back to the 12th century!

Fresh artisan breads, and incredible appetizers were just the start of our meal at Cullen's

While out exploring the ground we found a bridge in the middle of the woods crossing over the river that goes past the castle. Everywhere we turned we found so many hidden gems!

SO MUCH GREEN

A little shot of downtown Galway. I want to live in Ireland.

 

Thanks for following along on our journey through Ireland! It's been fun to look back on our trip and remember all the amazing adventures we had there. For me, it was a trip of a lifetime and I'm glad I got to share it with my husband and partner in crime.

When You're About To Die On A Ferry

This is a true story. There was one distinct moment in Ireland where I truly thought we were about to die. It wasn't like how I was expecting we would die if we were to somehow perish in Ireland. I had always thought we'd run into a herd of sheep or get hit by a truck on a one lane road (which there are a LOT of in the countryside of Ireland). But instead, we almost died on a boat.

After an amazingly sunny day in Galway at the Cliffs of Moher, we were feeling confident about the weather and were looking forward to waking up the next morning to take a ferry over to Inis Mor, part of the Aran islands that lie right off the western coast of Ireland. I decided against boots (bad idea) and an extra sweater (worse idea), and we headed to the port to take the ferry. It was drizzling a bit but we didn't realize how INSANELY WINDY and cold it was outside until we got to the port to catch the ferry. We were running late and didn't have time to grab extra layers or boots, and ran to the ferry (they only go back and forth once a day in the off season, so if we missed it we'd be out of luck). 

The ferry ride over to the island wasn't calm by any means, but we made it there fine. We enjoyed the group of 50 French teenagers screaming and flirting with each other (seriously hilarious). Despite our original plan to rent bikes, we ended up jumping on a tiny tour van with a big German family instead to tour the island and stay out of the bitter wind (best idea we ever had- the poor French teenagers had to ride bikes all day in the wind and rain). 

The island was stunning, and much more quiet and slow moving than any other place we had been previous. They only speak Gaelic on the island and live in thatched cottages and go to the only local pub that's open in the winter and eat scones all day. It was lovely and cozy and mystic and magical all at once. The weather and the small population of the island made Inis Mor seem eerie and beautiful all in the same. We hiked up to Dun Aengus, a fort located on the highest point of the island, met a horse (a real life Fatty Lumpkin!) guarding a cottage, had tomato soup and scones to warm our freezing souls in a tiny cafe, and shopped for Irish sweaters before heading on the ferry. Despite the chill and continuous rain, the day was wonderful and the people delightful. 

We were excited to get back on the ferry simply for the warmth, and took our seats on the bottom floor by the windows. And here's where it gets good. In the 7 hours we spent on Inis Mor, the waves and the wind and the sea seemed ready to teach us a lesson of sorts. We embarked on our hour journey across the sea back to the mainland, and encountered some of the biggest waves I'd ever seen. It started out with the waves coming at us from the side, making the boat rock side to side, starting the sea sickness of everyone on the ferry (imagine being rocked to a side, looking at the window, and being perpendicular with the water. I died a little inside). I started to get a little nervous, gripping my seat- and Chin- tighter and tighter. I don't get sea sick so I just enjoyed the couple in front and behind us throwing up into the bags that the crew brought around. Truly wonderful.

Then, this is where I thought we would truly, honestly die- the ferry changed direction and all of the sudden every 5 seconds the ferry was engulfed in waves, being thrown practically under the ocean surface. I felt as though we were in the Life of Pi, except in a much smaller boat and the zoo animals were French teenagers throwing up and screaming hysterically. At this point I lost it. Our drizzly but magical day on the island turned into The Perfect Storm, and I found myself praying to God that when we died that it wouldn't hurt, and that we wouldn't feel how cold the water was. My nervous grip on my seat turned into hands that were shaking uncontrollably, covering my face as I sobbed and basically was screaming in hysterics right along with our little French friends. 

I have always loved boats. I've endured plenty of "rocky" boat rides, and due to my lack of sea-sickness, nothing had really phased me before. But that hour of my life was the longest I could imagine. Maybe it was because I lost my wit and nerve, and everything just seemed amplified as I yelled repeatedly at Chin, "WE'RE GOING TO DIE," but when we got off that boat I vowed to not go on a ferry again for a long, LONG, time. It was not my shining moment by any means, but if you had been there, I don't think you could blamed me.

It's comical looking back, because the crew told us as we were getting off that they had endured MUCH worse, and that it would take a LOT to sink that ferry, but at the time I was horrified. And now I just feel dumb. I'm sure I made the people throwing up around me feel much better, no?

After that sob/ridiculous story, here are some pictures of the beautiful Inis Mor. If you go to Ireland, make a trip here (but just not on a windy day in March). Plus, this is where they filmed most of the movie Leap Year- including the end where he proposes (!).  

Dun Aengus

We froze at the top, but the climb was so worth it!

Our very own Fatty Lumpkin, protecting his master's cottage (someone seriously lives there)

Coastal living is the best kind of living

According to our Patrick, our tour guide for the day, this cottage sold for 250,000 euro. A quarter of a mil people!

Feeling a little wind blown, but I'll never forget that soup and raisin scone (divine).

So many sweaters, so little time. Chin ended up getting a couple pairs of cozy wool socks, and I found myself my very own Irish sweater!

The Cliffs of Moher

After a relaxing morning exploring the Dingle Peninsula, Chin and I headed up to Galway in search of the Cliffs of Moher. Fatty Lumpkin took us straight to a ferry dock to take a car ferry across the bay to the cliffs. Literally, like I think she would have taken us straight into the ocean if we had let her. 

The cliffs were absolutely incredible. I couldn't believe that there was a place so beautiful on this earth, and that we were there experiencing it. You could walk along the cliffs all the way down to the edge of the farthest cliff in view. We made it pretty far, but then realized we were starving and eventually turned around to walk back to get lunch in town. 

Between the sunshine and the fact that we were standing on this monstrous edge overlooking the ocean, I was in heaven. There's something so relaxing about hearing waves crashing into these huge cliffs, with the salty sea air surrounding you. 

 

If you look closely, you can see the rock where Dumbledore and Harry apparate to in the 6th Harry Potter movie (when they're trying to destroy the first horcrux, if you know what I'm referring to, fellow HP freaks). Chin was pretty excited about it, and kept saying things like, "How did they get up on that rock?! How did they film it?!" Really the important questions in life right there.

Pictures can't do it justice.

I want to go back. Of all the days on our trip, this one pretty much tops it for me.

Traveling to Dingle

After our first day in Dublin, Chin and I took Fatty Lumpkin (our GPS... Name that book!) and hopped in our tiny little Peugot and drove across the whole country. It seems ambitious, but luckily from Dublin down to the Dingle Peninsula all the way on the West side of the country is about 4 hours. We had lots of time to get to our bed and breakfast there so we decided to make a day out of our travels, and it ended up being one of my favorite days of our vacation. That's a big claim to make though since I could say that about almost every day. 
Traveling through the countryside of Ireland is nothing short of magical. The narrow roads are surrounded by hovering trees and vines, and the rolling hills are SO GREEN. I kept comparing to the scenery to all different movies. One second it would look like Lord of the Rings, the next Harry Potter, the next Princess Bride, and then the next it would look like Snow White and the Huntsman. I was getting pretty carried away. 

We started our morning by first stopping in Portlaoise, about an hour outside of Dublin. It's a really small town, but after seeing the movie Leap Year, I knew I wanted to stop at the fort that they explore (while waiting for the train, if you know what I'm talking about). The Rock of Dunamase sits at the top of this ginormous hill, overlooking Portlaoise and the Irish countryside. We drove up this tiny one lane dirt road, and we ended up being the only people in sight for like, miles. This ginormous fort, with a beautiful church at the bottom of the hill, and we were the ONLY ones exploring it. It was honestly the best morning of my life. We had a blast looking around and climbing on everything. The views were breathtaking and the air was so clear and fresh. It was misting a little bit and I honestly felt like I was in a movie. Magical, I say. 

 

Our view from the top

Wouldn't have wanted to explore with anyone else

 

For lunch (and our halway point), we made our way to Limerick, a big city smack dab in the middle of our route. We ended up spending some more time there (we ate dinner downtown there again later in the week), and we wanted to try a restaurant I had read about called Zest. It sits in the Limerick City Gallery of Art, and is known for it's fresh cafe food and modern atmosphere. It was a great meal and I'm still dreaming about the cupcake we had.

 

 

Before heading down to Dingle, we made one more stop at Killarney National Park, which sits right on Lake Leane nestled into some misty mountains. The views reminded me SO MUCH of a Harry Potter movie, and we could pretty much hike wherever we wanted, which ended up being a blast. The park's woods and views made my jaw drop. Could you imagine going in the summer and being able to swim in the lake? I would die.

 

 

After a few mixups trying to find our bed and breakfast (it was in a parish of a tiny tiny town, making it basically off every map ever), we finally made it to Dingle. Our bed and breakfast had a perfect view of the ocean, and with a little bit of daylight left, Chin and I decided to make our way down to the beach. We passed lots of sheep and cows on the way, all who gave us funny looks.

The beach was chilly and a little rainy, but sometimes that can be the best kind of beach.

The next morning we woke up to blue skies and sunshine (and the best waffles I've ever tasted from our B&B innkeeper), making Dingle one of my favorite places on earth. 

Dublin

We're home from Ireland and let me tell you, coming back was not easy. Not easy even at all. To say we had an amazing time would be an understatement.

I'm not a world traveler. But, I would say in my short 22 years here on this earth, I've been to a few places and seen some new faces. I've loved pretty much every place I've ever traveled to, and then there is Ireland. It's kind of in a category of its own for me. Maybe it's because I'm still on that post-trip high, or maybe it's simply the fact that it's an amazing country. Between the people (who in my opinion are the friendliest, kindest, most hospitable people I have ever met), the scenery, the food, and the fact that I got to spend one blissful, uninterrupted week with Chin, we had the time of our lives. 

We spent two and a half days in Dublin (our first day and last day and a half) exploring the city and the time in between was spent in the Irish countryside. 

A few thoughts on Dublin...

I love big cities. I'm not really from a "big" city, but I've always loved the feel of being downtown. The city lights, the rush of people, the sounds... It all fascinates me. Dublin was no exception. We flew there on St. Patrick's Day, which meant that we didn't get out and about until the day after, so the city was still recovering from the wild day previous. Festivals were winding down (though we still got to participate in a few of them) and the streets were a little quiter while the people in Dublin recuperated. 

Our first day in Dublin we explored Trinity College (and the amazing Book of Kells) and Christ Church Cathedral, the oldest building in Dublin. We were exhausted from jet lag, but still managed to try the Bangers and Mash from The Oval Bar, and take a ride on a ferris wheel (set up for a festival) overlooking Dublin. Pretty magical if you ask me.

Our last leg of the trip we also spent in Dublin, seeing some of the sights that were closed on our first day. We took a tour of Kilmainham Jail and saw the galleries in the Chester Beatty Library. Our last night in Ireland we ate at Porterhouse Brewery (famous for a reason, it was incredible) and were part of the hustle and bustle that is the Temple Bar District on a Saturday night in downtown Dublin. The streets were packed with people headed to pubs, live musicians, and all sorts of lively folk. We stopped into a cafe for some of the best hot chocolate I've ever had, and slowly walked back to our hotel, soaking up the sights.

We managed to catch the last day of food stands outside of Christ Church Cathedral and all this candy was calling my name.

 

Christ Church Cathedral was a spectacle in itself.

We were lucky in the fact that our hotel was in walking distance to pretty much all the sights in Dublin. Our first day, we picked up lunch at Roly's Bistro and ate lunch on the canal before heading downtown.

The apartments close to our hotel were stunning!

Exploring the old library at Trinity College

A rainy night in the Temple Bar District

Dinner at the Oval Bar (thanks for the reccomendation Moe!)

On top of the ferris wheel. A little chilly, but a perfect way to end our first day in Ireland.

 

Exploring the Temple Bar District on our last night in Ireland

Walking around a corner to see a stunning Trinity College lit up at night was a beautiful surprise!

Overall, we LOVED Dublin. It's such a clean and (seemingly) safe city. It's easy to get around and the people were so friendly. I'll try not to drag out our vacation posts for too long, because I do realize how annoying that can be. But thanks for reading along in our Irish adventure!

Getting There

It seems that March has brought us a storm of to-do lists that never end. This weekend was the busiest of the busiest (and not necessarily the most pleasant) and it had me actually looking forward to Monday so I could maybe get my life/routine back, even if just for a couple days. 

We leave for Ireland on Sunday and I'm not sure if it's just because I planned the trip by myself and the success of it is riding on my shoulders, but I am freaking out a little. I'm not the most laid back person to begin with (you should see me when I'm late to something... not pretty), and the hype I feel about our upcoming trip is sending me into overdrive. I like having a lot of things to do so this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but things are definitely hectic around here. My suitcase has been packed for a few days (you see what I mean about anxious?) and so if you see me the next couple of days wearing pants that are four sizes too big and a t shirt running around like a nutcase, you've been warned. 

Regardless of the stress that comes with getting ready for a big trip, we are bouncing up and down over here with excitement. The stress is GOOD stress and I'd rather be stressed out over something fun and exciting so I really shouldn't even be worried. But how do you tell a naturally bred worrier not to worry? 

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that this week is Cray with a capital C. Chin takes his cumulative final for this block on Friday and once he is done, break officially begins! So bring it on, Monday (and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday). 

Even my writing is sounding hectic today.

And for your viewing pleasure... How could you not love this little face?