Today is the road trip to the Cliffs of Moher! Buckle up, I have lots to share!
Snacks packed – check! Water bottles for days – check! Let’s go!! Yes, I was really that excited. I called shotgun, we shoved the boys in the back seats 😉
New lesson: every petrol/gas station has their own petrol/gas price. So, we drove around a bit before stopping to fill up. Newton gets a chance to use the self-service pump & go inside the store to pay. After a tussle between him & Carmen about who’s paying (he won!), we hit the road again.
Well… now I am seeing the Ireland I imagined for so long. The lush, green rolling hills. Mountainsides. Valleys. Winding roads. A little cloudy, cool but lovely. I’m already grateful for being chauffeured by Carmen, my eyes are absorbing so much natural beauty I don’t think my brain could keep up!
We stopped at a pier & I remember this pitstop because of the cute border collie following me as we walked, but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of this quaint fishing pier.
Newton & I jumped up onto a rock wall, wowed by the breath-taking view of ocean.
Back on the road, passing cows and sheep grazing peacefully. They’re everywhere.
We drive up to the entrance of the Cliffs of Moher. People everywhere. Lots of tour busses.
I remember seeing the steep uphill to the walls of the Cliffs & thinking… “hmmm, am I ready for this?” But there was adrenalin rushing through every vessel of my being. (I had no idea what was ahead of me!) Up steps to the right, passing a delightful gentleman playing tunes on his accordion, we reached a point where we had a full view of the Cliffs. It’s breathtaking!!
Up more steps, we saw a Tower we could enter & explore. This is O’Brien’s Tower, the highest point of the Cliffs. It’s named after a descendant of the first High King of Ireland; Cornelius O’Brien was the landlord in the locality. How fascinating.
O’Brien’s Tower (right), Cliffs of Moher
Going up inside the Tower… and outside at the top of the Tower
Time for a trail walk. (Carmen, if you’re reading… contain yourself haha!) A dusty path with views of the ocean to the left & green pastures to the right. Along the fence I stopped to watch a cow graze (I know, lame) & heard the loudest chewing from an animal! Sounded like it was ripping the grass from the ground. Of all the things/sights/sounds that stay with us, mine had to be of a cow chewing!
Further down, we were taking photos of the amazing views and while everyone was facing the ocean, I turned to take pictures of the fields. Stretching over the fence suddenly my life flashed before my eyes!!
The fence was electrified & I shrieked & freaked! Pretty sure I freaked out the entire bunch of tourists around me! After a quick check of my vitals (thanks my darling nursie friend Carmen), everyone burst out laughing! Guys, I could have died over here! Nope, hysterical laughter all round is what I got… until I laughed along! From this moment, this day would be remembered as a … “shocking experience”! You’re welcome, I aim to please 😀
We made our way back to where we started, by now Carmen & Warren were leaving us on our own. We wanted to explore the other side of the Cliffs… they said, “see you in 2hours!” what!?
Off we went, for a gruelling uphill most of the way, but oh boy was it worth it!
Hard work pays, once at the top… you’ll see!
Honestly the most magnificent views of nature. A couple times, I told Newton to slow down & just look around. Ok maybe to rest a little too 😉
You don’t realise how quickly time passes & before you know it, you’re leaving a place and all you have are memories. So, while in the experience, I always try to remind myself… this may never happen again. Be fully in it.
Pausing to take in the softer natural beauty, often just passed by or forgotten ❤
We had some lovely selfie spots, sat on rocks overlooking the Cliffs, Newton found edge-of-the-mountain photo ops… while I sat watching 😐 But I admired him so much, loved that he was getting his fill of this experience too. There’s one candid photo I took of him (not sharing 😉), which is just a picture of joy & relaxation.
This visit to Cliffs of Moher is part one of today because there’s too much for one post! We grabbed sandwiches & drinks from the cafe, before jumping in the car for more road trip fun!
Next week, I’ll bring you some more stories & pictures from the Irish countryside.
Today’s itinerary is packed full, so we can’t wait to get out the door! Back on our bustrip into Dublin city. We arrive on the bustling O’Connell Street Upper. Earlier than yesterday, so lots more & different to see. Back over the Liffey using the Ha’Penny bridge, we take a side street we haven’t used in the past two days – because we’re exploring of course 😊
So often Newton and I get lost together on our journeys, (even in Cape Town finding off-the beaten-track spots!) but we always laugh about it & see it as an adventure. I will usually be the first one to panic, but he’s had his fair share of “Oh shit we’re lost” moments haha!
After 12 years together, it’s now a standing inside joke.
Strolling through what could be considered alleys more than roads, we moved between main streets & found some cool buildings & little shops. But not too distracted, as we had our first touristy stop ahead.
A visit to Mr Oscar Wilde!
We were getting good at navigating with Google maps, but also just being aware… spotting street signs etc. Walking along, what seemed to be a business district, people sitting at cafes with laptops, suited up folks walking around. It felt nice not to be one of them, we were on holiday 😀
Turned a corner & spotted the memorial. There was a bus stop right outside the Merrion Park entrance, but I’m glad we didn’t use the bus, rather walked the streets & saw Dublin from a different perspective. There was tourist hop-on/off busses, usual commuter busses too.
It must have been a guided/private tour, a man was talking to a couple about the history of Oscar Wilde & the monuments we see. Nice! Except, this asshole was taking up all the space… yes, in an outside garden (I’m really rolling my eyes hard!) He was actually leaning on the statues that we and others, were trying to get to & take photos of. Urgh… no matter where you go you will come across selfish dickheads!
Anyway, after some staring at him & trying to take pics over and around him hahaha, he seemed to get the message & moved away. There were marble slates with the writing of Oscar Wilde, apparently in his own handwriting. Cool!
Then we ventured back out into the streets of Dublin. We walked past the Department of Taoiseach of Ireland – government building that looked like a palace, where a news crew was filming outside. We navigated to the Dublin branch of the company Newton works for… went inside but couldn’t get into the offices without an escort… and he didn’t know anyone personally, so goodbye.
Down another street, we walked past a stunning ivy-covered Georgian building with a red door popped in the middle. So beautiful. This was home to the gorgeous Grayson restaurant. I think there used to be a branch of the Bank of Ireland, since it was written on the far end of the building… in gold!
Crossed the street to find another statue, founder of the United Irishmen and a leading figure in the fight for Irish independence from British rule – Wolfe Tone.
Statue of Wolfe Tone
And now we found ourselves at the other end of St Stephen’s Green. Things are starting to look familiar, which just boosts our confidence for more exploring. Through many more streets, busy main streets, quaint side streets, we decided to stop for a treat at Murphy’s Ice-cream
The server was so much fun, pleasant & welcoming, but making it very difficult for us to choose a flavour of ice-cream! Finally, we were persuaded. We each settled for two scoops. Newton had Irish sea salt + Lemon Curd. I chose Irish bread flavour + chocolate Irish whiskey. Ice-cream nirvana!! 😀 After a chat about where we’re from & where we’re headed next, he offered to take photos for us. They have a spot in the store especially for tourists & anyone wanting to boast on social media about this spot!
Ice-cream before lunch is always a good idea 😀
Down the street we stroll with our scoops, just as we finish, I spot a homeware, “this-and-that” kinda store. Oh boy… my kryptonite 😐 Yes, there were many things in this two-storey store that I convinced myself I “must have” but settled on just one item. A cute baguette bag 😀
I confess, we are gluten, carb, wheat bread addicts. Which works well with the coffee addiction haha!
Next; Dublin Castle. Up a steep hill, we found ourselves amid an enormous crowd of tourists. The castle itself, was mighty and impressive. But we didn’t go inside, decided to skip. I was excited to go to the MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRPAHY for the 13th edition of Ireland’s international festival of the most comprehensive overview of the history & practise of Photography in Ireland to date. Entry was free, which is always a bonus.
We had to leave any recording devices at the reception before we could enter the exhibition.
I admired the photography; we enjoyed the exhibition with no time limit, but if I’m honest… underwhelming. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wanted more. Don’t misunderstand, the images were thought provoking & some even raw. They showcased life in Ireland, past & recent.
Time for lunch! We decided to walk around & pick a spot spontaneously. No, I think we followed our noses because we ended up in PittBrosBBQ Restaurant.
I’m not religious but can appreciate preserved works of art & transcripts rich in history from “those days” It’s a self-tour, but very systematic. Once you enter, you are smacked with ooh’s & ah’s. Ancient drawings fascinated me, the intricacy, the symbolism. An illuminated manuscript created by Scottish and/or Irish monks, the book illustrates the four gospels of the Christian New Testament – in Latin! I did two years of Latin in high school, far from enough to understand any of it 😐
I can understand why it’s dubbed Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure and one of the most famous artefacts in the world.
As this tour comes to an end, you walk up stairs and into bookworm, architectural utopia!! Enter, the Long Room. A beautiful old library, filled with heritage, housing manuscripts and books some of which are still used by professors and students – under strict supervision. A working library since 1732! :O The literature is regularly restored, books are marked with tickets next in line for restoration. The entire collection of books is cut off from the public – a really good idea if preserving such history!
Oh, the smells in this library. Transported me to childhood, when books for school projects were still a thing & you had to visit the library for research. Yes, I’m giving away my age. Never mind, it’s a sensory memory I cherish. And in this moment, in this beautiful library, I’m glad I had those experiences as a child.
The Long Room was adorned with busts of all the famous literary greats. Socrates, Plato & Newton to name a few! We spent so much time here. Aside from trying to capture the moment by so many shots clicked, I sat on a bench in the middle of the room & just absorbed. I watched people, admiring this space just as I was. Right here, right now, we all have this one admiration in common. No matter how we look, where we come from or how we speak.
I watched Newton (my guy, not the bust 😉), I wouldn’t describe him as a literature enthusiast haha, but could see how impressed he was. Enjoying taking photos from every angle. Beautiful staircases, gorgeous dark wood archways, stunning displays of millions of books behind rolling ladders.
When we finally had enough, & I couldn’t pose for another pic 😐 we went downstairs & it was a world of souvenirs. So clever, I thought! You have to go through this shop to get to the exit. Of course, you will browse & be tempted. Well, we fell for it! After probably a half hour, we were both in the queue with something to take back home.
Back on the streets of Dublin, we head to Grafton Street. We have a plan! SHOPPING!
Yes, both of us😉
Yesterday, we walked through an indoor market named George’s Street Arcade selling souvenirs, trinkets, art, clothing, accessories… which brings me to the point of wanting to return today, for a beautiful pendant I saw at a silver jewellery kiosk – Doyle Design Dublin. I bargained with myself, spoke a thousand words to the lovely, patient saleslady. She was enjoying conversation about where we’re from, what Cape Town is like, what the Irish folk think about our country & city. Then, either from boredom, impatience or just sheer love, Newton announced “we’re taking it, please wrap it for her” and bought it for me. What a guy, I think he loves me loads haha! 🙂
Gifts for family, gifts for ourselves, gifts for our hosts! Carrolls Irish Gifts is basically everywhere, so we chose them. Yesterday, while window shopping, I saw a stunning Irish hoodie. When I went home, I was talking about it & both Warren and Newton said, “you have to get it!” How can I argue? 😉 So, I did 😀
Newton bought himself a beautiful green Irish pee-cap, like really, green! But he rocks it 😊 We laughed when we realised, well… we can’t buy Carmen & Warren Irish souvenirs, they live here haha! We thought, they were so wonderful buying the Nespresso machine, we were drinking up all the capsules… so let’s get them more & different capsules 😀 (But… there was a back-up plan too!)
Oh my word, do you think we could find this frikkin Nespresso shop? One of the few times Google maps didn’t help 😐 We probably passed it a couple times, but eventually found it down a side street. Not being familiar with Nespresso, we thought the shop & purchasing style was very fancy! You had to select your sleeve of capsules, take it to a self check-out, drop the capsules into a shaft, swipe or tap to pay & out pops a bagged purchase….whaaaat? Where are the leprechauns!?
While searching for the store, we passed a very long line outside a donut shop – The Rolling Donut. On our way back, we decided to get some to take home for us all to enjoy after dinner. Think about these flavours; Ferrero Roche, Coffee, Blueberry Cheesecake, Apple Crumble…Boy was it a hit! Happy faces all round.
Today heading back to our bus stop, we decided to take a different route, explore some more while heading home. You can feel the energy change later in the afternoon, or early evening (because it’s so light out I get confused with time!) Tourists are getting fewer, local professionals are taking over, pubs are getting louder. Coming across the Liffey (river) I felt like I was in New York! Haha! Never been (bucket list for sure!), but what I’ve seen on tv about the busy streets, is what’s right in front of me.
Since today is our last day exploring the city, we decided to pop into a coffee shop on O’Connell Street Upper – Cafe Nero. Newton ordered a mini carrot cake & a brownie for me. No judging please, I know we have a bag full of donuts, but calories don’t count when on holiday… especially when you average 20k steps a day!
There we sat at the window bar (our favourite spot in a café) watching the world go by while discussing & recapping our day. It’s only the end of today & already we’re giggling about memories we just made! One thing we agreed on, was how much we appreciated this opportunity. To sit where we are, after where we’ve been, considering where we come from, how much it took for us to be here… and just be! Here!
The cookies weren’t great, the coffee was done so off we went for a walk from O’Connell Street to Beresford Place to catch our Bus Éireann back home.
However, to my surprise, mister had one last stop along the way! Fun! A couple of dodgy looking side streets later, we were at Sports Direct a massive store with everything sports related. If I wasn’t tired, I probably would have bought sneakers I didn’t need. While sitting on a bench waiting for Newton to find what he needed, I enjoyed one of my favourite pass times… people watching. Damn! Some of these shoppers were ripped! Women in Ireland loooove tights! Like yoga tights. Tight, tight tights… this was odd, to me haha! Not a common sight back home…
And we’re off… this time for real heading to the bus stop. Once again enjoying the trip back, it was different because we both knew it was the last bus trip leaving Dublin city. Peace out, you were great!
Back home, poor Warren got an ear full again. I say that, but he really seemed to enjoy our stories & experiences. He scolded us for buying more coffee pods haha, such a great host. After dinner, while waiting for Carmen to return from work, I was packing goodies away, journaling, looking over pics in the bedroom… when I head the most amusing sounds ever! Warren & Newton were watching stand-up comedy on Netflix & they were crying with laughter! By the time I stopped laughing at their laughter & wanted to catch some of it on video, it was past the peak of entertainment, but I did catch some 😀 My heart smiled, hearing Newton so happy & relaxed. And seeing Warren relax after work enjoying Newton’s company😊
Carmen’s back! Yay! More opportunity for me to talk about my day haha! However, we can’t get passed our excitement for tomorrow – Friday! They’re taking us on a road trip! Into the country…
So do come back next week when I share more adventures & photos of our travels. These are such special memories & I’m so glad I still remember so much ❤
Feeling super confident after a good day travelling to & from Dublin city yesterday, we’re off on our own today! At the bus stop, we can monitor the location of the bus & how long it will take to arrive. I got a little nervous when I saw it coming, no – it was just excitement 😀
Us in the bus
We got chatting to our bus driver, who was eager to share tips with us. Also, keen to know more about where we come from. By the time we got to Dublin city, we knew enough to ask him to drop us closer to the EPIC Irish museum, which was on his route back to his next departure spot. It felt like a private bus trip 😀
We walked across and along Liffey and had no idea of the experience we were in for at the Irish Emigration Museum.
Entrance to the EPIC Irish Museum
Purchased our tickets, strolled around & grabbed a coffee at Bakehouse which came with a surprise mini cupcake… how cute 😊 Our barista had the wildest green manicure… proudly Irish I’m guessing.
Coffee with a surprise little cupcake
An Irish manicure – our barista
Walking down the stairs to the entrance of the museum, I was already impressed. Absolutely loved the first sign I saw, lit brightly saying “WE ALL COME FROM SOMEWHERE” I think humanity lacks tolerance (of others) and that was a gentle reminder. I Bet not many see it that way, but that was my take-away. We walked through a passage of lit banners with Irish landscapes, turned a corner to be wowed by the ships display. I think I need to do a post with only pictures…hmmm?!
The display of famine emigration ships
A tiled floor with each tile a proclamation, Parliament transcripts, oaths & that’s just the English ones I could read! It was truly unique. A very interactive museum, touch screens allowing you to follow stories, a little passport booklet you could stamp as you went through one exhibition to the next, big screens with viewing benches to listen & watch historical interpretations, even a musical room showcasing all the Irish musical legends.
Put your ear to the gramophone & you’ll hear a tune!
A library where you could pull out a book, put your ear to it & listen to snippets from the likes of Gone with the wind, Dracula, Ulysses…
A story is told from a talking book!
There’s not much more I can tell you without sounding like a history/cultural nerd & boring you, it’s just a special experience… which we realised after leaving 4hours later! If you ever have the privilege of travelling to Dublin, I’d highly recommend a visit to EPIC
When we left the museum, I spotted statues across the road… right next to the Liffey was a haunting memorial of statues portraying starving Irish during the famine, rushing to emigration ships. A replica of the ship was a couple meters away too!
Even the pets…
Now, the walking begins. First stop, Trinity College. We wanted to visit the Book of Kells & The Long Room; apparently one of the world’s most beautiful libraries! But we didn’t go directly from EPIC because we strolled along Liffey, wandering as tourists do, pausing to takes pictures, impressed by the trams & regular busses, generally just feeling our way around this city. There was a strange symphony of chaos in this city. Everything worked in a mad, busy place.
When we got to Trinity College, we roamed around the grounds… again, taking tons of pictures… can’t be blamed, the architecture in this place is unreal. Gothic, ancient, historic yet in such good shape. Toward the back, we could see some scaffolding. Restoration, just maintenance? Whatever the reason, it was clear these buildings were proudly looked after. By the time we got to the entrance to Book of Kells, tickets were sold out for the day! Nevermind, we bought tickets for the following day, we had already planned to come back… so much more to see! So much more walking to do! I loved it 😊
Bell Tower – Trinity College
All this walking, now we felt hungry! Aha! Let’s try McDonalds in Dublin! Full of locals & tourists, it was the first time we did the self-service ordering & paying. Oh wow, we thought, look how modern.
Only to be told when we returned home “we have that here too” haha… Proof we don’t eat McD’s often enough to know 😉 To be honest, it didn’t taste any different/better. We’ve had better in Cape Town…
Refuelled, we decided to pop into some gift stores – time to consider souvenirs. So many things! So many cute, cool things! Some things I wouldn’t mind getting for myself! We decide to pin it, revisit when we’re not so overwhelmed by options.
While walking, we discussed how we were feeling. As in safety. I felt safe, at ease – but aware of my surroundings. It was so busy! Newton, however, got a sense of “naughty boys” hanging around. He didn’t feel comfortable taking out his camera in the streets, shopping strips, pub & social strips.
Coming from Cape Town, we have built in “danger radar” We’re not used to walking freely without fear of being robbed or attacked. It’s just our reality. We had no idea how much more our eyes would be opened.
Next, we took a stroll through St Stephen’s Green shopping centre (mall). Beautiful, high ceilings, bright, balconies on the 2nd & 3rd floor. However, I’ve seen more extravagant, glamourous shopping centres at home. I read somewhere, when going overseas we learn more about our home than the place we’re visiting. In this moment, I felt like that.
On the ground floor, there were little stalls in the middle of the floor. We found an awesome Japanese stall, where we finally found a cheesecake Newton wanted to try. I just heard cheesecake & was keen haha! It’s a jiggly, cheesy dessert. Authentic.
Walked off to Beresford Place to catch our bus back to Ashbourne for tonight. Our bus departed around after 6pm (seemed like rush hour), so it was nice to sit back, be driven, watch the streets, going from city to highway to ‘farmy’ area then to suburb. Taking it all in. I really enjoyed our bus trips.
By the time we go back, Warren had prepared us a dinner. While we waited for Carmen to return from her (long) workday, we had lots of excited stories to share. I wonder if we were exhausting guests haha! Then he surprised us saying he’d taken Friday off work, so that he & Carmen could take us out for the day! Excitement overload 😊 It would be our first road trip, going to some epic spots! So, stay tuned for what’s to come in the next few (busy) days!!
I’d love to know; do you prefer city or suburb living? Tell me in comments 😊
Being on vacation means you can sleep in, right? Not really, otherwise you miss out on time you could be exploring! Newton is up at the crack of dawn, seeing Warren off to work, while I drag myself out of bed to get the day started. I peak out the window & smile, realising it’s day 2. But, day 1 waking up in a different country.
After breakfast we’re out the door walking to the bus stop, for our first bus ride. You may notice I’m quite excited about this “first” but with good reason. We don’t have reliable or safe public transport in Cape Town, here it is an everyday normality. It’s not special or posh, it’s normal.
Here comes our ride!
Bus arrives, I buy our tickets, we go upstairs to get a nice view on the trip. Yes – a double decker bus 😀 Again, surprised with the bus having aircon, wi-fi, usb charging plugs, it’s clean, also fairly quiet. Everyone, young, old & in-between, is just minding their own business. This is a pleasant trip through other neighbourhoods, coming into Dublin seeing how it changes from picturesque suburb to bustling city. Phew, it’s busy! Time to hustle.
Bustling streets of Dublin
So much to take in, it’s almost a sensory overload. Pedestrians are standing at a crossing & I think oh, something must be happening. Nope! They’re waiting for the pedestrian light to change green so they may cross the roads. In all directions. Oh, my word! Is it out of fear? Obedience? Discipline? No, just normal.
Down some steps & we are walking along the river Liffey. Apparently used in the Viking trades… and now supplies most of Dublin’s water.
Nice spot for some pics, then we cross the famous Ha’penny bridge. One of the symbols of Dublin, as it was the first footbridge and iron bridge across the Liffey. Once across, we head straight for the Temple Bar area. Pubs, restaurants, shops, boutiques, wall art and of course people everywhere! What a buzz of chatter & laughter along the cobblestone streets. And accents! One thing I love about travelling, is hearing different accents and languages. This is so much fun already !
Us at LIffey River and look behind us! It’s the Ha’Penny Bridge 🙂
Carmen guides us down Grafton Street where we see familiar shops and ones we’ve never heard of. Soon we find ourselves in St Stephen’s Green for a stroll. A tranquil beautiful garden where locals & tourists come to break away from the busy streets.
St Stephen’s Green
People picnicking during lunchtime, feeding birds in the many ponds, just strolling, or sitting on a bench… like us. Soaking it all in. Then Carmen & I got sorbets at a cute little hole-in-the-wall. Explored some less busy side streets & found a couple of gems… stunning street art (I’ll share pics separately), but also just some rubbish bins and we quickly darted off with a laugh.
Even at the pub, there’s flower pots!
Another stroll along the Liffey & we’re back on the bus to Ashbourne, for an afternoon at Trim Castle!
After a quick lunch, it was a 40minute drive to Trim. Jumping out the car, like a kid arriving at the beach, my eyes darted all over. I don’t even think I waited for Carmen & Newton haha! A side street, with quaint houses showing off bright blooms window box planters. I remember thinking, these houses are so tiny.
What I saw when I jumped out the car…Quaint, tiny looking houses
But then turned to see the towering Trim castle, proudly waving its Irish flag atop. Apparently, Ireland’s largest, best preserved & most impressive.
There it is… Trim Castle
We both love old architecture & ruins, with so many stories attached to them. Also, these beautiful structures were built centuries ago when our modern machinery wasn’t even invented yet. You can’t deny it, that’s impressive.
We strolled along the River Boyne, turning around to see Trim castle from a different angle, still beautiful.
Crossing the bridge into town
Crossed over a bridge for a walk through the town. We passed a church & I was curious when I saw some plaques along the wall; turned out to be “stations of the cross” Both Newton & Carmen are Catholics, so they were really impressed, but it was the first time Carmen noticed it… you’re welcome darling 😉
Gorgeous church
The streets were very “villagey”, adorned with flowerpots everywhere. Picturesque. We took tons of pictures, had fun in the streets, watching other tourists, politely waiting our turn to take photos at more popular spots, watching locals go about their day. We even stumbled upon a police station, which in comparison to what I know, looked like a futuristic, posh modern home. They call the police “Garda” here.
I loved sharing all these moments with my friend, watching here excited even though she’d been many times before. I saw a kind of pride, showing us all the cool things about her new home.
I also loved sharing all these moments with Newton. He was so relaxed & genuinely happy. Seeing this in them, was like hugging my soul ❤
By now it was already late afternoon, time flies when you’re having fun! So off we drive, back home for another great meal prepared by Warren. He was such a trooper, enjoying cooking even after coming home from work. We were spoilt!
Time to rest up! Tomorrow, we venture out on our own! Stay tuned… I’ll tell & show you what we saw and did.
Ok, flight number 2… just 5.5hours more to Dublin! Little butterflies of excitement fluttering, I’m thinking of all the things I want to see & do. So much talk has finally become reality!
Touchdown in Dublin… through customs check fairly quickly. The customs official was probably annoyed with my friendly disposition at 7am! And that was my 1st time hearing the distinctive Irish accent – “Welcome to Ireland”. We turn the corner to our baggage carousel & witnessed first-hand all the lost baggage we’ve been reading about & seeing on socials! Bags everywhere, on top of each other, upside down, unclaimed. It must have been luck of the Irish, but it didn’t take 2 minutes for our bags to roll through. Yay!
Lost luggage at Dublin airport
Through the doors and there she is, Carmen – my friend since high school! Big, bright smile shuffling closer to come give me the tightest hug 😊 After squashing our suitcases into her car, we exit the airport & I felt like I was in a movie. Staring out the window, appreciating all things different. Holy cow, we’re in another country whoo-hoo! Different environment, break in routine, adventure awaits!
Fresh as daisies off the plane
Approx. 20 minutes later, we arrive in the picturesque Ashbourne, County Meath. Streets neat as a pin! Flowers blooming on the sidewalks and in planters on balconies. I finally get to experience my friend’s new life, after she immigrated 4 years ago. After all the hugs, laughs & enjoying the surprise care package on our bed… I couldn’t keep up any longer & excused myself for a nap. You may think this was rude, but not as rude as Newton dozing off mid conversation with her hahaha! He’ll never live that down 😉
First impression of Ashbourne, picturesque! Carmen’s sweet care package waiting for us ❤
Her hubby (Warren) arrived home from work, very excited to have us! They took us to Donabate beach (the ocean; our happy place!) and we had such a lovely stroll in the fresh, crisp air. On a long, sandy beach the tide was so far out, allowing us to explore some rocks. I just wanted to put my hands in the Irish Sea.
Donabate beach, with a perfect view of Lambay Island The gang! Left-Newton, middle Warren, right CarmenThe smiles of a 26 year friendship ❤
On a winding walking path adjacent to the beach, Warren gave us some insight to life in Ireland when he picked up a pair of spectacles, we saw laying in the grass & he put it on a wall. Apparently, if someone dropped something it was usual to leave it to the side (of the street or path) in case they returned looking for it. Our first experience of a different kind of “normal”! We saw this numerous times on our solo adventures too. Is this what community means?
Us parking off along the path adjacent to the beach, taking it all in.
Along the walk back, we were in awe of the naturally black rocks! Some smooth, some jutting out showing us just how majestic nature is. And how different, in a different part of the world.
Beautiful black rocks at Donabate beach!
After a gorgeous, tranquil drive home through winding, tree-lined roads, our next stop was at a Tesco store, where we needed to pay to use a trolley. Super weird… we did it just for the experience, not because we had to do grocery shopping. In SA, trolleys are free for all… including for the homeless 😐
While planning the trip, Carmen asked me if we had any food and drink preferences. And I had to confess, Newton & I are big coffee snobs… the kind of snobs that won’t finish a cup of coffee we paid for, if it tastes like shit. So, they bought a Nespresso machine for us to enjoy coffee as much as we liked. Unbelievably kind & too adorable!!
That evening, they cooked us a fabulous dinner, we ate, we chatted, we laughed, we all squished onto the couch… it was the start of what would be a really fun trip!
Tomorrow Carmen will take us on our first bus trip, into Dublin city (here we come!!!) to show us the ropes. How do I sleep with this excitement?
Oh wait… here’s the formula; long journey + broken sleep – nap = will sleep more!
Stay tuned… next up, is another first of many for us – first day in Dublin city!
* Carmen and Warren, if either of you are reading this, thank you for your warm & excited welcome, it’s a lasting memory for us both!
** To anyone else reading, are you also a “coffee snob”? Do you also enjoy a Nespresso, if so which kind? Tell me in comments.
Ok full disclosure… this trip happened late 2022 & people have said why blog about it now, so long after? And my response is 100 fucks to that!
This was & is my experience and if I can still remember so much so vividly, it’s surely worth sharing. Also, I can come back here if I ever need convincing to travel again… (yeah right, I’d need convincing!)
Late 2019, we decided to plan a Xmas 2020 trip to France. Then… the Covid bombshell happened!
I remember my friend saying “Don’t worry, by the time you come it’ll be gone”
Cut to 3yrs later!
It started as a joke, a what-if. Then I decided to get serious about 2022 being the year I travel.
I chose to visit Carmen – my friend of 26years! She’s living in Ireland now.
A 2nd destination would be France, to visit the friend who thought Covid would be gone in 6months – Marie, in Carcasonne.
And who can go anywhere in France, without a stay in PARIS! The last destination before returning home.
I wanted my guy (Newton) to join because I wanted to share this experience with my life partner. I wouldn’t have enjoyed coming home to tell him the stories of my travel experiences but wanted us to have experiences & make memories together.
Well, he joined! After much convincing. And boy did we make memories!! It was an epic adventure. Our first international trip as a couple. And we survived to tell the tales.
On 24th July 2022, we jumped on a plane…. That sounds like we just did it spontaneously, but everything was well planned! It’s not easy to travel internationally from South Africa financially, and usually involves very long journeys.
But off we went on the first leg of a 20-hour journey! Carmen & I had been planning for about 4 months.
I can still feel the excitement after going through customs and hear the departure stamp, then waiting to board the flight. I can still see myself sitting at the window looking at all the planes, wondering about all the different destinations & excited that I’d be in one of them.
The first flight was long, cramped & packed full. We were required to wear face masks throughout, with exception of eating/drinking. I am convinced this is what put me to sleep so often. Dozing on & off, never really sleeping. I remember Newton saying “these seats are so uncomfortable; I’m never travelling again” on the 1st leg of his 1st overseas trip 😐 Flight number 1 of 5! Ha-ha! My thoughts… well this is a good start!
Coming from Cape Town, the food menu was South African & this included a very popular South African dessert – peppermint tart. The highlight of this flight for me was when a non-South African guy used his bread roll to eat this entire dessert, like wiping the container with the roll. He must have thought it was a pate or something. It caught me in a laughing fit only a fellow Saffer would understand. Even funnier was me hiding in Newton’s armpit to get my giggles out, which made him giggle too.
11 hours later, we arrive at our first connection. Few minutes before midnight, the airport buzzing as if it were midday! People everywhere! People queueing, rushing, unpacking, repacking at security, checking boards, calling floor assistants to help with directions to gates (that surprised me), on escalators, travelators… phew!
It can be overwhelming, but there I am… looking for that famous big yellow teddy bear. It was as if time stood still for me, even if just 3seconds. We passed it so quickly, Newton didn’t realise we passed it & missed it. Or maybe he didn’t care about it haha!
One thing I promised myself for this trip, was to soak in as much of the experiences as I could. I knew I would take a million photos but did not want to be spending so much time behind the camera, looking back at the pictures & not remembering the experience, the feeling… The smells, sights, sounds & vibes! Later, I even found myself touching things like leaves, walls & pillars… for the feel of it haha!
Off we dash, on the travelator because as luck would have it, our connecting flight had to be at the 2nd last departure gate! Arrived with enough time to catch our breath, have a bathroom break, pinch ourselves realising where we were; and being thankful that our journey thus far was safe & easy.
Next up… flight number 2… arriving in Ireland, the reunion with my bestie & the Epic Irish experiences!
NB: if you know what yellow teddy I’m referring to, you’ll probably know which airport we went through – let me know in comments!
Do we look excited?And we’re on our way!Almost time for stop 1Waiting for flight 2 – Dublin we’re coming!
lots happening up there 