Homecoming Trip: Ireland Part I

We finally had the opportunity to enjoy our reward for conquering our first deployment together, the homecoming trip. I personally believe this time together is essential. It allows you time away from home, daily stresses, distractions and allows you a chance to reconnect, rekindle the magic, and allows time to solely focus on one another. Even if it's just a B&B for the weekend or a camping trip for a couple nights, I believe this time is a necessity. Just the two of you.

So we chose Ireland! As I previously blogged it was pretty much at random. It was a tie between China, Ireland and Paris and since we'd been to Paris before, and China intimidated us...Ireland it was! The one thing these three locations had in common were the cheap flights! Only $700/flight to Ireland so we took it.

We bought Rick Steves guide to Ireland and it didn't fail us! Amazing guidebooks, we live by them when we travel abroad!

To our surprise we got away with carrying our packs with us as carry on luggage the entire way to Dublin. Travels with packs is so much better than with the rolly cases. Keeps your hands free and allows you to walk the streets of a city if need be at ease and uncumbered. Plus, let's be honest, they make you feel like real backpackers!

Kit's was 55 liters

Mine was 75 liters

Bad news, we did miss our connecting flight from London to Dublin, but they automatically had us rebooked when we stepped off the plane and they gave us 30 franks to eat on at the London airport while we waited a short time for our new flight. We only arrived in Dublin a few hours later than planned. We got into Dublin airport and from there rented a car. Tip: Don't buy Expedia's car insurance for your rental, it's useless and not recognized by the rental car companies. Thankfully we put an Ireland map on our Garmin before we left, and it saved our butts! She was awesome for the entire trip. It was a tad rocky/scary/anxiety-filled when we first drove off the rental lot, but my husband was a rock-star and only drove on their wrong side of the street once! In Ireland you drive on the left side, in the left seat, while shifting (most cars are manual) with your left hand. So backwards from what we're used to! Also they don't use stoplights, they utilize round-abouts, which at first we hated, but then grew to love and actually prefer over stoplights.

Such a pro!

I was nervous, but smiling! Don't mind the greasy hair, at this point we'd been traveling for over 24 hours.

First stop, Galway!

Above are our bunks and a quote from our common room in our hostel. This hostel was quite comfortable and ran professionally. We could also cook there which saved us many euros. We chose Galway because we could day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and it was a wonderful harbor town. Also, the Claddagh ring originated here (is a traditional Irish ring given which represents love, loyalty, and friendship (the hands represent friendship; the heart represents love; and the crown represents loyalty) , pretty cool.

Church of St Nicolas

Church of St Nicolas, where Christopher Columbus worshiped

Street performers

1584 Spanish Arch

Quay Str

First raw oyster!

1 mile long promenade 

Locals kick the wall at the end to mark they've walked the full mile!

Then dinner from the local market! Cheapest meal in town.

Sandwhiches, salad, fruit and cider

We ended every night in Ireland sitting in a pub, listening to celtic music, sipping cider and Guinness and seeing occasional dancing!

Irish dancers

The following day we took a day trip and drove to see the Cliffs of Moher!

The road was windy to the cliffs

Had to stop for a quick picture

Our little Skoda for the trip!

We reached the Cliffs and they were everything we'd hoped for. Beautiful.

View from the visitor's center

The Cliffs of Moher

A watchtower was built in the 1500's just to view the cliffs

Behind the watchtower

Time to hike ON the cliffs

View from on the cliffs

The hike on the cliffs was a little scary for me, Kit loved it and kept teasing and get right on the edge. Drove me nuts! We loved the hiking and cliff seeing. Prettiest site in Ireland hands down.

Then we toured through the "Burren" on our way back to the hostel. The Burren is the limestone plateau, barren of grass or soil. Kit insisted on seeing it, and I'm glad he did. We saw via a driving tour in our guidebook:

Here you can see the contrast from the regular cultivated lands vs rocky burren, the biologist geek inside me thought this was cool

4,000 yr old portal tomb

Burren's limestone

Leamaneth castle, 15th century, it's in ruins and unstable so we couldn't go inside

Couple more pictures of Galway before we left!

Harbor at sunset

Rainbow across the football (soccer) field

Second stop, Dingle!

We woke up early to get the 3.5 hour drive started, he was excited!

Sunrise over the football field as we said goodbye to Galway

We drove an easy 3.5 hours to Dingle and didn't even make it halfway before Kit AKA Cookie Monster needed snacks. And of course I had to snap pictures at the beautiful countryside.

Now for Part II!!