We said a sad farewell to Robs, she has to return to SA, as she is due back at work at Londolozi and has 2 days travel ahead of her.
Gray and I continued with our tourist tour, we caught a hop-on-hop-off bus and toured around the city. It turns out most of it we had walked on foot. However, it was fun to see the city from above; to see over the walls into the parks and the beautiful lamp posts that you kind of miss from the ground.
We found a delightful restaurant, in the suburbs, for a great Sunday roast.
Then it was back to the hotel to pack and sort out our admin for our trip home.
We had a 2 hour drive along a national highway to the airport at Dublin to drop off the hire car. Then we caught a shuttle into Dublin to our hotel.
In the afternoon we walked across, or rather Robs route marched us across town to the Guinness Brewery for the ‘Guinness Experience’ tour.
This is like the Willy Wonka experience for Guinness enthusiasts. Not being a Guinness, or even a beer drinker, I was still impressed by the tour and the gravity bar at the top of the ‘museum’, where you get a free Guinness and all round views of Dublin.
This is one of Irelands biggest tourist attractions. At €50 per person, they have between 6000 and 10 000 visitors per day, making between €300 000 and €500 000, not to bad for a day’s work.
From there we wandered down to the Temple Bar, another of Dublin’s big tourist attractions. Being Saturday afternoon, and with the Grand National about to be run, the place was madness. We opted for a drink at the Norseman, a block away. A great pub with live music, a good vibe.
We felt like a curry, the Kathmandu Kitchen sure delivered. Their variety of Nepalese and Indian foods was delicious.
Gray and I then headed home and Robs partied with mates into the wee hours.
Robs, in need of a shopping fix, headed into town this morning. She said she had an awesome time walking around the streets and shops of Galway.
Gray and I took a drive up to the Northwestern side of the island. Like the rest of Ireland, it was beautiful, loads of waterways, lakes and lochs.
We drove through Clifden, then took the Sky Road to the Omay Island. It was low tide and we could either walk or drive across the beach to the island. At high tide you need a boat to cross over.
We made a brief stop at the impressive Kylemore Abbey and gardens. A place where the Benedictine nuns make chocolate, of all things.
We then drove along the Killary Fjord, the only fjord in Ireland. It was beautiful, interesting to see a ‘green’ fjord after all the ‘white’ ones we saw in Iceland. There are muscle and oyster farms in the water. We had tasted some of the delicious oysters at Oscars the night before.
Later the three of us headed into town. We had a couple of drinks (again). Then another delicious dinner at McSwiggan’s Restaurant. We wandered into the city centre, found a table outside a pub and watched the passing parade till the light faded at 10pm. It was fascinating to watch people dressed in short skirts, shorts and T-shirts, mind blowing really, because by now the temperature had dropped to 5 degrees.
This morning we woke to see what the cliffs looked like in colour. The sun was shining, although it was still cold.
After breakfast we walked down to the harbour and caught the Doolin Ferry across to Innis Oirr, the smallest of the three Aran Islands. The trip across was choppy and it was freezing cold but the sun was out and the sea was blue.
Once on the island we had various choices of transport; donkey cart, tractor or feet. We chose to explore the island on foot.
We walked along the narrow lanes, lined with rock fences, there are rock fences everywhere, with little plots of green grass. We visited the ruins of a really tiny chapel and the ruins of the landmark Castle, perched on top of the hill. We then wondered down to the graveyard. We took a pretty walk along the coastline before dipping our feet into the freezing Atlantic.
Dead Centre of the Aran Islands
Before boarding the ferry back we stopped for hot choc and fudge from the stalls near the harbour.
The ferry trip back took us along the impressive Cliffs of Moher. It was amazing to see the arches and sea stack’s that had been eroded over millions of years.
Back on land, we walked back to Atlantic View, to collect our car. It was an hours drive Galway from Doolin and we arrived at our B&B around 4:30. The traffic was a bit heavy so we caught the bus into town.
We wondered around the town, Galway had a different feel to it from the rest of Ireland, more like a European town but still with lots of Irish pubs and restaurants. We loved it.
After a wonderful seafood dinner at Oscars. We wondered around the town, soaking up the vibes. It was still light as the sun only sets at around 9:30.
The rain continued all night, at times we had hail, and the wind howled.
The skies were a dark gray as we left Killarney and it didn’t look like there was any chance of the weather lifting today. What made it even more hectic was the WIND. I have never experienced wind like this, we had great difficulty trying to open car doors and then the wind would slam them shut with such force.
Due to the weather, we decided to take the most direct route into Doolin. Even direct routes take you through narrow farm lanes and pretty scenery.
Also, unexpectedly we arrived at the Shannon River and had to do a ferry crossing between Tarbert and Killimer. We arrived just in time to take the 20 minute ride across the river. It cost €23 (R476) but the alternative was a long drive back inland. It was a super surprisingly smooth journey on really choppy waters. I braved the 6degree temperatures and howling gales to take a few a few pics.
The sea and sky were truly dramatic today, with hues of black, white and gray. The pictures have not been edited.
Doolin is an adorable little town, the main, narrow road, consisting of a couple of shops and a pub. The main attraction here are the Cliffs of Moher. Today, we had views of them in their full glory, with the crashing waves causing upward waterfalls along their 14km stretch of rugged County Clare coastline.
We stayed in a stunning spot, the Atlantic View House, where we were fortunate to have awesome views of the cliffs and ocean.
We settled in at O’Connors pub for the evening. I found a new favourite cider, Orchard Thieves and enjoyed a few Baby Guinness (Kahlúa and Baileys), Gray had his usual Guinness and Robs settled into the Irish whiskeys. Oh and the food was also great.
We set off to Dingle, in guess what, RAIN. In South Africa, at the first sight of a rain cloud, we head for shelter. I think we have a fear of melting if caught in a shower. So with the forecast for rain all day, we were tempted to stow away in a pub or coffee shop and sip hot chocolate all day. However, we manned up and headed off for the day.
The drive to the town of Dingle was beautiful. Unfortunately, due to the weather we weren’t able to fully appreciate the splendour and ruggedness of the area. Also not great for pics.
We took the circular Slea Head drive, most of it hugging the cliffs or driving along beautiful beaches. The area is frequently used in movies such as Star Wars at Dunmore Head and Ryan’s Daughter at Coumeenoole Beach.
We all braved the rain to stop at at points of interest; I chose the stunning Louis Mulcahy Pottery, Gray chose Dingle Links Golf Club and Robs the cows that litter the Irish countryside.
We returned to Dingle for lunch at the cute Benner’s Hotel before returning via the iconic Conor Pass, one of the highest mountain passes in Ireland. It was around 12km, with dramatic scenery, definitely worth the drive.
Back in Killarney, Gray realising we would not melt in the rain, took things to the extreme and frog marched us off to visit St Mary’s Cathedral, via the long route through the botanical gardens. At the exit of the gardens, which I’m sure are very beautiful if we could see them through the rain. Robs and I then made a call, find the nearest pub to warm up and dry out. We decided an early dinner and pub crawling a much better option. We never did make it to the Cathedral.
After a delicious breakfast and comms MORE than sorted, we were not getting lost today, we headed south.
It was an overcast day, with rain threatening at any second, still the cyclists were out. We saw one cyclist in Iceland, for obvious reasons, but here, like in South Africa, it appears to be a popular pastime.
We headed into County Tipperary to our first stop, the Rock of Cashel. The rock rears above the fertile plains and the town of Cashel. This iconic place was once the seat of the Kings of Munster and St Patrick is known to have preached on the rock. The suburb Royal Chapel was built in the 12th century. It was truly an impressive place to visit.
Our next stop was the Castle of Cahir, one of the largest and best preserved castles in Ireland. It is situated on a rocky island on the River Suir. We climbed up and down super narrow rocky stairwells, into turrets, chambers and dining halls. Another impressive visit but glad I didn’t have to live there back in the day.
There are hundreds of castles, churches and ruins littering the Irish countryside. Absolute dream fixer uppers for any DIY enthusiasts.
Having done old ruins for the day we decided that, as an alternative to Blarney Castle, to travel east of Cork, and visit Cobh (pronounced cove). A beautiful drive that took us to a beautiful old town, with colourful houses and an impressive cathedral that is situated on one of the world’s largest harbours.
It was also the last port of call for the ill-fated Titanic in 1912.
A very poignant visit to the Titanic Memorial Garden, it sympathetically recounts stories of passengers and crew.
We arrived in a busy Kinsale and booked into the Old Bank Townhouse, a delightful little hotel overlooking the town and yacht marina.
We walked around the town, had a late lunch, and our plans to walk down to the harbour were thwarted by the rain. So we headed back to our hotel and had an early night.
Omg I can see why Ireland is so green, they have 3 seasons in one day, it’s definitely not warm enough for us to experience summer. However, the fluctuations between sun and rain in seconds are mind blowing, it’s like the weather is bipolar. We walked down to the harbour after breakfast, leaving in what we thought was a beautiful sunny day and five steps later we were heading for shelter, drenched.
We took the long scenic drive from Kinsale to Killarney along the Wild Atlantic Way. It was stunning and beautiful. It’s frustrating in that there are so many things to see and so many different routes to take but this trip, like all out road trips, it’s all about the journey.
We passed through towns like Timoleague, Clondakilty, Glengariff and many more. We stopped at the beautiful beaches of Inchydoney. We visited the Mizen Head cliffs, the southern most point of Ireland. Drove over the beautiful Caha Pass, surprisingly ungreen. We had a pub lunch at Durrus, with my new favourite Irish cider, Bulmer. The drive can best be described in pictures.
Killarney is in County Kerry, in southwest Ireland. It’s a beautiful town and we wondered the busy streets after dinner, soaking up the atmosphere and listening to the live music flowing out from the local pubs.
After breakfast we caught a shuttle back to the airport to pick up our hire car. The car was not in the parking lot so we had to wait for them to sort out another one.
An hour later we were on the highway making our way to Kilkenny. We took an off-ramp and visited the first of, I’m sure, many cute Irish villages, Enniskerry. We visited the Powercourt gardens and a cute country market.
Back on road we had a massive comms cock up. The wi-fi, since we arrived, hasn’t been great but we lost all cell connections, including, heaven forbid, Google Maps. Travelling blind we took some interesting turns and twists to get us to Kilkenny. Not that it mattered, the scenery was stunning; green fields, with yellow flowers in abundance and beautiful, picturesque villages.
Initially our itinerary for Ireland included fancy hotels and castles but we opted for small family run hotels and B&B’s, where possible. I’m so glad we did, Mena House was such a gem and our host Katherine was the best, giving us great advice on where to go and what to see around Kilkenny and Ireland in general.
Late afternoon we caught the local bus into the city centre. We took a stroll around Kilkenny Castle and grounds. This grand Castle was built in 1195 by Norman occupiers.
We then had a delicious dinner at Truffles (Katherine’s restaurant recommendation). The food was next level. The restaurant is run by a Bulgarian family with Bulgarian wines and is highly recommended.
We then wandered around the village. Kilkenny is a medieval town in Kilkenny County, southeast Ireland. The town has deep religious roots with many chapels and monasteries. It’s also a craft hub, with shops along its winding lanes selling pottery, paintings and jewellery.
We eventually landed up at Kytelers Pub for a tightener. Omg, one turned into many, the Irish are so hospitable and kept buying us drinks.
Eventually we were able to leave, with people offering us beds in their homes. Not sure why they had the feeling we were homeless 😂😂
Catching the bus home, we made more friends. Irish people are just the best, not that we always understand what they are saying.
It was an early 3:30 am wake up call, at least I didn’t have a hangover… for our 4am shuttle pick up to the airport.
Keflavik International was a bustling hive of tourists from all over the world. It was the most people we had seen in 10 days. We went through the motions of airport travel before boarding our flight, on a chilly and rainy runway, to Dublin.
Two and a half hours later we landed in a sunny and considerably warmer Ireland.
We spent the afternoon and evening soaking up Dublin town. We went through Trinity college, walked along the Liffey River and had lunch at Madigans and dinner at Flannigans. Gray and Robs, couldn’t wait to try out the Guinness, I opted for cider.
Dublin was very busy and very noisy, especially compared to Iceland. Gray and I had an early night, Robs met up with friends and continued ‘sightseeing’ well into the night. Oh the stamina of youth.
Pandas in Africa 