Exploring Ireland

Greetings! I’ve been back from Ireland for a few days, and finally got around to write my trip recap with selected pictures.

I had a wonderful time in Ireland. Most of what I day dreamed about Ireland came true. I feel fortunate that I was able to explore a lot there before Hurricane Ophelia, the worst storm in recorded history on the island of Ireland, arrived.

My Top 10 Great Experiences in Ireland:

1) Friendly and welcoming Irish people: The Welcome sign in Gaelic and English is everywhere in Ireland. I was impressed that the local residents are still so friendly despite the high number of tourists arrives in Ireland year after year.

2) Lively Dublin with amazing sights that are free to visit: I walked to explore Dublin on my own, and also joined a free walking tour which was excellent. I visited all the major sights such as Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Molly Malone statue, Ha’penny Bridge, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the General Post Office (site of the 1916 Easter Rising), Grafton Street (main shopping street), the Temple Bar area, and many more. I met a graduate student from Germany and we spent a wonderful afternoon enjoying tea and browsing books at a place called Books Upstairs, as well as viewing world class art collections at the National Gallery of Ireland for free.

Trinity College

Dublin Castle

Molly Malone statue

Ha'penny Bridge

3) Comfortable train rides from Dublin to other counties and back: I had ordered my rail tickets online before my trip. It was straightforward to print the tickets at the train stations. The trains were on time, with stop announcements and monitor displays in Gaelic and English. The rides were all so relaxing.

4) Lush green scenery dotted with sheep, cows, and horses: It was a real visual treat to see one green rolling hill after another. I liked the sheep with paint on their backs for the farmers to know which sheep belong to them.

5) Beautiful landscapes in Killarney National Park and the Ring of Kerry: The mountains here are soft in appearance. Killarney National Park was simply lovely. I think I could easily spend at least a week there to hike, or go boating, or go on a buggy ride. The Ring of Kerry had amazing scenery for miles.

Killarney National Park

Ring of Kerry landscape

6) Deer seen roaming in Killarney National Park: It’s always a thrill for me to see wildlife in their natural habitat, without looking threatened by human visitors. I was very close to a mother deer and a baby deer while hiking on a trail, and saw a stag with big antlers at a distance.

7) Delicious seafood and all kinds of “Irish weather" along the Wild Atlantic Way: I had salmon and seafood chowder at different pubs and they were all delicious. On one day, the local weather changed quickly from sunny, to cloudy, to rain drizzle, to heavy rain with strong winds, and back to sunny at different parts of the Wild Atlantic Way. We faced dense fog upon arriving at the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren but had fairly good weather everywhere else.

Bunratty Castle

8) What I learned about Ireland from the tour guides: I was on a walking tour in Dublin, a day tour from Cork, and a day tour from Killarney. All three tour guides were very helpful, knowledgeable, and humorous.

Ladies View

9) The friends I’ve met in Dublin and Killarney: Even in shoulder season, there were many international visitors in Ireland. I met and made new friends from Germany, and Canada.

10) The rich literature, poetry, and music throughout Ireland: What can I say? This is the country of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and other world famous writers. The live music at Irish pubs was memorable fun.

St. Stephen's Green Park, Dublin

Note to self: Next time I go to Ireland, I'll definitely spend more time at Killarney National Park and along the Wild Atlantic Way.

I hope you enjoy my recap and pictures of Ireland. Please feel free to comment.

A Taste of Ireland

Greetings! One of the items on my Fall fun list is to travel to Ireland in October. This will be my first visit to Ireland. Like any first experience, what's exciting for me is the anticipation of what's going to be my first impression of the country, what I'll actually experience, and how my days are going to unfold until I return home.

So I've been doing some planning for my trip, and now that I've booked the essential flights, accommodation, and train tickets, I'm day dreaming about my four main stops in Ireland:

A) Dublin: I imagine that the city centre is compact, walkable, and that her history and architecture will enchant me. I also imagine visiting Trinity College library (the Hogwarts library!), the National Gallery to view some of the finest arts for free, Dublin Castle, and Guinness Storehouse where I learn how to pull a pint of Guinness and drink it, too. Maybe I'll take a picture of the Molly Malone statue. Maybe I'll get to visit Howth peninsula, a possible day trip from Dublin, and in my day dream, a picturesque place.

B) Cork: I imagine taking the train from Dublin to Cork and I'll get a good view of the Irish country side. I imagine to explore Cork city, the English Market, one of the oldest markets (1788), and maybe a visit to the Blarney Castle. I read that Cork is a friendly city. I hope to experience that friendliness here and throughout Ireland. I dream to have enough time and good weather to take a day tour from Cork to visit the famous Cliffs of Moher and/ or the Burren.

C) Killarney: I imagine taking the train from Cork to Killarney and again I'll get a good view of the Irish countryside. I dream of hiking in Killarney national park, seeing the famous Ring of Kerry without too many tourists (LOL), and visiting Ross Castle. I dream to have enough time and good weather to explore Dingle peninsula for some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, and/ or Slea Head, Europe's most westerly point, I can almost touch America.

D) Dublin again: I imagine that I'll return by train from Killarney to Dublin, and end this unforgettable trip at one of Dublin's many pubs before flying home the next day.

It is fun to dream, explore, and discover. Our ability to imagine is a gift!

What fun destination did you dream about recently? If you have been to Ireland, please share your experience.