So, if you didn’t pick up already, we are sending love to you all from Ireland, where we are currently five nights into an eleven night road trip through Ireland, with a stint in Edinburgh for New Years, followed by a dash to Liverpool on the way home. Mum and Gemma are over for Christmas, so we’re taking advantage of Brad’s car and seeing Ireland the way it is meant to be explored. And boy oh boy are we seeing it thoroughly – we’re seeing every nook and cranny and really getting off the beaten track. It’s also the mildest winter Europe has experienced in 50 years and Ireland’s warmest Christmas on record!
We left London on the 22nd where we spent the first night in a tiny town called Penmachno, in Snowdonia, Wales, just outside of a slightly bigger tiny town called Betsw-y-coed. Our accommodation was as quaint as hell, in a stone pub, complete with steaming mulled wine and fresh mince pies straight from the oven – all free of charge. We had a drink and a bit of a chat with the locals and unfortunately (or thankfully depending upon who you ask) had just missed the local brass band who had popped in to play a few Christmas Carols.
We were up and on the road at about 9am the next morning, stopping off at an adorable wee Welsh diner for brekkie. A bacon and egg bap later, we set off for Holyhead where we were catching the 1.50pm ferry to Dublin. Despite the copious excited screaming kids, each one screeching louder than the last at the thought of Santa’s impending visit, it was an enjoyable journey and it was a short trip to our hostel in the centre of Temple Bar, Dublin. It was a bit of an eye-opener for Gems and Mum given it was their first hostel experience, but we are well-used to it and thought it was above average. We set off into the streets, stopped for a truly terrible dinner and a few pints of much more agreeable cider, before we hot-footed it back to our hostel’s pub where we set up shop to listen to a local due play some classic Irish tunes – complete with green Santa hats of course.
After a token terrible sleep thanks to the noises Gems makes in her sleep (those from my side will feel our pain) we jumped out of bed with a spring in our step, just a tad excited it was Christmas eve. Mum and Gems did the walking tour through Dublin, while Brad and I jumped on the grenade and headed to the supermarket to pick up food for our Xmas feast the next day. We also found time to stop at a crafts store so Gemma could pick up some knitting needles and wool to knit me up another cute hat. Bonza!
Next stop – Cork! The drive flew by as we peered out at towns like Kilkenny, as well as stopped off for lunch at a truly local pub in the middle of nowhere, where we could hardly understand a word the barman said. So far we’ve found Ireland to be a lot less pleasing on the eye than Scotland – you really get a feel for how the country has been stricken by poverty and famine throughout history. It’s quite barren and with a population of about 4 million, everything is quite sparse. The people make up for it though with their charm.
We stayed at an absolutely amazing place in Cork – Garnish House, which is a glorious wee B&B with even better breakfasts. We essentially managed to get an entire house to ourselves almost, which was very welcome given Christmas Day was spent lounging around, stuffing ourselves sick, watching DVDs and playing board games. We also managed more than a few Skype dates, as well as a walk through Cork, guided by an ever so informative pamphlet!
Boxing Day we were up and at breakfast like a shot where we once again stuffed ourselves full. We reluctantly bid Cork goodbye and set off for the infamous Blarney Castle, which was a lot cooler than I imagined. Again, we seemed to have the run of the place and we ran around giggling like nutters, exploring every little turn and posing like loons. That is until we looked up and saw two attendants had been watching us the entire time! We eventually managed to climb our way to the top where we went through the excruciating process of kissing the actual stone. This was no mean feat and involved you lying on your back, assisted by an attendant and basically lowering yourself off the castle the wrong way, trying not to look at the ground a hundred metres or so below you. Brad and Gemma did so successfully; I was a little more hesitant but managed to tick the box. Mum on the other hand, as you might remember from the Lille Ferris Wheel incident, is more than a little terrified of heights. After much persuasion we manage to get her on the ground ready to go, but as soon as she caught one look of the ground, the eyes are overcome with a wild look and the swear words start flowing! The attendant quickly helped her up; while Brad, Gemma and I were laughing so hard we had to walk away. Not exactly sympathetic! She apologised profusely afterwards for ‘taking the lords name in vain’, terrified she’d offended him due to Ireland being a staunchly Catholic nature. He smiled and assured her that he had heard a lot worse in his time!
We then spent some time exploring the grounds, which were straight out of leprechaun and fairy territory and full of beautiful sights at every twist and turn. We indulged in every superstitious activity we could – kissing the blarney stone for the gift of the gab, walking up and down the slippery wishing steps backwards, with our eyes closed – I tell you, the fact none of us slipped over and cracked our heads is miracle enough!
After a few hours of fun we set off for Killarney which marked the start of the infamous Ring of Kerry, tipped to be one of the world’s most beautiful drives. We stopped for a quick picnic lunch just as the rain started, before setting off on the beautiful road – much of which was coastal. Once again Brad had hit gold and booked us a cosy wee gem of a place, above a pub, standing alone and overlooking the water. As we were the only ones staying in the whole complex we were upgraded to an apartment which had priceless views, as well as a coveted TV/DVD player. Given the weather we unanimously decided to drive into the nearby town of Cahersiveen and buy what we could at the tiny supermarket, before heading back home for DVDs. The rest of the evening flew by as we watched my favourite TV show back to back, while Brad had a few pints with the locals. He was down there for a few hours before he gave up trying to understand what everyone was saying and joined the girls!
Which brings me to this morning... We were on the road at 10am, with a big day of driving ahead – although all of it was gorgeous. We navigated the latter part of the Ring of Kerry, stopping every so often for gorgeous photo opportunities and ending up back in Killarney, after a sweet drive through the national park. From there it was a few short hours to Galway, via Limerick.
Once again we managed to strike gold with an upgrade to possibly one of the world’s fanciest apartments. Brad and Gemma spent the afternoon relaxing, while Mum and I ventured out into the windy streets for a look around, via a cute shoe shop! One pair of black heels later and I’m away laughing!
Galway is great and we’re looking forward to seeing more of it tomorrow. Until then, much love!
x
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