Rain, Rain Go Away, We're Going Hiking Today!

 Feb 20, 2023

Connemara National Park

It was day 2 of boarding buses very early for excursions. Today we were going to Connemara National Park. While our driver was skilled at operating the bus, he didn't provide any stories or songs like our driver the day before. On the way to the park we stopped in a small town and were very unsure why we were stopping. Most of the places were closed (it was technically still off season in Ireland) and it was pouring. We wandered all through the streets until we found one open pub. It was not even 10am so we opted for warm tea and the toilet before trekking back to the bus. We were dropped at Connemara and told we had 3 hours. 🙈 The rain was coming down in buckets and the wind was whipping. Definitely not an ideal day to spend 3 hours hiking. We stopped in the lodge to tighten our coats and pull up our socks before venturing out. We did 2 hikes. One was 30 minutes through what can only be described as a fairy garden. 🧚‍♀️ The vegetation was so bright green and it was glistening in the rain. It was actually quite beautiful. 

After, we made our way up the winding countryside hills for about an hour. The views were spectacular but the wind and rain made it incredibly cold. 

We spent the rest of our afternoon in the tiny lodge café where we tried to no avail to dry off and warm up. We met a woman from Germany who had also given up on the outdoors and talked with her at length about work, culture and housing in Germany versus the US. 

After making our way back to Galway- the rain had finally let up- we wandered through the town and treated ourselves to some Irish donuts and a bookstore browse. 

That evening we boarded a bus back to Dublin. We arrived around 830pm so we stopped in a pub for pizza and a pint to reminisce about our trip thus far. Sadly, Elizabeth would be leaving the beautiful country of limericks and leprechauns early the next morning. 

After a late dinner we walked back to our hotel (the room was HUGE with two big beds!) Elizabeth went on one last walk through the city while I cozied up with my book in hopes of getting a good night's sleep.

Day Trips to the Cliffs

 Feb 19, 2023

Bright and early we boarded a bus bound for The Cliffs of Moher. Our guide was so cute and even sang for us as we bounced along the roadways in the rain. We visited a wishing well, some beautiful castles, bluffs along the sea (affectionately called The Burren) and finally The Cliffs. The entire day was spectacular, down to the stop for lunch in Doolin. If we had more time I would have loved to have spent a night in Doolin. (All the downtown pubs play traditional Irish music every night of the week.) Although it rained, it was still a really lovely day spent in Ireland. 

In the photo above I'm peaking through a window to the sea from inside the fortress pictured below.

That evening we went to a famous fish and chips spot (my hot take is that it was just OK) Then we went out with girls we had met on our tour. We started at a place with live music- Galway Girl (the Irish version) is always a hit- then we went to a place with traditional Irish music (think 3 man band with accordion) and then we found ourselves at a club (WHAT?! 😀) I know what you're thinking however it worked out SO WELL for Elizabeth and I because it was right underneath our hotel. There were 2 downsides though: 1) I had kept my leggings on underneath my jeans from the day and OH MY GOSH was I hot. 2) We played this coaster flipping game that I could not get the hang of. (I've since brought it to the US and while people are usually like wtf is the point, they get addicted pretty quickly) 

No club night is complete without staying til bar close and being encouraged to transfer your drink to a plastic cup for consumption on the street. This explains the earplugs on our bedside tables when we checked into our accommodation. 😂