Day 14 - Dublin (Last day)

It's bittersweet. Today is our last day in Ireland. I feel as though we've been here so long. I will miss all the beauty and kindness,  but I am looking forward to family, friends, pets, and a bath. I can't say I miss my bed just yet because the beds at the places we've stayed have been so delightful. We are staying at a mixed dorm hostel tonight which promises to have a less than stellar mattress ... just to make sure I'm looking forward to home. 
This morning we visited the Rock of Cashel and then the Dunamase in Port Laoise. We've successfully dropped off the rental car (whew! Even though Josh was awesome at driving on the left) and we are currently pub crawling through Dublin.
I'll be back in the USA tomorrow.

Day 13 - Cashel

Today we started our journey back towards Dublin. We stopped by a place called Druid's View (first picture below). And then at our airbnb in Cashel. Tomorrow we'll see the Rock of Cashel and then on to Dublin to say goodbye. 

Day 12 - Kenmare (Part 2)

Spent most of the day exploring Killarney National Park and some Irish country roads. Saw 2 stone circles!
WiFi is poor here, so this will be brief.

Day 11 - Kenmare

Eileen made an amazing breakfast again, but told Josh, "Joshua, you didn't touch your ham yesterday so I didn't make you any ham today." He didn't eat his ham because he got too full on porridge, not realizing there would be more food coming. His face was hilarious.  But she gave him smoked salmon instead which he loved, and I got his leftover ham yesterday.  Ms Eileen does not waste food!

Today we drove the entire Ring of Kerry. We also stopped by a beach, an ancient fort, and also took an enchanting walk through a forest path.

Day 10 - Dingle (part 2)

We started today off with a gigantic breakfast made by our B&B hostess, a dear lady named Eileen. It was a rainy day, so we just waited in our room listening to the howling wind and rain until it was time for our scheduled archeological tour of Dingle. It was a good day for it because we didn't have to be walking in the rain too much and someone else did the driving.

We learned a lot about the history of the area and when we got back (and after a nap) we had some famous Murphy's ice cream.

Later in the evening we had a nicer dinner than usual - we typically have 1 splurge meal per trip where we go somewhere a little nicer than we deserve. ;) But I didn't have my phone with me so no pictures of that meal.

Day 9 - Dingle

Our hosts in Tralee were awesome and set us off with some very good advice. We stopped by the Lidl shop for some cheap snacks and then to a beautiful forest for an afternoon walk. After the walk, we took Conor's Pass to Dingle. Dingle is a cute little touristy town near the harbor. Lots of fish 'n chips to keep us fueled and plenty of pints to keep us warm.

Day 8 - Tralee

Today is a day off. We had a lovely breakfast at the B & B and then took our time getting to Tralee. The drive wasn't as magnificent as our experience on the Wild Atlantic Way, but it was pleasant.

We still got to town a bit early and it was raining by then, so we took in the local museum which was interesting but unfortunately smelled like piss. When we finally got to our airbnb, the host asked how our drive was and we told him we'd been to the museum to which he replied, "Oh, I've never been to that; I heard it smells like piss."

So, not a lot of pictures today except food. Taking it easy. Got a bottle of cheap wine and some snacks from the Aldi. And we're sleeping in tomorrow. Good night!

The view from our room this morning.
The wind is absolutely howling in Kilkee!

The beautiful breakfast provided by our host
at the Hilltop B&B

Sometimes ya gotta slum it.

Continuing to slum it at a local chippy in Tralee
With some Taco Chips. You haven't lived!

Ain't going nowhere else for at least 12 hours.

Day 7 - Kilkee

We're midway through our adventure now and really getting into our road trip. Today we saw the Cliffs of Moher and the Pollock Holes at Kilkee. Staying at a gorg B&B tonight before hitting the road again tomorrow. Interesting bit: no one locks their doors here and you can pump gas  BEFORE  you pay inside. It's strangely wholesome.

Day 6 - Aran Islands

Spent a 2nd day in the Aran Islands to visit Dun Aonghasa and I'm really glad we did. This was supposed to be a relaxation day, but it turned into quite a bit of walking and cycling.  But the views were so worth it.
Tomorrow, it's back to the big island and starting our roadtrip. Maybe a little less walking - my dogs are barking.

Our bikes resting at the beach.

Joshua entirely too close to the edge at Dun Aonghasa.

Traditional Irish Stew (lamb)

Day 5 - Aran Islands

After a good night's rest and fantastic breakfast from The Nest Boutique Hostel, we caught the ferry to Inishmore.

The island is quiet and charming. We had a beautiful lunch and mailed out some postcards. We did some shopping followed by a nice long walk on the beach. After dinner and drinks, we're relaxing in our cute B&B watching Irish TV.

Day 4 - Bru Na Boinne

No pictures allowed inside, this will have to do.

We started the day off nice and slow, taking our time. We stopped by a starbucks before taking the bus back to the airport to pick up our rental car. First we went to Newgrange, a neolithic burial site, older than the pyramids or Stonehenge! Then Joshua drove all the way across Ireland straight to Galway.
I'm blogging from a pub named Oslo right now - 2 pints deep with a strawberry beer named Fruli. Times are good.

Supermac's beat McDonald's in a lawsuit due to their name. Turns out, they're way better.

Good times at the pub.

Day 3 - The Hike

Today was incredibly challenging and equally satisfying. We hiked the entirety of the Howth peninsula with our fantastic guide, Shane. There were too many beautiful views and some experiences that can't be captured in a photo. I'm going to journal about them tonight.
We ended our 7+ mile hike (12 miles total for me and Joshua) at a pub with Guinness and some new friends. It was a brilliant day (even if the weather wasn't)

Some lovely houses along the way

Bruno on high alert

Gorse flowers

Lovely part of the hike

Ancient burial tomb

Nice view

Fish n' chips with a Guinness as reward for all our hard efforts.