Ireland- Taking in the Sights

I was lucky enough to spend a week in Dublin, Donegal and Northern Ireland for vacation this year. I seem to have a lot of eager people wanting to know more about what we did, saw, and ate.  So I thought I would do a little series of our trip from the sights, food, what I learned about my heritage, and even a little Pilates series. Yes, I couldn't take a total vacation without doing some work and getting in some exercise.So I thought I would start off with taking in the sights, considering we were in the northern part of the country and that's where most people will tell you it is the most beautiful. We we so blessed with almost complete sunshine the whole time we were there. It rained a little once we first got off the plane in Dublin but the sun was out by early afternoon and then it didn't really rain again till our drive back to the airport the last day.We spent a lot of time in the car, as American's trying to re-establish yourself to the opposite side of the car, the opposite side of the road, and very narrow streets made it very interesting and often a little more anxiety than normal and some very close calls. But we survived the week without a scratch on ourselves or the car.Where to start.... This trip was for my soon to be 40th birthday so what's more fitting than starting off in Dublin in the pubs with Guinness! Trying to get through Dublin to our hotel took us a lot longer than we planned like 2 hours longer, when ironically it was only about 25 km from the airport. But it wouldn't be an experience and we wouldn't have great stories if everything went as planned, always.Must see places in Dublin include... St. Patrick's Cathedral, gorgeous church. The Book of Kells, I am sucker for books and old libraries, this places was super cool! Make sure to have coffee and a scone on Grafton Street. They have the cutest little cafes there, probably pretty touristy if you're a local but there is lots of shopping and who doesn't want an excuse for a pastry and a latte. At night you can choose from an array of pubs including the Temple Bar which was totally hopping till way past when we left, but the music was incredible and the vibe was energetic and fun! It's the place to go if you're into people watching especially if you tend to stay late as the night progresses so does the entertainment. ;) We had a car, so leaving Dublin we headed to the countryside and to the western coast of Donegal and spent some time taking in the cliff side views and watched the surfers chase some pretty killer sets in Bundoran. Just the paddle out for of done me in! Mad props to the guys out there catching those waves far off shore and the water was freezing! We spent 2 nights in Donegal Town, which is an adorable little bustling town. Lots of people out and about, cute little shops that sell locally woven wool sweater, scarves, and hats. There are loads of little pubs to grab a pint in and lots of booming loud music through out the night. Including a night club that parties till 3 am. I love the smell of musty dark bars and the smell of beer pouring right out of the tap. Local music all around every night and people out on the dance floor. (They love their country music too! So if you're a big country fan Ireland is the place to be!) We found a little pub called "The Reel Inn" which we thought was pretty cool since we have a "Reel Inn" in my town too. We sat at the bar and the bartender asked where we were from we got so used to telling people we lived near D.C. just closer to the water so people would be able to relate to a location, ironically every time we did, people would ask where and we would say Ocean City and they would know exactly where it was! It's a small world out there!! The couple next to us at the bar, actually vacation less than 2 blocks away from us! So funny how far you can travel and meet someone so close to you!If you drive up the coast they call it the "Wild Atlantic Way" you can stop at little port and fishing towns all the way around, stopping for lunch or shopping all along the way. We went all the way around and through small areas with only sheep to see for miles and large hills that surrounded us till we made it to Malin Beg. The view is incredible, people set up their tents right at the edge of the cliffs, sheep wandered around with out a care in the world. We stopped here for a bit, did a little Pilates of course and just sat in awe of the endless horizon, the crashing waves, and brisk winds. (I swear those people thought I was nuts, I was in a tee-shirt and no shoes to do a little movement on the mat. The hikers had on full wind gear, hats, gloves, hiking shoes...)We ventured the next day all the way up to the top of Fanad Head. We stopped for tea and breakfast at a National park, saw the gardens and the fabulous castle that sat on the property. Driving up and down the hills, through the valleys, and around the cliffs edges was beautiful and intense. Once we got more on our way up the coast, it's absolutely breath-taking, quiet and desolate out there. Stunning! Surrounded by water, we met my distant cousins for lunch in a small cafe in the town center and then ventured to their farm and spent some time talking about the history of the area, how people live and survive being so far from the big cities, and I got a big dose of my heritage which could be another post for another time. If you go this far north you have to see the gorgeous lighthouse that sits at the top of Fanad Head. We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around the peninsula and to the other side, where we finished up the week in a private cottage that sat at the top of a hill and over looked the beach in Buncrana.I think this was my favorite spot, maybe just because we could stop, sit and take it all in for a couple of days without driving everywhere. Our little cottage was adorable with lots of charm. We had cows, sheep, and roosters right outside our door on the hills. We had little paths and narrow roads to walk down and take in the fresh air and view the green hills and mountains to around us. And just down the hill less than 1/2 mile a way was a quiet little beach that you could enjoy some sunshine, put your toes in the sand and even go for a swim if you wanted. (Again way too cold without going numb but some people have way better tolerance than me!) :) Buncrana has a little town, we went in and had lunch and cappuccino in the cafe, bought some gifts in a local shop, even grabbed gelato. My husband even went out on his own up to a Lough to do a little brown trout fishing in the hills by himself. I stayed back with my tea, journal, and a killer view for miles.We even ventured into Northern Ireland which is really a province of the UK to see Van Morrison play for their Jazz Fest! Ireland and Northern Ireland have a completely different feel when in the bigger cities. We spent some time in Londonderry, (Just Derry if you're Irish) and had a couple pints and then saw the show. Great show by the way! But I am a huge fan of Van Morrison so I could be a little biased. :)We stuck to just the north and west side of the country this trip, south is on the list for the next one! So if Ireland is on your bucket list, it is definitely worth the trip jus to take in the small towns, the gorgeous views, the beaches, and to watch baby sheep run down the street next to your car!  I couldn't get enough of them! So stinking cute!! The food part of Ireland will be the next post. So stay tuned if you want to hear more!!!