Are my Irish eyes smiling? Why yes, yes they are! We returned from our trip abroad just about three weeks ago. I had the time of my life. So many questions--answered. So many preconceived ideas--changed.
A lot of people asked me, "Why Ireland?" Why Scotland? The short answer is DNA. I had mine done by three different companies and discovered that I am 70% Irish. So, I kind of had to go, don't you think? The rest of me is all mixed up, Scottish, English, French, Italian, and Native American.
However, when one is 70% of something, well, my curiosity got the best of me. I just had to go and see where my ancestors came from.
So, I'll start from the beginning, as that's always a good place to start.
After two very long delays and one drunk passenger being thrown off the plane, we finally arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland--pronounced--Edinboura. Don't forget that "a" on the end, it's important. And they aren't Scotch people, they are Scots. Scotch is a drink. Gotcha, won't make that mistake, ever!
I'll be honest with you: when we arrived in Scotland, I was so jet-lagged and exhausted that I seriously wondered if I was going to enjoy the city. I don't sleep more than a few minutes at a time on planes, so I was tired and just wanted to sleep. We went to our hotel, which was in the perfect location, but I hated it as soon as I entered the room. I won't review it here, but I sure did on the travel websites. I told you, I was in a very bad mood. Once checked in, showered, and properly napped, we went out to explore.
Wow, what a city. Gothic, medieval, beautiful. So many restaurants, shopping, and history! We began with the hop-on, hop-off bus tour and ended up using it as our mode of transportation while we were there. Pictures really don't do this city justice. The spires, castles, architecture — it's just overwhelming. We were either taking pictures, eating, or shopping. Shopping was a surprise to me. Usually, I don't find exactly the souvenir, but in Scotland, well, let's just say I spent my entire two weeks' worth of fun money in three days there! I had to readjust my budget — I still had 10 days in Ireland to see, shop, and eat.
After leaving Edinburgh, we flew to Dublin, Ireland, where we again had a flight delay and arrived at our hotel in Galway very late at night. We missed the scenery between the two cities and were very disappointed. Next time, though — because there will be a next time for sure!
I need to try to explain something here that happened to me when I arrived in Galway. I had one of those experiences similar to déjà vu. I felt like I belonged there. I felt that ancestral pull. That thing that happens when you feel like maybe you've walked there before. It felt like home. And the longer I stayed in Ireland, the stronger that feeling got. If you've never experienced it, you wouldn't understand. It's just too hard to describe. I loved Ireland. And I am sure that had I gone and explored more of Scotland, I would have felt it too.
I had my concerns about Ireland. We were going to be driving through smaller towns and villages. Would I get bored, I wondered? Would I regret this trip? I got my answers right away. No, it was just the opposite. It was breathtakingly beautiful. More restaurants, pubs, and shops than you can imagine. The friendliest and the funniest people, and they were so very helpful. The roads were fine to drive on, not at all like I had thought they'd be, and there were castles, ruins, and manor houses around every corner--I kid you not! We never had any trouble finding public restrooms, good places to eat, or things to see and do.
My favorite town was Killarney. Yep, my favorite. And, my favorite thing to do there, besides shop and eat? The jaunting carts. Horse-drawn carts take you through the national park. An hour through beauty and wonder, where you see wildlife, a castle, little bridges over babbling creeks, and loads of flowers. It was majestic. I will go back. I have to.
The food, you ask? Well, we ate at gastropubs and never had a bad meal. The hotels provided breakfast, and then we had lunch while we were galavanting about being total tourists, and then in the evenings we would find a pub, have dinner, and wait for the music to start. It was wonderful. All of it. Absolutely wonderful.
Since Ireland is an island, guess what we did? Well, we went to many harbor towns. Dingle and Kinsale are my favorites. We had fish and chips probably every other day and they just kept getting better. Fish is something that I ordered almost every day. Like I mentioned before, the food in Ireland was awesome.
Our last city to visit was Dublin. It's a big city with a beautiful river running through the middle. Lots of bridges to walk over. We went to the Book of Kells, we shopped on Grafton St., and we took the bus tour. We had a great time, but honestly, I was ruined by the quaint villages along the way, and most likely won't be spending lots of time in Dublin again. There are just too many other towns and villages to explore on our next trip back. That, and the highlands of Scotland--bucket listed!
So, any tips to share? Yep, I have some. These tips are primarily for Americans, though, as we are known to have our quirks, yep, very weird quirks.
Don't stay in anything less than 4-star accommodations. Their star rating system is different than ours. Trust me on this. Boutique hotels are awesome, as I am not much of a B&B person. I'm a little too private and don't like having coffee with strangers in the mornings. I'm pretty grumpy until cup number three. That being said, I'm saving them from me!
Eat at gastropubs, use Yelp, and ask the locals, and you will have a wonderful dining experience.
Be a tourist. After all, you are one! Experience everything--go, see, and do. Stop along the road, take pictures, lots of pictures, eat fun snacks, stop at the little shops, go to farmers markets, and street markets. Even though you might not buy those veggies, you can still talk with the locals and find out so much about their lives.
Take your creature comforts. iPad, curling iron, whatever makes you comfortable. You don't want to get there and wish you had it. Just take it. I took my knitting, my Kindle, and my hair straightener. It made me happy. And yes, I used them. I bought an awesome little gizmo on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0773LRXS8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1) with 4 USB ports and international plugs, and I was able to charge all my devices at night.
Be a nerd. I love history. I absorb it into my very bones. I went to every castle I passed by. I walked through them with wonder and imagination. They were the highlight of my adventure. And guess what? There are many free ones along the roads. Not everything costs money!
In Scotland and Ireland (and Europe), there is a VAT tax. Many of the shops have tax-free forms. There are around 3-4 different types of forms. When you get to the last airport, right before you are flying back to the States, you will go to a counter for each form type, stand in line, and wait and wait and wait. So, do this instead. Only shop in the shops that use the Fexco red cards. It's like a little red credit card that everything is swiped on; you then go to an airport kiosk, swipe, and you are done! Check it out, it is awesome! I will only shop in the stores that offer that system from here on out. I hate doing the VAT thing. This was a godsend.
Those are my tips, I hope they help.
This vacation has been my favorite so far. I had the most fun, ate the best food, met the best people, and enjoyed myself immensely. I am chomping at the bit to go back. And I will go back.
I dream of Ireland.
