1. Irish people are extremely nice and hospitable.
From
the very beginning, we were struck by how nice everyone we encountered were.
There were multiple times that we were stopped, looking at maps, and without
even asking, people approached us to ask if they could help us. Waiters, bar
tenders, bus drivers, and shop keepers were all friendly and pleasant.
Not to
mention, our BNB hosts. There is no better way to do Ireland than to stay in
Bnbs. Although it's high season, and the BNBs are all full, our hosts were so
welcoming to us, gave us rides to and from the bus station or ferry departure,
helped us alter our itinerary, offered us tea and coffee, and prepared incredible meals for us.
2.
Breakfast is a big deal.
If
you order an "Irish breakfast", you better have an empty stomach!
First, you have a bowl of cereal or yogurt and muesli, coffee, and orange
juice.... For the average person, this would be breakfast in and of itself. But
oh no. Not in Ireland! That was only the appetizer! Then comes the main course!
The typical Irish breakfast includes bacon, sausage, " white/ black
pudding" ( meat patties mixed with oats), fried eggs, baked tomatoes, and
toast. Aren't you full just reading that!? We had variations on this breakfast
every morning. The great thing was that it saved us money so we could skip
lunch! It easily kept us full until dinner, and we were still able to have
light dinners even.
3. Pub
life is as cool as we imagined.
In
every town, big or small, you are guaranteed to find a selection of pubs. We
had a handful to choose from in every place we stayed. Now in America, when you
think of the nightly bar scene, it's not exactly the most cultural
representation of the US, but in Ireland, it's the opposite! Every pub is
filled with live music, from traditional Irish music with fiddle and accordion,
to folk music, to modern bands. We were able to hear live music every single
night, and were amazed that it was all legitimate music, not cheap
entertainment for tourists. We love the aspect of the the culture that drives
people to so frequently gather inside to appreciate live music!
4.
Ireland is a nature lovers paradise.
Coming
from two nature fanatics, Ireland was a feast for our eyes! Every day had
something new to offer, every unique cliff, coast line, rolling hill, sheep
pasture, rock structure, mountain, stream... We could not take it all in. The
deep colors, and stark contrasts pulled us more and more in love with the
country. We weren't sure what the weather would be like during our time there,
because as they frequently say in Ireland, you can have " all four seasons
in one day". But we were fortunate to have sunshine almost every single
day! This allowed us to be outside every day, and we took advantage of that! We
walked and walked and walked as much as possible, taking in endless picturesque
views. We rented bikes twice, to bike around Phoenix park in Dublin ( Europe's
largest park), and the famous Slea Head Drive on the Dingle Peninsula. Had we
been braver, we could have kayaked or done some water activity, but we didn't
think it was quite warm enough for that (one of us has a deep hatred for being
cold...). Overall, the outdoor options are endless, and left our souls
feeling so peaceful and appreciative of beauty!
5. The
sun actually does shine!
...at
least for part of he the day! We had amazingly sunny days, and when the sun is
out... this country's radiates beauty! It just makes the colors and textures
pop all the more, makes the water glisten, and makes being outdoors
irresistible. We were nervous about having 12 days of rain and being stuck
inside coffee shops all day, but we had a wonderful experience weather-wise.
Let it be known, it is possible!
---
If
you've been to Ireland, what was your favorite place? Do you agree with our top
5 list?
No comments:
Post a Comment