Howdy Friends!
Welcome back to another Keep Exploring Vlog!
On this trip, I completed my first ever solo trip! I Flew from Nantes, France to Dublin, Ireland The first thing I did was grabbed dinner from Leo Burdock. I got the world famous Fish and Crisps as they call them in Ireland. I Then went and checked into my first ever hostel. It was called Abigail’s Hostel right in the heart of downtown Dublin. I slept in a room with about 12 other people, with a combined 2 toilets and 2 showers to share between the bunch. Hostel life, or European backpack life is such a unique experience. I did not really know what to expect going into this, but honestly, aside from not having hot water, and continual snoring all night long, the hostel was a lot of fun. I met a group of people from Sweden and a group of guys from Italy and got to spend time getting to know them and hearing about their travel adventures as well. I would strongly advise anyone who has considered backpacking, or simply traveling to Europe on a budget to try it at least once… After checking in, I went out on the Temple bar street and explored the main tourist area. Seeing sights such as the famous Temple Bar and a handful of other pubs all within a 5 minute walk of my Hostel. I grabbed a pint of Dublin’s own, Guinness and called it a night as I prepped for an early morning.
On this day, I woke up at 5:30am and headed to the bus stop for my full-day Ireland West coast tour. First, we had a 3 hour drive through a very lush-green Irish countryside which led us to the Cliffs of Moher on the far western side of Ireland. Famous shows and movies such as Harry Potter and Game of Thrones were filmed at these cliffs! Pictures and videos do not do this place justice. The sheer size of these cliffs are breathtaking. After the cliffs, we headed down the hill to Doolin for a cozy Irish pub: Fitzpatrick’s Pub. After an incredible lunch, we hit the road again and headed toward Galway. On the way, we stopped in the Burren and saw the famous limestone fields. We finished our tour in Galway, Ireland. Galway is known for their colorful buildings, pubs and street musicians. On every corner you can find some of the most talented artists you’ve ever seen. This is where Ed Sheeran was discovered. This young and vibrant town is the 5th largest city in Ireland. After a quick stop, we headed back towards Dublin. I check into my hotel on the northern side of the city and got a good nights rest in preparation for my next day.
I didn’t really have a ton planned today. I woke up and walked around the famous Trinity College of Dublin, admired some of the campus architecture and waited for my tour of the Book of Kells. All tours are self-guided and costs roughly 20 euros to do. They provide an audio book as you pass through the exhibit. The is no video or photos allowed of the book of kells to preserve its natural state. From there, you walk into the “long hall” with statues of famous philosophers and various ancient literature. There, they also have stashed a preserved copy of the Book of Kells as well. Following my Book of Kells tour, I walked across the street to the Irish Whisky Museum. I got a 1 hour tour for 23 dollars that include a guided walkthrough of the history of Irish Whisky’s such as Jameson and Tullamore dew explaining how they are created and the origins of alcohol in Ireland. After the tour, they give you a tasting of 4 different whisky’s and a free souvenir.
Friday, I woke up for my last full-day in Ireland. I walked about 3 miles to see the Dublin castle, I took a tour of the castle and it cost me 12 Euros. The original castle was actually destroyed in a massive fire in the 16th century, but they rebuilt a modern day palace in its place. The tour did however show some of the underground ruins of the original castle. The tour also showed where all presidents of Ireland are sworn in at on the castle grounds. there was stunning gardens and architecture all around it. On the way to the castle, I stopped by the Christ Church Cathedral, tours cost 10 euros, and from what I read, a lot of the beauty of the place is on the outside, so I opted to walk around and snap a few photos and videos instead. Following that, I headed to a quick dinner at the botanical and settled in for the night before my flight back to Nantes, France the following day.
Overall, I would consider my first solo trip a great success. I was able to get better acclimated to European travel, and see the former country of my ancestors, the O’Linnehan’s. Ireland is easily one of my favorite places I have ever visited, and I fully intend to go back and check out the other coasts (South and North). I will soon be posting the Ireland Vlog on the Keep Exploring Youtube Channel. Make sure to stay tuned by subscribing the channel and stay in contact by liking, sharing and commenting on our adventures!
Don’t Forget, KEEP EXPLORING!
Riley & Alli