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European {Honeymoon-Inspired} Travel Journal: Ireland


No. 38: IRELAND

Last spring, J&I flew to Ireland to meet his parents for a little getaway. I don't think any of us realized just how cold it would still be in March in Ireland ... brrr. Despite our freezing limbs, we still managed to have a good time and I definitely think Ireland would be a super romantic spot for a honeymoon. However, I'd probably recommend visiting in the warmer summer months. ;) Hope you enjoy this recap!

View from our room.
We flew into Dublin and stayed in a hotel downtown as we felt Dublin was a central spot to hop around to all the different sites we wanted to see in Ireland. First on our list was the Trinity College library in Dublin:


... Probably the most beautiful library I've ever seen. It's only a{n overpriced} museum now but to imagine students actually studying in a such a grand place is amazing.


Dublin is a cute city and I think much of the charm is due to the fact that there aren't many {if any} high-rises. There's a quaintness about that and it often feels like you've stepped back in time ... especially when you enter those pubs. ;) I'm sharing a list of our favorite Dublin pubs in my "top tips" at the end of this post.


After spending some time in the city, we decided to venture out to the countryside. On our way to the Cliffs of Moher, we spotted castles and a few megalithic tombs ...


And then we arrived at the Cliffs. I don't think I've been so cold in my life. The wind was whipping and cut through us like ice but we braved it and walked through the dunes along the edge. The views {almost} made up for the bitter cold temps.


The next day, we headed north to cross the famed Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. It was another icy cold day but the sun came out and helped warm things up a tad. And, omg, were the views here worth every step! This was probably our favorite part of the trip ... a little adventure mixed with gorge views, what could be better?

  
What you can't see beneath all those layers of clothing is my POUNDING heart ;)

The hike out to the Carrick-A-Rede bridge was dreamy and gorgeous. Next, we visited the Giants Causeway which is an incredibly amazing natural formation of hexagonal-shaped stones:


And, like any good story, I've saved the best for last:


Please meet the Knickerbocker Glory. If you were a fan of the Paddington Bear books growing up, you're probably squealing with glee right now ... which is a pretty accurate description of what I did when I spotted it on the menu at Bewley's. And this thing totally measured up to Paddington's hype over the Knickerbocker Rainbow sundae. Nomnomnom. Now if only I could find one in Texas ...



If you find yourself in Dublin, please seek out this darling cafe. We must have visited it 5 or 6 times {okay, probably more!}, whether for dinner, lunch or just dessert, they have an amazing selection of yumminess. I personally recommend the fish 'n chips and obvs, the Knickerbocker Glory!! The inside is also stunning - you won't want to leave! A true Irish gem!

CB's Top Tips for Ireland:

- Fly into Dublin. This worked really well for us as Dublin was a fun base and it had lots of friendly pubs which, let's be honest, is one of the main reasons J&I wanted to visit Ireland.

- Pub hopping! We had such a fun time hopping from one pub to the next with J's parents {remember, it was freeeezing outside! We had to warm up some way!}. Our favorite watering holes were Toner's, Kehoe's, Doheny & Nesbitt and O'Neills. And after all that booze, J's dad and I learned that Busyfeet & Coco Cafe makes some of the best carrot cake in the world, in case you were on the hunt.

- Cliffs of Moher. No brainer - gorgeous!!

- Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. This definitely rivals the pub hopping for contender as favorite part of the trip. And the road trip from Dublin to the northern parts of Ireland was beautiful and interesting. Learn a little about the history before you go. We also visited Belfast since we were nearby. If you go, don't miss the Titanic museum. We didn't have time for it but the museum is built on the same slips as where the original ship was built. It sounded like an amazing museum!

Hope you enjoyed this peek at our time in Ireland! I'd love to hear about your favorite Irish travels!

If you have any tips, insights, suggestions or comments, I'd love to hear them!

Did you miss the other entries of CB's Travel Journal? Click here to catch up! ;o)


All images by moi.

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