Edition 5 - Brews and Beautiful Views

Welcome to Ireland (and Northern Ireland)! After a great end to my time in Romania, I was excited to pop into another country that I hadn’t yet experienced. On top of that, I was lucky enough to stay with and spend some quality time with a friend from college that I hadn’t seen in quite a while. Thank you, Keri and Sinead, for being a home base for me in Ireland and the first familiar faces I had seen in quite a while :)

Ireland & Northern Ireland

October 24 - November 16

Dublin

I landed in Dublin on Tuesday, October 24th in the evening. After a short drive, I found myself a little bit outside of the city at my friend, Keri’s, apartment. Keri and her sister graciously offered to have me stay with them for a little bit while I was in Ireland - it was so relieving to have a more stable home base after my experiences over the last few weeks. My first days in Dublin were relaxing - taking some trips into the city center for free walking tours, exploring some nearby nature walks and hikes, enjoying (my first of many) fish & chips, and sipping pints of Guinness. Then, I started to gear up for my loop around the country before heading back to the States for Thanksgiving. Here are some highlights from my time in Dublin:

Exploring nearby nature walks along the water where I spent some quality time with swans, sheep, and some beautiful rainbows.
Shabbat dinner at the Chabad of Dublin where Daniel (one of my roommates from the fellowship) and I met many travelers and locals alike.
Learning about the history of Guinness (and how to drink it properly!) at the Guinness Storehouse.
Spending a day learning about the Irish Famine and Emigration in museums both on land and on sea.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

I arrived in Belfast on Sunday, November 5th in the late afternoon after a lovely and stunning bus ride from Dublin. At this point in time, I didn’t know about the rich and deep history in Northern Ireland relating to the Troubles (I know, I know… I hadn’t yet seen Derry Girls - don’t worry, I have now!). But after spending a few days there, I learned more and more about the time period that rocked Ireland like no other. The history is so rich and raw - not to mention how recent the Troubles were. Here are some highlights from my time in Belfast:

Accidentally booking a female-only hostel which turned into the best decision I made! Free tampons, wonderful hostel roommates (one of which, I discovered we both booked the same next 2 hostels and would be overlapping a day at each!) an adorable garden, a clean kitchen, and freshly made vegan crepes every morning :)
Walks through the Botanical Gardens followed by free walking tours where I was joined by a friend from my new hostel.
A very interactive tour through the Crumlin Road Gaol (pronounced “jail”) where I learned about the rich history of the site and met virtual versions of past prisoners, including young children and adults held during the Troubles.

Galway

I arrived in Galway on Tuesday, November 7th after a long travel day from Belfast. I was nothing short of exhausted when I arrived but knowing that I only had a couple of nights in the city, I knew I had to make the most of my time. I happened to be in Galway at the same time as Daniel (again, one of my roommates from the fellowship) so along with some friends he had already made in the hostel, we decided to go out in search of some traditional Irish fiddle music at some local pubs. My time in Galway concluded with a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher (commonly known from famous films like Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, Leap Year, and many more).

Killarney

After yet another long travel day, I made it to my hostel in Killarney on Thursday, November 9th far after sundown. Right after I checked in, I walked into the kitchen and was surprised (and very excited) to see some friends that I had made at my previous hostel in Galway! In no time, I was invited to join them and two new Australian friends for dinner in the hostel. My Killarney adventures with these great girls didn’t end there! Here are some highlights from my time in Killarney:

Nights filled with multiple rounds of Regenwormen (“Earthworms” in English), an incredibly fun Dutch game involving dice and tiles similar to dominos.
A spontaneous road trip to Dingle with my 4 new friends where we gawked at the adorable and brightly colored buildings, walked on the beach in full winter gear, tasted multiple samples of Murphy’s Ice Cream, and ate packed lunches on the side of the road while staring at beautiful views.
A Saturday filled with beautiful nature walks alongside my new friends in Killarney National Park.

Cork

My time in Cork began on Sunday, November 12th after a pretty easy bus ride. After checking in and marching up 3 flights of stairs to my room, I was joined by a fellow American (from Texas) who was backpacking after catching love for the travel bug. About an hour into us introducing ourselves, we started walking across the river together in search of nearby explorations and a snack. We shared nachos, swapped travel stories (both past and present), and ventured into a nearby crystal and spell bookshop. Later that evening, we met another woman at our hostel (from Germany) would would become a part of our little trio for the next couple of days in the south of Ireland. Here are some highlights from my time in Cork:

Exchanging travel stories with my newfound friends and learning about their experiences volunteering abroad with Worldpackers and/or Workaway (something that now had become an integral part of my travels… but more on that later).
A day trip to Cobh (pronounced “cove”) with a hostel friend where we walked around adorable streets, went inside a church with gorgeous architecture, and went through the the Titanic Experience where each participant is given a replica of a ticket of a real passenger and learns of their fate at the end of the tour.