May the Road Rise Up to Meet You.
I spent most of my trip traveling through the southern bit of Ireland. We started in Dublin, went to Kilkenny and Killarney, and ended up in Galway. We took a trip to Northern Ireland, as well, to see the Titanic Museum and to learn about the unique history of the area. The food here was warm and felt like a home cooked meal every time. The locals I met greeted me like we were long lost friends. I loved every single thing about Ireland.
Highlights
✴ Live Music- The best advice my tour director gave me on this trip was to "follow your ears." The best way to find a pub you would like was to listen to see what kind of music was being played inside. I loved finding little places that only the locals knew about, spending the evening catching on to the traditional Irish songs being sung, and chatting with the regulars.
✴ The Ring of Kerry- They day we spent driving through the 111 mile loop of the Ring of Kerry was one of my favorite days ever. Not only was it my birthday (#treatyourself), it was also just an amazing day filled with the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. It was nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of Dublin and enjoy the natural beauty Ireland has to offer.
✴ Belfast-
Overview
London
Country- Ireland
Language- English
Currency- Euro (Except for Northern Ireland, they use the British Pound)
$1= .85 € (or, $1= 0.76 £ in Northern Ireland)
Population- 4.9 million
Money
The Euro (€)- The Euro is pretty similar to the US Dollar. Euro banknotes exist in seven different denominations: €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euros (the euro is divided into a hundred cents). A typical lunch in Berlin costs about €5- €8.
Icons
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Food
Crying, “Cockles and Mussels, alive, alive oh! “
If you aren’t going to try new things while visiting new places, is it even worth it? Ireland has phenomenal seafood. I suppose it comes with the territory of being and island. On our last night in Dublin, we went back to our favorite pub, The Storehouse, and grabbed dinner. When the waitress suggested I order these Connemara mussels cooked in a bacon and cream sauce, I had to give it a shot. My piece of advice: Always ask for recommendation from a local. They will never lead you wrong. If you want to check out my favorite pub in Temple Bar, look no further. The Storehouse has great food, live music, and more character than any building should be allowed to have.
I am quite fond of ice cream. It is something I am passionate about. I’ve been to Portland for a scoop of Salt & Straw’s finest, I’ve dug my way through Italy using the tiny little shovel spoons used to eat gelato. I will be totally honest when I say that I was not expecting out of the world ice cream of Ireland. Oh, how naive I was. Ireland takes great pride in their dairy. The Kerry Cow is rare, indigenous, and pumps out some seriously supreme milk. Murphy’s Ice Cream capitalizes on this fact. Pictured above is a scoop of their Sticky Toffee Pudding (served over warm sticky toffee pudding… omg) and Irish coffee flavors. Murphy’s has storefronts in Dingle (the original), Dublin, Killarney, and Galway. If I would have known that before our last stop in Galway, I would have eaten there every single night with no regrets whatsoever. Want to learn more about their magical ways, check out their website.
Phrases to Know
The one thing I was most surprised at was how many languages are spoken throughout London. And while British English is a little different from American English, you get used to standing in a "queue", taking the "lift", and says "cheers" to, well, everyone!