Destination: Ireland

The Emerald Isle. When we initially made our list of places we wanted to get to in Europe while living in London, Ireland was high on the list. For whatever reason though after 2 1/2 years here and plenty of other European destinations reached, we just hadn't made it there yet. However, last year sometime Geoff's parents started talking about a trip to Ireland to coincide with their 2015 visit to London to see us and it was decided that we would all go together. With Olivia having yet another school break (I know I must sound like a broken record on this blog, but she has breaks ALL THE TIME) the last week of May, it was off to Ireland!

We met Geoff's parents in Dublin after their arrival from Texas and from there, we caravanned in rental cars from the eastern side of the country where Dublin is to the western side where we would spend the majority of the week. On our first full day in Ireland, we headed to nearby Connemara National Park.

Yep, we're in Ireland!

Kylemore Abbey

The girls' favorite part of the National Park? The discovered playground, of course!

After spending two nights in Galway, we spent the next three nights in Killarney which is further down the western coast. On our drive there, we made a must stop at the Cliffs of Moher. Spectacular scenery but so windy! The gusts coming off the Atlantic were crazy. Olivia literally got blown off her feet by the wind, landing on the pavement and sending us back inside the much safer and warmer visitors' center.

When talking to friends in London about our pending trip to Ireland, everyone said County Kerry was a must destination....and it did not disappoint! Our first day in the region was spent driving and exploring the Ring of Kerry, a route that takes you around the Iveragh Peninsula, providing views of both mountain and coastal scenery. The weather that day was the best of our week in Ireland, with initial overcast skies giving way to perfect blues.

Ready to start the drive

Torc Waterfall

Killarney National Park

We were on the lookout for leprechauns the entire trip. Much to our dismay, we never spotted any

Ladies' View

Happy sheep!

As the biggest attraction of Ireland is the scenery and you see it by driving, we spent a ton of time in the car. We probably spent more time in our rental car during our week in Ireland than we've spent over the last 10 months in London combined! I guess that either tells you how much time we spent driving in Ireland or how little we ride in cars in London. Fortunately the girls handled all the road tripping successfully. We loaded them up on Dramamine at the outset of each trek to prevent any carsickness on the narrow, winding roads that make up the country. That stuff worked almost perfectly (Ashton only had a single bout the entire trip which was a huge victory) and was definitely a trip lifesaver. It also made them drowsy, putting them to sleep so that Geoff and I could enjoy an hour or two of peace and quiet on the long drives.

Back in Killarney for the evening

With Mama Glory

Our final day on Ireland's west coast was spent driving Dingle Peninsula and its rugged coastline. For as gorgeous as the weather had been the previous day driving the Ring of Kerry, it was equally disgusting in Dingle. Rain and heavy clouds/fog prevented us from seeing much of anything for the bulk of the drive. Thankfully though, the rain finally stopped and the fog/clouds lifted enough for us to make out the seascapes below and boy, was it breathtaking!

Our last destination in Ireland before returning to London was a day in Dublin. Dublin is a fun town with plenty to see and do for adults (cathedrals, museums, pubs, breweries, shopping, etc.), but the girls were ready for an activity just for them...the Dublin Zoo. In between multiple heavy but brief rain showers that left us dashing for dry cover, the girls loved seeing all the animals.