Thursday, July 26, 2012

Dingle!

 We made it to Dingle! 

Our B&B was beautiful and overlooked the town. The hosts were also extremely kind. The story of how we got there was kind of funny. :)
The first night we just explored the village and ate at a local pub and enjoyed the local music. It was pretty crowded with lots of families and kids dancing to the accordion. So much fun.

The next morning we rented bikes and toured the Peninsula. It was about 20 miles total trip and had amazing views of cliffs, beaches, and small villages. We stopped at pottery shops and ate as we rode along. 

It ended up being the perfect day for a bike ride!


I tried to go owling... didn't work too well. ;)






I actually got a sunburn... Nobody would believe me. 



When we got back we had ice cream cones and sat overlooking the harbor.

I loved this town with it's cute shops and pubs!

The next morning we decided to go fishing!!!!


It was perfect weather. Not to cold and not too hot. We were with a few other families and had a blast fishing with them.


Emily caught the first fish! The moment she dropped the line in she got one! 



We caught some keepers and some we had to throw back. Including my Cuckoo Wrasse. It was so much fun!



Not only was the fishing fun, but the views were amazing!!! We coasted along the sea between the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry. 


Our guide filleted our fish...

gave them to us in a bag...

Had us walk down to John Benny's Pub...

And they fixed us up a nice fish dinner with our own fish! Less than two hours out of the water... that's some fresh fish! So much fun!



This is the view of our hostel from town.


Dingle was such a beautiful village, and the whole Peninsula was amazing. I loved the people and the scenery! I believe that everyone in Ireland can sing... and they all sing at the pubs. They are family events and kids are there as well. I will miss the pubs a lot and the people we met and listened to in them. 




Dingle was our last stop before Dublin and home. I truly hope to go back there sometime soon. Beautiful.




Doolin and the Aran Islands

We left Bushmills for Doolin which meant we had to cross the border into the Republic of Ireland. Beautiful ride, but it meant for a long travel day again. 

We got to our hostel in the evening and put our stuff away. Our host recommended places for dinner and for hearing music after. Doolin is known for it great traditional music. So we finished our night at a little pub down the road. I love pubs out here. They aren't bars. They are family friendly and you can expect to see children out late there dancing to the music our playing with their family. It just makes pubs so much more comfortable and family oriented. The band that played on the first night was amazing!

The next day we left our hostel early to explore the Aran Islands.

I loved it out here because everyone spoke Irish as there first language! All the signs were in both Irish and Gaelic.
The village was very small but very cute! 

We had to take a ferry out to the Islands and it wasn't exactly what we expected...

It was much better. Such an exciting ride!!! We had to hold on tight so we didn't fall in against the rough swells. We found out later that day that many people were getting very sick that day because of the rough swells. 

When we got to the biggest Island we rented bikes and explored! So much fun!


There was an old fortress on the edge of the cliffs at the end of the Island and we got to go right up to the edge. It was so windy! 









AFter exploring the Island we shopped a bit then warmed up with tea and hot food at a little restaurant near the dock.



Then we sailed away back to Doolin.

On our way back it was a lot of fun because we were able to visit with the ferry workers. 



Our hostel was so cute!We had a nice dinner that night and went to listen to music again a little bit later. I love traditional Irish music!


The next morning we got up early and hurried over to see the Cliffs of Moher. IT was the first day in a long time that people were actually able to see the cliffs so it was great timing!




We could finally see the Aran Islands! They looked so close even though it took so long to get out there.


Emily was waving to America... You were out there somewhere...





It was such a beautiful walk through Doolin!

Our hostel with it's peat fire. 



Loved our stay here!


Leaving Doolin and heading for Dingle!