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Autumn is my favourite season and something I get ridiculously excited about, so I wanted to write about a lovely autumnal trip I took in 2015 to County Galway in Ireland.
My friend and I had taken a holiday together every year for the previous 4 years and wanted to continue the tradition. As ever, I wanted to try and go to a country I hadn’t visited before, because of the quest to reach 30 (or 40) before 30! So, we decided on Ireland. Almost criminal I hadn’t been when it was so close, but there you go!
How to get there and to get around
Well, easy. We flew into Shannon and hired a car, which we would drive to our hotel in Galway. We decided to almost immediately leave the main roads and drive through the tiny back lanes. Exactly what I hoped and dreamed Ireland would look like.
Cliffs of Moher
Totally by chance, we came across the Cliffs of Moher. Having now done a bit more research into Ireland, I understand these are a big deal. At the time, and I am a little ashamed to say this, I hadn’t heard of them. This really shows the amount of research we had put into this trip. The thing is, Ireland didn’t and doesn’t feel like one of those countries that need too much of a plan. When I go back again, I am not sure I would even book a hotel; I would probably just find a B&B in one of the gorgeous, picturesque villages dotted around. Hiring a car, driving around randomly and getting a little lost means you find the best places.
Anyway – I digress. The Cliffs of Moher. An absolute must-see for any trip to Ireland. We were so lucky that it was one of those perfect autumn days, crisp, sunny and bright blue skies. Honestly, I fell in love with Ireland right then and there. Walking along the edge of these beautiful cliffs and staring out to see towards the Aran Islands (another must-see!), you could spend hours there.
Having spent our fill in the lovely fresh, clean air, we set off in search of some food. Again stumbling across the most delightful little café, the Stonecutters Kitchen, just down the road from the cliffs. Lovely sandwiches and the most delicious tiffin cake – ever.
Doolin Cave
After leaving the Cliffs, we headed back in our car in the general direction of Galway. In this random manner of driving, we again stumbled across Doolin Cave. We actually didn’t go into the cave itself, but had a wonderful time wandering around the pretty garden, meeting the resident animals and seeing where they found the fairies. Well worth a trip, plus a lovely gift shop!
Galway
On our second day, we decided to wander around the town of Galway. A very cute little town which contains lots of cute cafes. Tiffin in Ireland is such a thing, and I wholeheartedly enjoyed it; make sure you find some! This café scene is so adorable, with a great selection of teas.
Why I loved County Galway
Because the town of Galway wasn’t the largest, we got into our car for more driving around with no purpose. Honestly, this was one of my favourite things to do in Ireland.
We came across traffic issues:
Found more ruins, which excited me greatly:
And then drove down a tiny road that got smaller and smaller and felt like it really wasn’t going anywhere. Until we got to the magnificent Lough Corrib for sunset. It was quite funny how long it took us to find such a large Lough, but that is another story.
More to tell on Ireland, but to start with – Happy Autumn!
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Wow the cliffs of Moher look stunning – hopefully we will have chance to go there
They were beautiful! And I loved the Arran islands too. My definite highlights!
I definitely need to travel more in Ireland, this has inspired me! We have done Dublin and Kerry but a road trip is on the cards I think!
I need to do more too!! I’ve still never been to Dublin. So pleased it has inspired you ?