As weird as the title of my post may sound the sun has been shining in Ireland for our entire stay. Here I have a few notes I wrote on the last couple of days.

Friday:

When we arrived in Dublin this past Friday morning I was wearing boots, a turtleneck  base layer and a black vest. I had to quickly dig into my backpack looking for a summer outfit.  Our Irish friends suggested we all spend the weekend in Clare County, on the west coast of Ireland so we tried to see as much as possible on our first day. After a short break we hopped on a double-decker  Dublin bus and  headed to the city center. The downtown area is easily walkable.  There were a few places I did not want to miss so I went to see: Trinity College, Grafton Street,  the Dublin Castle, Christ Church and Saint Patrick’s church.

On our way back we crossed the Ha’penny bridge for some sunset shots.  The city is full of cafés, bars and restaurants. We went to The International Pub for a pint and we had dinner at this famous chicken place called Crackbird.  We did not stay out late that night but on our way home around midnight we could see a lot of activity around the Temple Bar area.

Tip for tourists: To hop on Dublin buses you have to put your hand out otherwise they won’t stop. Being at the bus stop is not enough. 🙂

Tip for Canadian tourists: We found Tim Hortons in Dublin! They have self serve locations where you can buy even donuts. Press the button and enjoy. (Coming straight from USA, by the way).

Saturday:

We left Dublin around 11 am. The highway was quite empty and the trip was lovely.  The countryside is pretty green and has plenty of healthy cows and sheep. The Irish would not believe if they see a Cuban cow (if they can find one, of course). I enjoyed the natural view but also the stone houses and fences along the way.  As we entered the Burren, the name of the rocky area which is a part of Clare, we noticed the grand beauty of the gray rocky mountains and flatland. We stopped for lunch at this amazing seafood restaurant in New Quay called Linanne’s and I had a succulent seafood chowder and a malty glass of Guinness. From there we headed to see the Cliffs of Moher, a mayor tourist spot in the Burren. The sunny and clear sky allowed us to see Aran Islands. I imagined having a house looking at the Atlantic Ocean and the wonderful cliffs.

Right after that we had a quick stop at Lahinch beach where people were swimming, tanning, picnicking, walking their dogs, eating ice cream and surfing. I put my feet in the water and it was actually not that cold. I could have probably swam in there with some beers and patience.

Our friend’s family have a beautiful mountain house where we had dinner and stayed for the night. After dinner we went down to one of the nearest town’s pub to meet some of their old friends and share a few drinks. I now like Smithwicks as much as Guinness.  I met an Irish woman who spent her honeymoon in Cuba and visited Havana, Santa Clara and Trinidad. I was surprised to hear how much she enjoyed the little things there and the Cuban friendly ways. I think Island people feel a special attractions for other islands as well.

Sunday:

Before getting into the highway back to  Dublin we passed by the Burren Perfumery and went for a short  walk in the Burren National Park. They suggest different trails with choices of lengths and difficulty. We just followed the nature and easy trail due to lack of time so we did not go up the rocky mountain.  Some friendly locals were butterfly watching. Apparently this time of the year is also best to find all kinds of flowers growing in the Burren. While walking I was amazed to see small lakes in this dry and rocky land. They look like sandy and salty bodies of water from the distance but the soil is dusty and pretty muddy when you approach it. Our final stop was at Father Ted’s house, the same house that was used in the Irish TV show so they have tried to maintain its original appearance.

Once in Dublin we went to a ghost tour. More than the story or the locations (Dublin walls and gate, city jail and cemetery) it was a lot of fun to spend time with the actors. The tour ended for us at the popular Grave digger’s pub (John Kavanagh) where we were advised to try the best Guinness in Dublin.

Monday:

I spent the last day in Dublin strolling around the city center. I entered the St. Stephens Green shopping mall and the Saint Georges arcade market as I found the architecture really interesting. I had a light lunch at the park across the mall and then headed back to our friend’s house to grab my backpack.There is a city bus straight to the airport that costs only 2.15 euros.

I am looking forward to go back to Ireland someday and I will be telling everyone to visit this sunny and warm island. 😉