336 hours in Ireland.
We finally were able to head out of the U.S and visit Ireland. After two years of the unknown, it was a true blessing to be able to plan for a much need vacation and family reunion. We headed to Ireland for 14 days, here’s what we did that I recommend you check out too!
Travel Advisory:
Due to COVID we needed to make sure we did our research of what was needed to go to Ireland. We checked for updates regularly. To go to Ireland all we needed at the time was our vaccination card and locator form. The weirdest thing though, when going through customs in Dublin, we weren’t asked for either. We had them of course but for whatever the reason, we weren’t asked for them.
When heading back to the U.S, we needed to take a PCR test.
Majority of Days:
Most of our time was spent with family. Running errands with Gavins mom, eating home-cooked meals, taking the family dogs for walks, headed to the nearest towns, Cookstown & Magherafelt, for some shopping, and ending the evenings with a movie. It was great to be on vacation and have no where to be – mastering the art of doing nothing.
The Other Days:
In between our relaxing days, we decided to go on on little getaways.
Giants Causeway:
The Giant’s Causeway was the first place Gavin took me too during my first trip to Ireland. I remember it clearly because I was devastated that I left my camera and his house lol. This time around I made sure to bring my camera and I am glad I did because this time the rock area leading to the ocean was open to roam. It was the perfect day, in my opinion because it was a little overcast and breezy, making the hike a little more enjoyable. The first time i visited it was sunny and hot, making the hike seem never-ending.
The Giant’s Causeway was created by an ancient volcanic eruptions. Story also has it that a giant by the name of Finn McCool once lived there. I recommend the audio during your walk, it’s a great story and brings it all to life.
Bundoran
We took advantage of a weekend and went away to Bundoran with Gavin’s parents. This was our first couples getaway and it was perfect. Located in County Donegal, Bundoran is a tourist seaside resort overlooking the Atlantic.
Where We Stayed: Great Northern Hotel This hotel was spectacular. Sitting on a cliff over looking the Atlantic Ocean, this was one of the nicest hotels I stayed in. All the staff members were kind and friendly. Breakfast and dinner were delicious and came with multiple options to choose from. The best part in my opinion was that the golf course wrapped around the property, so Gavin and his dad went off to play golf, while Gavin’s mom and I went on a coastal walk.
What To Do: All located walking distance from the hotel.
If you can, take the time to visit neighboring towns. We headed to Killybegs, the largest fishing port in the country and on the island of Ireland.
Belfast
Being back in Belfast was great. Gavin would bring me here all the time for lunch, a stroll and some shopping. During Christmas there’s a Christmas market on the ground of City Hall. This time around it was special to remanence of our memories together. It was a beautiful sunny day and so many people were out having a picnic on the grounds of City Hall.
We happened to walk by Hotel Chocolat and their blended frozen hot chocolates looked delicous so we stopped in to get one. It was like a piece of heaven in a cup, I wanted to spend all day in there looking at all the beautiful chocolates and gadgets to make fancy hot chocolate.
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Our two weeks went by too fast and leaving Ireland was hard. Usually it was always difficult to leave after visiting Gavin. This time around it hard to leave as a whole. Gavin and I talked a lot about one day moving to Ireland. Until then were are counting the days until we can visit again.
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