This week, parent-teacher conferences took place at school. So that meant no school on Monday and Tuesday. Last year, I didn’t think of this as a travel opportunity, but one of my wise-mom friends took her kids away this weekend, and it stuck with me. So, with the end of our European adventure looming, we finally made it to Ireland. And we still participated in parent-teacher conferences remotely.
We flew into Cork and picked up a rental car. Wow, driving on the other side of the road is mentally exhausting after more than 30 years of driving on the right-hand side of the road. We stayed at the beautiful Maryborough Hotel & Spa on our first night. Even in this dreary fall weather, the gardens were stunning, and even a few roses were still in bloom.
In the morning, we slept in a bit and headed to Cork to explore. The Marina Market was a fun stop for shopping and a snack. Then, we headed into the downtown area to explore more and go shopping. Do you see a theme here? Traveling with a teenager. In Cork, we had to park in a garage. I was nervous. The hardest part of driving on the opposite side of the road was managing space on the left side of the car. I clipped the curbs while driving, and the idea of parking in the garage had me on edge. On the last curve leaving the garage, I misjudged and grazed a corner with the rear door. Ouch. Thankfully, I felt it immediately and could back up before it did much damage. Only three thin scratches that didn’t even raise the ire of the car rental company. Phew.
And then we headed to the main event for the day – Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney Stone. The weather continued with drizzle. The castle was beautiful, and so were the gardens. We climbed to the top and went to kiss the stone. It was a lot harder than I expected. Thankfully, they had two people there to help you. You have to lay on your back and then lean backward. It is a very awkward pose.
‘There is a stone there, that whoever kisses, OH! He never misses, to grow eloquent’.
After the castle, we headed on a 2:30 drive to Lahinch. I forgot how early it gets dark this time of year, and most of the drive was in the darkness. To say it was stressful is an understatement. Much of the drive was on narrow two-lane country roads, with speed limits up to 100 km/hr. When we arrived at the Lahinch Coast Hotel And Suites, I was TIRED with a capital T. Lahinch was a cute little town.
The following day, we headed to our second key spot for the trip – the Cliffs of Mohr. It was still drizzly, but this didn’t detract from the fantastic views. It is best, and cheapest, to book your tickets for the cliffs online, in advance. They limit the number of people that can enter at a time. Once on-site, you can stay as long as you want, but book ahead if you want to go at a specific time. We reserved 9 a.m., allowing us to arrive between 9 a.m. and 10:59 a.m. When we arrived at 10 a.m., it was quiet, but when we left at 11 a.m., the tour buses had started to arrive and it was getting busy. I can only imagine what it must look like in the summer during peak tourist season.
Our last stop was Dublin. This time, we planned the 3:30 drive better and made it there before sunset, making it much less stressful. We stayed at the Mespil Hotel, a little south of the central core, but offered parking. It was my favorite hotel of the trip and reasonably priced. We got a discounted rate because we visited on a Sunday, which included late checkout and complimentary breakfast. The rooms were big and well-appointed, and the facilities, including the restaurant, were lovely. I would definitely return.
That evening, we checked out the infamous Jonnie Fox’s Pub for dinner. The pub opened in 1798 and is said to be one of the oldest and the highest (by elevation) pub in Ireland. It is known for its Hooley show, but only on certain nights. There was no show the night we were there, but they did have a great musician. It felt like we were in a neighborhood pub. There were clearly several regulars, some of whom got up to spontaneously dance. I even had my first Guinness; no judgment, please.
Our last full day took us into central Dublin for, you guessed it, more shopping. The streets were decorated for Christmas and would have looked beautiful at night. Some of the stores even had holiday window displays.
As a kid, I remember going to the Toronto Santa Claus Parade and then going by all the big department stores to look at the Christmas window displays. I loved it. We had a great and productive time shopping, and the plan was to head back to the hotel before our conference time, but it wasn’t to be.
So what did we do? We found a quiet place to dial in, which just so happened to be a pub. Yes, the cocktails remained off-screen. European parenting…
It was a fun getaway with my girl, not as much sightseeing as I would have liked, but having a more laid-back trip was fun. I hope this will not be my last visit. There is so much more to explore. Next time, I need to make it to Belfast.
Red, White and Tulips 