The Great Scottish Road Trip: 9 Days Through the Highlands

One Wonderful Week in Scotland

The Scottish Highlands have long been one of my most favorite places on earth. Filled with wild, rugged landscapes, rolling lush hills filled with deep purple heather, majestic mountains, cascading waterfalls and of course bag pipers, Scotland has a way of working itself into your dreams.

I first visited the Scottish highlands more than ten years ago during a semester studying abroad, and I have been dying to show it to Brad since. I was thrilled to include it in our six week vacation last summer.

Highlights of our Scotland road trip

The gorgeous drive into Glencoe, and exploring Hagrid’s Hut
Highland hikes, particularly the Quiraing and the glorious sweeping views in the Isle of Skye
Eating fish & chips and listening to bagpipes at local pubs in Portree
Hairy Cows!
The Battle of Culloden and the Clava Cairns
Listening to a ceilidh and exploring the Inverness old town
Feeding reindeer in the Cairngorms
The Highland Games in Balleter (so many bagpipers!)

The Essentials: We rented a car for our week in Scotland which I highly recommend, as there is so much you will want to see and public transport isn’t a practical option. With a car, you can drive at your own pace and hop out for photo ops and hikes, of which you will want to do constantly because Scotland is breathtaking. I used Sixt.

Day 1-2

We spent the first day in Glencoe, an incredible glen nestled between towering mountains. Glencoe is lush, verdant green, full of cascading waterfalls and yellow wildflowers. Shrouded in mist and surrounded by endless mountains, the drive into Glencoe is where the magic really begins on your road trip.

Glencoe Wildflowers and Waterfalls — Wildflowers and waterfalls in Glencoe

Prepare to pull over every two minutes for gasp-worthy photos. Scotland is a place that truly makes you feel like magic exists. Every corner turned, every hike, watching the mist pour through the lush valley and over hilltops, I was almost certain some mystical creature was peeking around the corner at me. The day we arrived, a resort was hosting a Harry Potter movie night, as the third movie was shot in Glencoe and we arrived to this sign:

Glencoe Welcome Muggles! — Was this…did they..did they know I was arriving today?

Harry Potter 3, The Prisoner of Azkaban was filmed in Glencoe, so we immediately went off to hike the area where they filmed Hagrid’s Hut! Located in the Clachaig Gully, the hillside is easily assessible. We parked and I ran right for it. Sadly, the hut (and Hagrid) aren’t there anymore, but the landscape is exactly how I remembered it from the movie, and I could one hundred percent picture the pumpkin patch, smoking chimney and Buckbeak raising his enormous head to gaze at me!

Exploring Hagrid's hut in Clachaig Gully! — Exploring Hagrid’s hut. Just picture Buckbeak tethered and giant pumpkins!

Black Rock Cottage Glencoe — Black Rock Cottage at the foot of Meall a’ Bhuird – yes please!

Where to eat:

The Claighann Inn. There is one rollicking restaurant in this tiny village: conveniently located near Hagrid’s hut. I had a curry and sticky toffee pudding which is a spongy cake covered in caramel served with vanilla ice cream and I highly recommend.

Next Stop: Isle of Skye

Exploring the Isle of Skye is all about stunning hikes, take your breath away views, rolling hills full of deep violet heather and gamboling sheep, tiny pubs serving crispy fish & chips and stirring nights filled with bagpipes and live Scottish music.

Day 2-5

The Quiraing is my absolute favorite hike in Scotland. We took the four hour route, and for parts of our trip, it felt like we were the only people in the world. Known for it’s gorgeous green unique topography, lochs and wild flowered covered mountains, walking the Quiraing felt like hiking in a fantasy land. Best time to visit is the early morning or the late afternoon, though sunsets will be very late in the high season (around 9ish to 10ish).

Highland Wildlfowers in the Quiraing — Highland heather in the Quiraing

The first two hours of our hike were fantastic – filtered sunshine bathing the pass and a light breeze. The last two hours however were…..not. The sun disappeared and the wind picked up, turning our path back into a frigid wind tunnel. We had to hurtle down the track through the buffeting wind and hide between rock formations for a breather. At one point, I almost gave up – Nope, NOPE! It was so, so cold. Worth it though, for the incredible views. Especially when we were nice and warm, sipping coffee and eating piping hot fish and chips afterwards 🙂

Weather change while Hiking the Quiraing — Brie concerned about the increasing wind and approaching clouds during the return trip

Brad Not At All Concerned Hiking The Quiraing — Brad not AT ALL concerned

Brie hiking the Quiraing — Scotland you stunner

Hiking the Quiriang in The Scottish Highland — Beginning of the hike – all smiles here!

Weather change in the Quiraing Isle of Skye — We have a bit of a weather change

The hairy coos of the Scottish Highlands are wonderful creatures, and a huge highlight of the trip was stopping to say hello to every single one we saw. I have named this gentleman Hamish. I love him. He was a very gentle soul and allowed us to nuzzle his ears, while gently nudging us with his noser.

Hairy Cows in the highlands — Hello Hamish!

We made a stop at Kilt Rock on the way to the Quiraing. This waterfall is a must see, but the shrieking wind was so intense, we parked, leapt out of the car, enjoyed the bagpipes playing nearby, breathed in the clear, salty air, snapped a photo and hopped back in the car.

Kilt Rock Scottish Highlands — Kilt Rock

The iconic Old Man of Storr is an easy hike, less than an hour. The Storr walk uses the same path up and down, starting & returning at the same point (the carpark). A very well maintained path leads right to the base of the amazing rock formation – but get there early as by the time we finished around 11am The Old Man was completely covered by fog. Haha- WE saw the Old Man of Storr! Insert me wiggling about taunting everyone feeling very smug. (Because usually I am the one who wakes up late and misses stuff).

Hiking Old Man of Storr Isle of Skye — Hiking Old Man of Storr

Sheep Isle of Skye — So many sheep! Isle of Skye

Highland Waterfalls — Time to break and gaze at Highland waterfalls

On the way from Glencoe to Portree, we made a stop at the 13th century Eileen Donan Castle.

Rugged Brad and Eileen Donan Castle – He was made for the Highlands!

Where to stay:

I recommend basing yourself in Portree, an adorable, rustic town on the sea, and the capital of Skye. We stayed at Fisher’s Rock B&B. I think B&Bs in Scotland and England are unbeatable. If at all possible, try to stay at one during your trip, to heighten the countryside experience. Lovely hosts, great views, delicious breakfasts and thoughtful touches.

Where to eat:

The Harbour Fish & Chip Shop. Across from the beautiful pink, yellow and blue homes of Portree on the promenade. Crispy, perfectly salted fish and chips served with gravy. We even heard the servers speaking Gaelic!

The Pier Hotel: Intimate, rustic Inn serving tasty Scottish fare. Fun pub filled with lots of locals.

Best place to hear bagpipes:

The Isles Inn. We came here to eat as well. We love Scottish music and wanted a place to listen to bagpipes. Our B&B owner mentioned this place. While grabbing a drink, Brad chatted with the bartender about places we could hear some good live music and she said, “well my brother’s band is playing here tonight, he’s great!” It was so much fun, we went back twice. Great, rollicking atmosphere. Fantastic, live music. Full Scottish band. Highly recommend.

Note: Scotland can get very cold, even in August, when we visited. We were lucky to have some days of sunshine in the highlands, but we had carry on luggage for our entire 6 week trip, (not an easy pack) so had to buy a few items for hikes. Wellies and windbreakers were our main purchases. We picked them up at a local supply shop in Portree. I also picked up the above green wool hat at an adorable shop in St. Ives.

Next blog post: The road trip continues to breathtaking, stirring to your senses, Inverness!

Best Moscow Eats: Cakes, Ukranian Food and Sour Cream on Everything!

I Love Cake:
This snug and cozy bakery was a total delight. Strung with wall-to-wall Xmas ornaments and twinkly lights, the pastel cafe serves gourmet hot chocolate adorned with fresh sugar cookies, homemade cakes and breakfast. And oh, the cakes – cinnamon and ginger bread and cream cheese and wild berry. While we sat perusing the massive menu, and watching the snow fall softly outside, Russian murmurings filled the cafe, as the scent of hot chocolate wafted through the air. I was in birthday heaven. The cafe features a variety of about twenty ornate cakes daily, and the baker’s descriptions were so luscious and detailed. I literally stood in front of this display for five minutes while the baker described the ingredients in each cake – and what’s in THAT one?!?

Happy b'day to me! I Love Cakes in Moscow — Oh, this is happening. Happy b’day to me!

img_20181226_153233_710 — Chocolate ganache, with layers of cream cheese and chocolate cinnamon frosting covered in berries

img_20181226_153233_721 — Could this be any more cozy?!

Taras Bulba – Ukranian restaurant. Bustling, boisterous, full of warmth and good cheer. Great, rich, comfort food – dumplings, chicken kiev, etc. * Note, they serve sour cream with everything!* Features dancing and folk singing. The type of homey, heart-warming experience you are always hoping for when traveling. We had our Xmas dinner here, and this will live on in our memories as one of our most exotic and exuberant Christmas meals.

Festively decorated Taras Bulba

Moskva – Moscow’s signature red-glazed nut cake

Potato and onion dumplings – sour cream on the side

Bjorn – Decorated with pine needles and pine cones and reindeer antlers, this Nordic restaurant has a rustic yet modern charm. Ordered the mushroom cream soup, served with potatoes and crispy onions and a sparkling rosé Russian wine. (I didn’t even know Russia produced wine!) Served with a basket full of hearty brown bread topped with large flakes of sea salt, and home churned butter. Made me want to visit the Nordic countries. Located across the bridge from the Kremlin.

Bjorn – Rustic Nordic Cuisine

Mitzva Bar: Underground Jewish bar in Moscow – right next to Bjorn. Taking the winding staircase down to the bar feels like descending into the lair of a changeling. Massive crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Tell the bartender what flavors you like and he will create a cocktail for you. My specialized drink was lemon with Prosecco and a hint of something sweet – citrusy and fresh. Brad’s was…weird. He ended up ordering one of mine. We also ordered a Mediterranean plate with hummus and other dips served in an ornate silver platter. The hummus and olive tapenade were very tasty. There were several other dips that can only be described as overwhelming fishy – just straight fish slime and salt really. Oh well, risk you must take when the entire menu is in Russian!

Mediterranean platter at Underground Jewish Bar

Swanky chandelier

The Metropol: Iconic hotel, next to the Bolshoi. Order a stranger in Moscow and enjoy it in the grand lobby, while imagining Russian dignitaries, artisocrats and artists swanning about the place. Filled with twinkling xmas lights and gold gilded everything, a piano player adds to the ambiance. This mother of all cocktails is encrusted with ice, served with sugared blackberries, and a mini silver goblet filled with chocolates. The waitress will also bring snacks including some of the best giant olives I have tasted since since our trip to Greece.

This is a Stranger in Moscow. From now on, I would like all of my cocktails encrusted with ice, served with sugared blackberries, and a mini goblet filled with chocolate please!

Brooklyn Burger: I have to include this place, because the staff was so ridiculously friendly. We arrived from a 20 minute walk down Arbat street absolutely freezing. Upon realizing that we did not speak a word of Russian, the waiter apologized that he had no English menus but would be happy to help us find something we would like, went though the entire menu with us and brought us two tasty burgers (chicken for me), and a pot of fresh brewed fruit tea. The first thing the waiter asked in a thick Russian accent – “Where are you from? I knew immediately you were not from around here, as you look like you are dressed for the Arctic, and it is not that cold.” Brad and I burst out laughing. (It’s 12 degrees outside! We are covered in snow. It’s COLD man! In what world is this not cold?) Then he proceeded to tell us about how, to celebrate his last birthday, he went to a cabin in the forest with friends, and when they tried to drive home, they discovered the oil had frozen in the car. “That was cold, he said, even for me. Negative 40 degrees is cold.”

Next blog post: Four Days In Saint Petersburg!

Germany’s Most Gorgeous Xmas Market

The magical, gorgeous, Ludwigsburg Baroque Xmas Market, located in southwestern Germany is the stuff of which Christmas dreams are made. I absolutely adore the holidays. I am the type of woman who will purchase her Xmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, so as to prolong the holiday season as long as humanely possible. This year, I did a tour of the German Christmas markets with friends, and I think the Ludwigsburg market was my absolute favorite. Glittering, towering angels with wings in flight literally greet you as you enter this fairy tale of a market. It took my breath away.

Those spectacular glittering angels

Snowmen & steeples

Ludwigsberg Cheers!

Xmas carousel

Angels We Have Heard On High..

Entrance to the festivities

To make things even more magical, the first day I visited the market it snowed! Huge, silent, flakes gently swirled around us, dusting our shoulders as we sipped our gluwein and listened to the soft strains of German Christmas music. Situated between two illuminated baroque churches, and surrounded by ornate, pastel colored buildings, the setting is glorious. And as a bonus, the food was fantastic! Typically Xmas market food is not really for me as I don’t eat much sausage or sauerkraut or cream based dishes, but this place had some truly tasty choices.

Pretty much as soon as we arrived, I made a beeline for the langos. I discovered this delicious treat on a trip to Budapest last year, and I have not looked back since. Langos are the fast food of your dreams! This Hungarian street food consists of puffy, fried, steaming hot flat bread, topped with your choice of fillings. I chose garlic butter with cheese – because garlic butter and cheese. Other popular flavors include sour cream, cheese and paprika, or sweet toppings such as Nutella, etc. I fully intend to sample these babies when we head to Budapest for New Years!

Langos!

Wild potatoes with garlic sauce

During my first trip to Ludwigsburg with my friend Sarah, we also popped (read: ran full tilt) over to the Ludwigsburg Palace, also known as the “Versailles of Swabia.” It’s about a five minute walk from the Xmas market, but the day checked in at about 25 degrees, so we spent a super brief amount of time exploring the grounds. I will say the frigid temperatures and snow meant there was virtually no one out and about, so the palace was atmospheric AF, and really quite glorious. For a moment, it felt like we were in Paris!

Are….are we in Paris?!?

Exploring the Palace…all to our ourselves!

I enjoyed the market so much, I returned with Brad yesterday evening. I really wanted to show him the breathtaking angels and the general splendor of the baroque market. (Also – langos. Obvi. ) Today is the last day of the Xmas markets in our area of Germany, which makes me a little blue, as this is such a gorgeous, festive, truly special time in Germany. But we are headed to Russia and Hungary tomorrow, and I think that will be an incredibly different, exotic, winter wonderland vibe. I am wildly excited, and will post about the markets and our travels as soon as I return.

Nostrovia!

Ludwigsberg Cheers!

Esslingen Prost!

Heidelberg Prost!

Have you been to any Christmas markets? If not, which countries would you like to visit?

Exploring Castles and Christmas Markets in Heidelberg

Heidelberg, along with the Allgäu region in southern Bavaria, is one of my most favorite places in Germany. This fairy tale town in southwestern Germany is completely enchanting. Filled with scalloped bridges, a hill top castle that glitters at night, sweeping views at every turn and University charm, Heidelberg is a winner of a city.

Prost Xmas Styles!

Leave it to me to find the monkey!

Schloss Heidelberg

Heidelberg Prost!

One of my best friends came to visit last week, and during her trip we toured themost fabulous Christmas markets around the area. Heidelberg is a very easy hour and a half hour trip from Esslingen, with one quick connection in Stuttgart, so we took an early morning train and were ready to begin our day in Heidelberg around 10:30am. The Heidelberg Christmas markets are completely magical. Scattered around the Altstadt, touring the markets is a great way to explore and get a feel for the town on the Neckar river and everything it has to offer. I will mention it was a very brisk 30 degrees, so one of the first things we did was choose a tempting traditional looking stall for gluwein! *Spoiler alert – they were all super tempting!

Altstadt Heidelberg Xmas Market

You will see gluwein mentioned many times on this blog, as it is one of the main components that has helped me survive the winter season. It is a mulled wine served in Germany during winter, and made from red wine, boiled with oranges, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. It 100% tastes like Christmas in a cup. There is something very satisfying about sipping a mug of steaming gluwein, as you enjoy the glittering Xmas lights and breathe in the frosty air. There are many different types, my favorite type this year has been plum gluwein, and stalls each provide their own mugs, which you can purchase for 3 euros. Totally worth it. We have about six of them, I believe. My favorites are the mugs that show a picture of the market and include the city name and date. They are great Xmas gifts as well, as many of my friends can attest 🙂

After some strolling and shivering, we headed to the hilltop castle – Schloss Heidelberg. It is a relatively easy, well-marked walk up to the castle, though be warned it is rather steep and provides a nice workout before all the delicious Christmas market treats you should definitely plan to eat afterwards. Built in the early 1200s, the castle is a gorgeous example of well preserved castle ruins. Cost to enter is 7 euros.

View from the castle

After our castle walk, we returned to the aforementioned Christmas markets and spent the day strolling, sampling delicious snacks, sipping gluwein and seeing the sights. I thought the food was even better than the food at the Esslingen Xmas Market, which is one of my very favorites. We tried the Kartoffelpuffer – a fried potato pancake with a creamy apple sauce, a spicy sausage in a roll with lots of mustard called chiliknacker, red and rosé gluwein.

About this time we were borderline freezing, so we found an adorable, chocolaterie called Café YilliY which was so cozy I almost wanted to die. The cafe even had a pianist! We each had a cannoli filled with a light Nutella cream, and a cup of drinking chocolate. This was served with a cup of steaming hot milk (we were even able to order lactose free milk, which is a rarity in my area of Germany), and a bar of chocolate which you drop into the milk and stir vigorously. It was frothy, lightly sweet and delicious. I had milk chocolate. Sarah ordered vanilla & white chocolate, which is usually not my cup of tea at all, but was really tasty. I think this would be a huge hit at home in California. I should probably stress this fact – German bakeries tend to add far less sugar to their baked goods, to the point where their treats are borderline savory, so when you find a bakery that serves actual sweet desserts this deserves to be celebrated properly!

Potato pancakes and applesauce

Bars of drinking chocolate !

Other places I loved in Heidleberg:

Heidelberg Castle at night

View from Philosopher’s Weg

Frühstück! German breakfast: Assortment of cheeses and veggies with soft brown breads

Bit of a size difference here huh?

Zum Seppl – Last September we visited Heidelberg for our anniversary and loved this University bar so much we went back twice. Built in 1704 and atmospheric as hell, Zum Seppl boasts a live pianist every evening, delicious bar food, and German rollicking charm to spare. The dark wood paneled walls are covered with etchings, pictures and other paraphernalia from former students. On both visits Brad and I shared bowls full of shrimp swimming in a garlic butter wine sauce, with sauteed chilies and sun dried tomatoes, served with a bowl full of hearty German bread. We also sat right next to the pianist as this bar feels up FAST. Great experience.

Philopsher’s Weg: Gorgeous winding path on the northern banks of the Neckar River through Heidelberg’s Vineyards that offers sweeping views of the river and city. Bonus – the path’s romantic history. It gets its name from the many philosophers, poets and professors who traipsed its path.

I have been to Heidelberg twice – once for an anniversary trip and again for the Christmas Markets. I highly recommend visiting this adorable town on the Neckar River if you have the chance. Have you been to Germany? Do you have any favorite Christmas markets?

Tübingen Chocolate Festival: Sampling our Way Through Germany’s Largest Chocolate Market

Chocolate hedgehogs! Creamy, thick, hot chocolate served with Amaretto! Row upon row of Belgian Chocolates! This weekend, I went to the Chocolate Festival in Tübingen with friends, Germany’s largest chocolate festival, and it was pretty damn wonderful.

Founded in the 1100s, Tübingen is one of Germany’s most idyllic towns. Filled with cobblestone streets, half timbered pastel houses and glittering pine trees during this time of year, Tübingen is a magical place.

Checking in at about 35 degrees, it was definitely a brisk day in Tübingen, which served to enhance the Christmasy vibe. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this festival, but let me tell you, this was some of the most delicious chocolate I have had in my life. The chocolate hedgehogs from a Belgian stall were my absolute whimsical favorite, and I feel could have been perfectly at home in Harry Potter. Every chocolate we tried including the salted caramel truffles and chocolate mousse truffles were divine. The hot chocolate was much creamier then in the U.S, think the hot chocolate from Chocolat (you know, Johnny Depp’s favorite drink), and served with Amaretto. They also had a stall with a deli display window full of breads, pizzas, salamis, eggs and other deli goods all made from chocolate!

Entire deli window, made out of chocolate

Creamiest hot chocolate in the world + Amaretto!

Belgian chocolates 😀

Marketplatz Square

Hallo!

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Xmas…

Chocolate Hedgehogs!

Hallo Tubingen!

I am just in love with this perfect little house

Gingerbread homes & Matryoshka Nesting Dolls

Belgian Chocolates

Hot chocolate German Styles

Xmas Trees & Castles

We strolled the town sampling chocolates, and enjoying the buzz of the city. The festival is quite large, set in the main Marketplatz square, and filtering out to other side streets. We explored the castle and took in the beautiful views.

I am going to make this post short and sweet, as a friend of mine from college is visiting and I am desperately trying to get over a hideous cold, so that I can show her a great time in Germany!

The 2019 Festival will be held Dec 3 through Dec 8th. If at all possible, I recommend visiting this during the week, as it is a very popular festival 🙂 It is an easy hour and a half train ride from Stuttgart.

How to Enjoy Dublin In Two Days

Ah, Dublin! During our five day trip to Galway, we spent the first and last days in Dublin, and let me tell you we managed to pack it all in. We arrived late the first evening, and after picking up our rental car, then stopping quickly at our hotel to drop of our baggage we headed to the temple bar area just before 10pm, and picked a cute pub for dinner called Quays. An extremely friendly waiter greeted us with a “hey lads, the pub is closing soon, but I can fit in your order quickly. Fish & chips sound good?” Brad and I didn’t even have to look at each other. “Yes please,” we said happily sitting down. Within ten minutes we had our piping hot fish & chips, cider and Guinness.

Fish & chips + mushy peas

Cider + Guinness!

We heard some music playing downstairs, and decided to spend the evening sipping our drinks, people watching and enjoying the live music. We had an earlyish wake up call the next morning for our drive to Galway, and wanted to wake up fresh.

The Temple Bar area can get very packed, by the end of the night it’s thronged with revelers – but the iconic area filled with brightly lit restaurants, pubs and bars should still be included on your itinerary. Bonus – Temple Bar was ready for the holidays by the first of November!

After three days in wonderful Galway, we headed back to Dublin and hit the ground running. First we visited Trinity College’s The Book of Kells. The long room at the old library is an absolute must for book lovers. Filled with high domed ceilings, spiral staircases and wall-to-books, I 100% spent my time there pretending I was in the library scene from Beauty & The Beast.

Many of the busts are of great philosophers and writers,

The long room of the old library

Next, we headed to the Molly Malone statue, an iconic Dublin statue based on the song of the same name. Dublin is an extremely walkable city, and about 10 degrees warmer than Galway, which I considered a big win.

IMG-20181104-WA0000 — “In Dublin’s fair city where the girls are so pretty I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone”

After this, the wind began to pick up so we decided it was time for a drink. We stopped at The Long Hall, one of Dublin’s oldest pubs built in the 1800s, boasting wood paneling and plush red carpeting. We grabbed the only open seat, and promptly sat down to enjoy our drinks.

Next, I have a confession to make guys. We had dinner at Five Guys. If you aren’t familiar, Five Guys is a California based burger joint, that serves the most delicious fast food. I usually eat about one burger a year, and try to eat the local cuisine while traveling, (one notable failure, looking at you Basque country), but if you’ve ever been into a Five Guys, once the scent of those perfectly salted fries hits your nose buds and overwhelms your senses, you are a goner. Anyway, we decided to relax and enjoy ourselves. Sometimes the most memorable parts of a trip can be something unexpected, like giggling in a diner while gobbling burgers in Dublin. During our trip to Cornwall this summer, after a day of hiking, we came back to our B&B early, opened the windows so that we could hear the crashing of the waves and read books in bed eating Scottish shortbread and sipping coffee.

Tom Hardy & Five Guys — Tom Hardy ad displayed at Five Guys. I mean, come on 😀

After our meal, the rest of our day was devoted to strolling, taking in a few sights, trying out different pubs and just generally enjoying the city at our leisure.

George’s street arcade

Gotta love the Guinness toucan

Fab street art

We stopped at The Stag’s Head, a Victorian pub on the outskirts of Temple Bar with a local vibe and while waiting for our drinks were treated to a group of older gentleman speaking Gaelic! I was really hoping to hear some Gaelic while we were in Ireland, so this was a perfect end to the trip. I heard the jovial group erupt into laughter, and when I realized they were speaking Gaelic, I literally gasped. Pretty sure I clapped a little to myself as well. If you haven’t heard it before, Gaelic is guttural, throaty and extremely foreign. It sounds like a language Tolkien would have created and I was completely thrilled.

Temple Bar Area

Just hanging out listening to Gaelic at the Stag’s Head!

Are you planning a trip to Ireland? Where would you like to visit most?

The Cliffs of Moher – Day Trip From Galway

I visited Ireland for the first time about ten years ago, and have been dying to show it to Brad for some time. I knew the warmth of the people, the welcoming Irish spirit, the dramatic landscapes and the stirring live music would steal his heart. And, I really wanted to show him the Cliffs of Moher. Sometimes, a must-see sight ends up being a bit of a let down (I’m talking to you Sintra), but the Cliffs are an absolute showstopper. We stayed in Galway, which is a completely doable 1.5 hour drive from the Cliffs. The drive is gorgeous, full of castle ruins, rushing rivers, tiny fishing villages, and pubs along the way. In short, it has everything you could hope for from an Irish road trip.

Doolin – Pub stop time!

We arrived to the Cliffs of Moher during a fairly intense wind, and that light sideways rain you expect from coastal cities. I’m going to be honest, tt was looking pretty frigid. But, we came to see the Cliffs and that was exactly what we planned to do. We took a deep breath, jumped out of the car, buttoned our jackets, pulled on our hats, wrapped our scarfs tight around our faces, and just went for it. Let me begin by saying, the view is incredible. The green, verdant cliffs, windswept plains and ruined castles, all make for a breathtakingly dramatic scene. This is why people fall in love with Ireland. I think we actually lucked out with the rain, because the weather meant far less people in all of our shots, and it wasn’t too terribly misty, so we still had some great views of the cliffs.

20181102_13484503 — Spent a fair amount of time gazing out to sea, pretending to be in a scene from Harry Potter – in the 6th film, The Half Blood Prince, Harry and Dumbledore apparate to a rock in front of the Cliffs

After running about the Cliffs, exploring the ruined castle, and chatting to the grazing cows, we decided to pop into a pub for a bite and a drink. Typically I look up several options for meal/pubs while planning a trip, but the neighboring town of Doolin, filled with brightly colored thatched roof pubs and shops is tiny, so I thought it might be fun just to pop into a place that looked enticing. (Spoiler alert: they all did). Situated across from a rushing river, Gus O’Connors Pub fit the bill completely. We grabbed a perfect seat right in front of the fireplace, ordered a couple coffees, plus two plates of fish and chips, with mushy peas. I have not yet hopped on the mushy pea bandwagon, but I continue to try it in hopes that I may develop a taste for it. The piping hot food was served almost immediately, and hit the spot after our windswept time on the cliffs. We relaxed in front of the fire, enjoying the warmth of the flames and listening to locals chatting about their day in their thick Irish brogues.

The Cliffs are so spectacular, I could have spent hours hiking the area, stopping for a picnic, breathing in the views. If the weather had been warmer, we could easily have spent the day.

Have you visited the Cliffs of Moher? Did you love it as much as I did? What other parts of Ireland would you like to see?

Ireland in Autumn: Five Days in Glorious Galway

Galway Travel Guide: Rustic Pubs, All the Fish & Chips, & Live Irish Music Galore

We just returned from five days in Galway, and it was an absolute blast. Just a really, cracking, feel-good trip. (Did I use that term right? I feel like I heard it used all over Ireland. Either way, I’m owning it).

Full to bursting with Irish charm, this bustling harbor city on the western coast was already decorated for the holidays by November 1st, and had such a festive spirit. We spent most of our time in the city’s hub, known as The Latin Quarter, which boasts fantastic live Irish folk music almost every evening, great stone clad restaurants, and plenty of rustic pubs filled with fire nooks. We feasted pretty much exclusively on fish & chips, savory pies, and ciders (Guinness for Brad). And, let me tell you, everyone drinks Guinness! I love when your ideas of a place turn out to be correct.

20181101_1639131 — Ireland ready for Xmas – Nov 1st!

20181101_164944 — Dublin Harbor – you can’t tell by this pic, but it is filled with swans!

Great Restaurants & Pubs

McDonaughs: Excellent fish & chips shop. Open late. Grabbed a plate of fried cod, and perfectly salted fries. The portion is so huge we shared.

The Pie Maker: So delicious we went twice. I was introduced to pies in South Africa, so any chance I have to try one, I do so. I had chicken and mushroom in a whiskey, rosemary sauce served with mash, braised cabbage and mushy peas. The braised cabbage tasted like Thanksgiving, in a great way.

Esquire: For brekkie. Sit down cafe just off Eyre square with great looking breakfasts, muffins, scones etc. I had I think, the best chocolate muffin of my life. Moist, with big chunks of melted chocolate. Pretty sure at one point I had chocolate in my hair. Worth it.

Great Pubs: Many places have music twice a day, once at 6:30pm and 9:30pm

Tigh Choli: Great live Irish music. Our first evening in Galway, we popped into this place and grabbed a tiny nook to sit and watch the music. We really lucked out as it was the only spot free to sit, and this place fills up fast. We caught the 6:30pm performance, and it was hands down our favorite. About eight people showed up with their instruments, including a couple of teenagers and an older gentleman who was clapping along with the show and at one point whipped out a flute and joined the musicians. You guys, he had an emergency flute! It was a rollicking, lively, local atmosphere. At one point Brad and I just looked at each grinning.

Tigh Neachtain: Rustic, cozy pub filled with artwork and fire nooks. We had a great time, relaxing by the lovely fire places, listening to everyone with their Irish accents, and sipping Stonewell and Guinness. Live music wasn’t playing the particular evening we went, but we were told they often have it. *Stonewell was my favorite cider in Ireland, and I made it a point to try quite a few. I’m usually more of a wine gal, but you have to try a beer or cider when in Ireland right?!*

Taafes: Had a blast listening to live music in this place. It’s right across the way from Tigh Choli. After listening to over an hour of music at Tigh Choli we ran for dinner at McDonagh’s, and then popped into this place just in time to grab a seat and catch another round of music. Note – it fills up very quickly.

Day Trip from Galway

Galway was the perfect home base for a five day trip in Ireland. About 2.5 hours from Dublin, and 1.5 hours from the Cliffs of Moher, we could enjoy the adorable town and fit in some great scenery, tiny fishing villages and pubs along the way.

Dunvegan castle

Ireland has a way of working itself into your bones. It’s a place where I instantly felt comfortable, and knew I would visit again. I have long felt a draw towards the Emerald Isle. I feel the same way about Scotland and Cornwall. I think for my next trip, I would like to visit Cork and the Dingle Peninsula. My next blog post will be about the Cliffs of Moher!

What are your favorite places in Ireland? Where would you like to visit?

One Wonderful Week in Scotland

Highlights of our Scotland road trip

Day 1-2

Where to eat:

Next Stop: Isle of Skye

Day 2-5

Where to stay:

Where to eat:

Best place to hear bagpipes:

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Galway Travel Guide: Rustic Pubs, All the Fish & Chips, & Live Irish Music Galore

Great Restaurants & Pubs

Day Trip from Galway

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