Chilling in Ennis, Ireland

Thought I'd pop in and post about some of our trip, so I get the memories down before they disappear in the hustle and bustle of real like next week~

Dublin (Day 1, 2, 3) - We arrived after a long overnight flight (would never do that again). It was around 11:00 am in Dublin once we checked into The Trinity Hotel. The Trinity was super cool~ very eclectic with a beautiful combination of modern and historical architecture.... purple and pink walls with crazy cool furniture. We dropped off our bags and headed downtown since our room wasn't available until 2:00 pm. We had our first Irish meal at the O'Doughlin Pub. It was technically 6:00 am our time, so we didn't start with a beer... just a baked potato with beans and cheese for me and Shepherd's pie for Derek. After our first Pub, we walked around town checking out the downtown area. While in Dublin we visited The Guinness Brewery,

Waterford Castle (Day 3, 4) - The Castle had beautiful grounds, but the rooms were not castle like. The outside was, but the inside reminded me more of a Victorian hotel. Very plush! We had dinner in the Castle's dinining room after drinks in the Castle's bar room. Derek and I both had filet with mashed potatoes and purple broccoli. Derek's was perfect... mine overcooked.

Kinsale (Day 4, 5) - We drove to a beautiful bed & breakfast in Kinsale after visting the Blarney Castle. It was a very rainy cold day, but we enjoyed walking through the castle and Derek kissed the stone! There was no way I would do it! We walked the grounds of the castle that included many unique plants, flowers, and stories.

Killarney (Day 5, 6, 7) - We stayed in a farmhouse bed & breakfast in Killarney. It was a true bed & breakfast and reminded me of an elderly grandmother's home. While in Killarney we drove the Ring of Kerry, visited the Muckross Estate, Abbey, and saw the movie "Knowing" with Nicholas Cage.

Ennis (Day 7,8) - On our way to Ennis we stopped at the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs were a major tour attraction, but we went off the beaten path and enjoyed the beautiful views and enjoyed the long hike up the mountain. We stayed at a beautiful hotel called "Old Ground Hotel." From the name you would think it would be quite antiquated, but to the contrary it was modern and beautiful. Being Good Friday there were few restaurants open in the city, so we had dinner at a local pizzeria.