Ireland 2016: County Clare Part 2 (Cliffs of Moher, Inis Oirr)

Hello! It's been a while.

I'm pretty sad that we finally got to the final post of my Europe 2016 series. I've said it multiple times that it was the best holiday I've been on ever, beating my Korea trips by miles. I never thought I'd be able to go to Europe in my wildest dreams, but I was able to do that and experience it with the family I've been missing for years. It only makes me more excited for the trips to come!

I end this with the last two sites I visited during my last full week. This was done in between long days of bonding sessions with my cousins, with activities that ranged from badminton (with wind, a challenge indeed), cooking lessons, eating, jump rope, exploring forests, eating, watching movies, learning dances, going through 13 year old videos of ourselves, and yup, more eating. It was a chill week but when we had to walk or bike, it was intense. More below!

If you missed it (or if you're feeling a little nostalgic and want a recap like me), here are the other posts in the series:

• Bray, Ireland
• London, England (Part 1 and 2)
• County Clare (Part 1: Lahinch and Bunratty Castle)
• Dublin, Ireland
• Northern Ireland

This is the view from the room I stayed in in my aunt's house. Isn't it beautiful? I always took a minute or two to look out the window because where else am I ever going to get a view like this? It was one of the things that grounded me, making me realize I was in a completely different place but at the same time, so at home with the family I've missed for years. I have this as my laptop background now, because it does give me a bit of peace.

If there is one place to visit in Ireland, it would be the Cliffs of Moher. You'd have to time it on a perfectly sunny day (no Irish weather!) to get the full experience, because it was beautiful. Honestly it looks like something out of How to Train Your Dragon, which was one of the movies we watched during one of our movie nights. We walked the trail from start to finish, and it was well worth it. 

Cow! Not that there aren't any cows in the Philippines, but there aren't any of these black and white ones that I used to always draw as a kid.

My non-creative pose at this spot. I definitely need to start thinking of poses for future trips!

The trail was such a sight for sore eyes. It was just my cousins and I this time around (my aunt was waiting at the end with lunch, yay!) so we spent some time taking pictures and racing at certain points. This only reminded me how I really need to get into shape again!

The cliffs! Honestly, this picture does it no justice. It was just one of those sites that you have to see for yourself. I sent this picture along with several others to some of my friends overseas (Hi Ena, Kate, and Peb!). I hope the pictures didn't get lost in the mail. -_-

We even saw a whale coming up for air below!

Props to my cousin Francis for this picture! There is hope for photography in my family yet.

Some pictures of me are just unfortunate (darn the wind!), but that is all part of travelling, I suppose!

This is O'Brien's Tower, which marks the highest point of the Cliffs. We skipped that bit because it was the most crowded part, and we were too hungry!

Our last Ireland adventure was a visit to the Aran Islands. We were originally going to the largest island however, we missed our boat. Fortunately, we got a chance to go to one of the smaller islands and ride bikes from there. Unlike other days, the weather wasn't too great, but that definitely didn't stop us!

We ended up in Inis Oirr or Inisheer, which was beautiful! We biked most of the island within a span of two and a half hours (including breaks) which is something I highly recommend doing! It also reminded me (again) how I need to get back into shape for the next biking adventure. I will bike up those inclines, wait and see!

These are the beautiful stone wall fences which can be found all around the island. I saw this in one of the paintings my aunt bought and was so excited to see it with my own eyes! A tip though - don't run into one of these walls with your bike like I did. Be careful!

This is The Plassey, which is a shipwreck from the 1960s. The adults were snickering as we went around it, saying, "Did the captain miss the shore?". 

The lighthouse at one end of the island. I wanted to go up but it was closed from the public, much to my dismay. Its so beautiful though - looks like it came straight out of a movie, as most of the scenery in Europe does. 

I'm honestly quite chuffed with this shot, though I wish the sun was out on this day. It would have made a lovely picture to send!

And that's it for my Europe 2016 series! I hope you enjoyed these posts as I did experiencing and creating them. Easy to say - I need to visit more of Europe soon! Any recommendations?

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Ireland 2016: County Clare Part 2 (Cliffs of Moher, Inis Oirr)

By Pauline Read More

Northern Ireland 2016

This is probably my favourite photo set of all because nearly every picture I took came out beautifully. Midway into the month I stayed in Ireland, the entire family went on a short trip to Northern Ireland. Like all the other sites we went to, I didn't google anything just so I would be surprised in seeing everything for the first time. 

First site - The Dark Hedges, which was featured in Game of Thrones. Not going to lie, we got lost for a good amount of time because our GPS kept conking out. It's quite far away, but definitely worth the visit! The beech trees are huge and they create this amazing tree tunnel unlike any other. Its currently closed now due to the concern of the influx of visitors causing stress to the trees. It's so nice to see the concern they have for the environment!

Also again, it is very easy to see why so many fantasy novels, movies, and shows are set and/or feature Europe. Everything seems like it came out of a fairy tale!

Probably the most iconic site of Northern Ireland is Giant's Causeway. A lot of walking is involved to get here so be ready! We were blessed with very sunny weather the day of our visit, which only made the scenery even more beautiful. Despite the sun though, it was freezing, around 7-8ºC! The walking definitely took away some of the cold, though!

These are basically basalt columns formed during the Paleocene Period. The mythology behind it is that there was a giant trying to build a bridge towards Scotland, but stopped when one of his thumbs was cut off. There is apparently a similar structure in Scotland. Very interesting!

This is at the tip of the coast of Northern Ireland, and faces the Norwegian Sea. This is as far up as I have ever gone while traveling! Maybe soon I can reach Reykjavik in Iceland, which is even higher up. 

We took the moderate route on the way to the Causeway and the difficult one on the way back. It was exhausting, but no regrets with the view!

Yes, it was incredibly windy.

We headed back to Portrush afterwards and had dinner in Ramore, which is supposed to be famous for its pizzas. I had a burger instead because I was too hungry. Overall the food was okay, nothing too special. They did have Alska however, which is a Swedish Cider. I regret not finding it because it had a berry flavoured one!

I couldn't get over this view. It looks like it came straight out of a movie!

The following day we went to Belfast, which is the capital of Northern Ireland. Its a lot quieter compared to London and Dublin, but it shares more similarities to London. Perhaps because it is a part of the United Kingdom?

Albert Memorial Clock. It was called their own version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, because the foundation caused it to lean to its side. Honestly it just makes me want to push it back straight. OC tendencies!

The Big Fish, which is supposed to give you wisdom when you kiss it. It also features the history of Belfast via pictures on the fish. If you were wise though, wouldn't you know not to kiss it because everyone else did?

Titanic Museum! Belfast is known as the place that built the Titanic, back when its main industry was still shipbuilding. I didn't get the chance to go in (too expensive!) but maybe some other time!

Unite the Union murals. There is a huge history regarding the split of Northern Ireland from (Southern) Ireland. I genuinely am interested to know how Brexit has affected this. 

City Hall! Such a huge difference from the city halls I've been to in the Philippines. I wonder if Manila City Hall looks similar.

That's it for this post! I hope you enjoyed this photo set as much as I did experiencing it. The Europe 2016 travel series is coming to a close, with the last post coming out next week. I'm a little sad to have this end, but that just means more adventures in the future, yes?

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Northern Ireland 2016

By Pauline Read More

Ireland 2016: Dublin

Since I missed out posting this on Tuesday, I figured a back-to-back post was a good way to make up for it! I've been suffering from a bit of blogger fatigue which explains why I haven't been uploading on the dot as I usually do. Currently trying to find inspiration, but hopefully I'll be back on my usual game soon.

A trip to another country won't be complete without visiting the capital at least once. I was in Ireland for nearly two weeks before visiting Dublin, but it was definitely worth the wait. It was the second European city I visited after London, and I was curious to see how different the two were. 

First place we went to in Dublin was (of course) the Guinness Factory. While I'm no fan of beer (and most alcohol, really. I just get a migraine the size of Jupiter), it was pretty interesting to see how they went about explaining the process behind it.

Next was Dublin Zoo! Unlike some of the zoos I've been to, most animals aren't caged and instead thrive in a space similar to their natural habitats. I'm ambivalent towards zoos in general, but I did enjoy going around with my cousins and aunts. 

Random peacock on the loose! It stood on top of that building for a good while before coming down and wandering near people. Not sure if it was really on the loose or if it was a thing, considering the zoo staff seem unfazed. It was very friendly, though!

We did take a day-tour of the city centre, courtesy of my cousin. We went to so many places that we couldn't believe we actually made it. Schedule was jam-packed with our only reprieve being lunch at a Mongolian Barbecque place. Even shopping in Grafton Street was timed, but I can proudly say I got what I needed within a span of thirty minutes. Its apparently a skill not many people have, yay!

Entering Trinity College, which was so beautiful, I could cry. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to go to a school as scenic as this. Well, the workload and studying would still be horrible, but you'd have the atmosphere to make up for it!

This is also where they had The Book of Kells on display. If you're not familiar, the Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript that is considered to be one of Ireland's most important treasures. The exhibit also leads up to the Old Library of Trinity College, which I've been dying to see ever since I saw a picture on Tumblr. As someone who loves books, sightseeing a library this pretty was beyond exciting.

I was pretty bummed with my lens limitations, so I couldn't take a picture of how massive the room was, so I settled for a few details!

Thank you to my cousin for taking this photo. There were some girls who took a picture before us and were posing in a way that I found a little too funny, so I settled for the normal tourist picture. 

Dublin streets are too pretty. Also, a bit of trivia! The windows on these buildings gradually decrease in size as you go up each floor so it gives the appearance of height. I honestly don't see that big of a difference, but its pretty interesting to know!

That's it for Dublin! Next - Northern Ireland, which is a photo set that I'm pretty chuffed about photography-wise. :')

Friday, September 02, 2016

Ireland 2016: Dublin

By Pauline Read More