I do apologize. I think it always takes a while to process a trip but looking back on these pictures, I’m reminded what a wonderful trip it was and how BEAUTIFUL God made the world! I’m reminded of the wonderful people and customs and streets and towns scattered all over the planet that make us smile and bring such joy. What a gift to be able to explore such things :) so let me show you bits and pieces of our adventures!
Here we have Greg convincing the kids it would be way more fun to watch him play the games whilst waiting those three dreaded hours for the plane to arrive. And they seemed to agree :) it was e i g h t y e i g h t in San Francisco. Have you ever dressed in your bulkiest garb for Ireland weather and had to sit in a sun baked airport? It’s quite fun.
They say the Guinness in Ireland depends on the pub and all the locals have their favorites etc. Well, that first night, the Guinness tasted like nothing I’ve ever had before. It was like drinking a cloud! It was so delicious and has stuck forever in my memory as magical. My life is clearly changed. Thank you, Guinness family. And that particular pub.
Their breakfast buffets made me so happy with their full honey combs and pastries galore but especially their beans and tomatoes and mushrooms that kept you full all day so we hardly ever had to eat lunch :D I did look forward to such things.
These two. We had the best time with them! I couldn’t imagine better traveling partners!
Dublin was one of those cities I didn’t really care if we went to or not… but I’m so glad we did! The pictures just don’t capture it but it’s so charming and walkable and friendly and I really ended up loving it! I would absolutely go back if I could!
THE WINDOW BOXES. I came home and told Greg WE NEED WINDOW BOXES EACH PLACE! I just loved them so much! They were all over Ireland and England and they made me so happy!! Of course they get rain, but I could keep them alive I’m just sure of it!!!
Ha the Guinness Storehouse was like a mall. There were so many floors of beer education and so very much to see. I had just finished Angela’s Ashes and he’s always going on about how the men have to go to the pubs after work because we wouldn’t want the Guinness family to starve! Well, I get the impression they won’t be starving any time soon ;)
Abbie tried her first oyster! I tried my first oyster with Guinness! Luke fell in love with an air plant!
We finally made it to the top with the most lovely of views and EVERYONE WAS JOLLY!
And then Greg and his family were off to Jameson and the kids and I walked back home and got to see little bits of the city here and there which was simply my favorite!
First stop – St Patrick’s Cathedral complete with boy with broken legs!
Thank goodness they had a playground that miraculously healed said legs!
All the emotions were had!
And then that night we went out to the most unexpectedly delicious dinner! And ice creams with things in it! And all the pubs were packed for the rugby world cup AND IRELAND WAS PLAYING!!!
And the next day we were off to Trinity College which, in my head, is exactly what college should look like.
IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK!?! It was so pretty haha
I think I wanted to attend Hogwarts. But the library was empty for renovations I think? and other things didn’t work out but it was still fun to walk around in and pretend I was much smarter than I was. My favorite part was hearing the most beautiful choir waft out of the chapel! It was all just so lovely!
In the first pub we went to, Lory asked if their fish and chips were the best and the waiter answered honestly, no. If you want the best, you have to go to Bray. So off to Bray we went in search of the very best!
I really liked the little we got to see of this sweet town. Maybe it’s just the sea. I love the sea.
But he was right. It really was the best fish and chips of the trip! Complete with the best mushy peas :)
And then we were off to Kilkenny to an estate that literally made me feel like we were in some Jane Austin novel.
The views around that place were just spectacular! And it was so quiet and peaceful! I want to go back :)
Their morning faces are my favorite <3
I wasn’t expecting great food in Ireland but we had so many incredible meals! I was so pleasantly surprised! And the other thing that surprised me wereeee the fake flowers everywhere!!! Ha! They were everywhere! Both Ireland and England! I always saw these elaborate flower displays on Instagram, outside of shops and stuff and wondered how they kept them fresh and alive. Now I know! They are very pretty! We just don’t really see that here :D
My personal favorite <3 gimme all the dead flowers!!! I love them so much! But seriously, isn’t their form and structure just stunning?? I was in heaven. Greg sees things differently ;)
So. many. hours. in. car.
And then we were off to Waterford!
Have you ever been to a crystal factory with three wiggly children? It doesn’t make you sweat at all.
What a fascinating tour though! Starry Starry Night was my personal favorite but I was just blown away by the craftsmanship and skill involved in each piece. And getting to see them work was so special!
And then off we went to see a whole lot more of this
I just never got tired of seeing it. Their landscapes were so pretty to me! I probably have one thousand blurry pictures of green and hills and cows. And a few ruins. It’s just magical!
But then we made it to our little schoolhouse where we spent the rest of our time!
It was the tiniest little town but drop in Susan was so sweet and even brought the loveliest scones! There was a cow! And a beebee cow! And there was the most beautiful estuary to gaze upon and such.
Luke’s teeth were fallin out all over the place. One fell out right before we left. One fell out in Ireland. Another in England. And another right when we got home. Now he is symmetrical.
I LOVED the castles way more than I thought I would. They are so spectacular in person. Even driving by, you don’t really get it but WALKING UP ughhh they are so beautiful! I’m normally so embarrassed about touristy things but every touristy thing we did was so much fun! ha! Greg signed us up for this dinner in a castle which I really didn’t know what to expect but there was singing and mead and delicious food and no utensils and it was just so much fun, I’m so glad we did it!
It’s just so fun to go in a real castle and see a real dungeon and go up the super tiny steps in the super narrow staircase and see the things we’ve been reading about – silly but it’s such a dream come true for me to get to do this sort of stuff with the kids :)
The next day was really fun for me – we ended up stumbling upon this little beach town (which, I don’t really think of Ireland as a surf spot, but it felt oddly comforting to see little surf shops all around :) ) and again had really good food in quaint little pubs and it was just all those things you want in an outing :)
And then it was off to see the Cliffs of Moher which I really wanted to call the cliffs of mohair cause that’s what my brain kept doing. My goodness. I kept hearing there are other cliffs… you don’t have to do it! but I’m, again, so glad we did. They be so pretty!!
I don’t know if this ^^ is ballet or karate, but it is the pose that kept happening.
The next day we were determined to finally get Abbie a jacket, poor girl, and headed off to the Ring of Kerry which is just, unfathomably beautiful. Like, you kinda get sick of seeing so much beauty. Yuck. I’m just kidding. It’s ridiculous. But ALSO the variety! There were so many different TYPES of beauty and landscapes… it was just such a treat for my misty mountain loving soul.
My sister had said she couldn’t find many (or any?) shamrocks in Ireland. This was the only resemblance I could find. Does it count?
And then everyone humored me by going to Limerick the next day… cause again, Angela’s Ashes ;) I LIKE SEEING THINGS IN PERSON OK!??
Also the birthplace of The Cranberries anddd The Irish Coffee… which was also the best I’ve ever had in mine life if I do say so myself.
Now THIS castle I loved! There was so much history that we have been learning about and again, just so fun to go into these real places and be there! I hope it sticks in the kids heads but if not, I’m really enjoying my second education ;)
Abbie looking right at home ;) can’t blame her.
The Ring of Kerry was a l o t of time in the car the day before so we promised the kids a playground date and ohhhhh there was so much good. Abbie was pouting cause no one wanted to play with her and two seconds later she was leading around a whole posse! They were all wondering why we were even there because no one visits Limerick on purpose, they said. She was the first person they had ever met that used American dollars and none of them had ever left the city except one had been to London to see Beyonce :D hehe they were so cute. And the park was packed and everyone had the most wonderful accent and it was just fun to be amongst locals. Oh! Another thing I was surprised with was how many people spoke Irish. I guess I thought it was sort of a dead language but it’s not.. all the signs were in Irish (big) with English (smaller) underneath.. Irish is very much alive! And it’s called Irish, not Gaelic, we found out. These are the things we learned ;)
So there’s an address in the book that was just around the corner from the park.. not sure if he actually lived there or not but Greg was nice enough to check it out with me :D And it was fun to see some of the churches mentioned and little places here and there… I think there’s actually a museum we could have gone to but, NEXT TIME when I drag my family back to Limerick ;) we went to yet another fish and chips place and looking at the menu, I had no idea what to order, so naturally, I tried to confidently order what the guys in front of me ordered and came out with a very large amount of food.
And then we were back to the Shannon that kills. One more thing about Angela’s Ashes and then I’ll shut up about it. The dad is always going on about the (river) Shannon that kills cause it’s always damp there and people are dying from all sorts of diseases because of it and such.. well, I was reading it one day and then it hit me. BABE, I said, where did you say we are staying on the west side of Ireland? And then I realized… the quaint little schoolhouse that was so affordable right on the water was ON THE SHANNON THAT KILLS ;) The Shannon estuary not the river so maybe it makes a difference but anyways, that was the joke. We ended up all getting sick (ha! after visiting the Shannon River!! JUST NOW PUTTING THIS TOGETHER!!!) and yes, I was maybe worried she would do her killing but we survived. And she did have some pretty sunrises :)
And then we roused our sick selves and headed off to Galway for our last day of Irish Exploration!
I really just wanted to see some live music while we were there so Greg was sweet enough to find a pub that had such and my trip was finally complete!
We really loved Ireland. My pictures don’t even begin to capture how stunning it was. If you are a lover of moody landscapes…. it’s just :’) so :’) lovely. And the rock walls everywhere. THEIR HIGHWAYS WERE SO STUNNING! My beauty loving heart was just so happy. And the people were so kind and we just had the best time driving and driving haha all about! I shall miss it very much!
But then we had to say goodbye to Lory and Jen :( and hopped over to England where someone threw an epic tantrum on the airplane, someone may have cried, and all of us were very much wanting to head home too! Ok maybe it was just me. I was so tired and so ready to be home but we kept calm and carried on, as the British do. Greg spoiled the kids rotten (ok and me :D ) and surprised them with all the fancy things. We are all utterly rotten, once more.
That bed was so comfy. Our bed before, the sheets weren’t quite big enough for the mattress and kept shifting all night so this was a real treat :D
Oh look pooplets.
I loved London. I feel like we barely got to see any of it but everything I saw I loved! We’ll just have to go back I suppose! For now here are the basics :)
Here’s another touristy thing I actually really ended up enjoying!! Whaddayaknow!! Greg really wanted to see Westminster Abbey and I’m so glad he did cause WOW ohmygoodness the architecture and and and art and statues and all the things!! And all the dead people! I didn’t know there were people buried under there. That was strange but here’s Sir Isaac Newton..
But my goodness the skills some people have.
We thought it would be fun to do a high tea with the kids and signed us all up… and then started to do research.. and then remembered the kids, ahem, none of us have any manners and then we started to sweat and dread and hate ourselves for being such foolish uncultured Americans! But then we went anyways and it was fine and they were very nice and my goodness that’s a lot of sandwiches and no one was doing the things we learned!! So maybe we didn’t go to a real one but we tried ;)
It’s hard to be proper when you are the pot of gold.
We didn’t get to spend much more time in London cause we found they don’t like cars. They don’t want you to drive cars. They do not provide parking lots. So we headed out to our people in the country.
Greg’s a huge Top Gear fan and we conveniently h a p p e n e d to be passing by so we stopped in for supplies and such. It was windy. And then it was off to the cutie Cotswolds!
I cannot fathom a place where everything is so idilic but I did pretend I was Beatrix Potter and all the ducks were my friends and it was quite nice. We got some good rain (finally!) and had the coziest little place to snuggle up and play games and try not to hit your head on the light!
And then we walked :)
There was a sandwich. From this shop. I’m still thinking about it. It was it was it was ughhhh it was the best sandwich. I really liked it. Apparently. It was ham and cheese and melty and crunchy and just SO GOOD. And this loaf of bread was good too. My heart breaks for gluten free people. WHAT KIND OF LIFE HAVE YOU KNOWN!?!?
This house was so fun :) the kids and Greg were horrified the whole bathroom would get wet whilst showering, the bath was in the bedroom, one needed to duck to get into the bed, and the whole house needed a day to warm up and stay warm. It was all so lovely :) AND THE TOWNS!
THERE WAS CUTENESS EVERYWHERE!!! DO THEY EVEN REALIZE!?! And then it was one more fun meal and off we went to the next place amongst beautiful scenery each place you looked!
And Greg let me go to one garden which filled up my gardening cup. Mostly because I HEARD HIM ACKNOWLEDGE all gardens have weeds and look dead in October. Even lovely estate gardens with full staffs. And I felt seen and heard and all was well :)
Give me all the rosehips!!! And dead meadowy things!!! I bet you were just stunning in August :)
And allées!!!
AND THEN to possibly my most favorite place of all!!!! But only cause we got to see our friends!! AND ALSO THE PONIES!!!! off we went to the New Forest!
DO YOU SEE HOW MANY ARE SO VERY CLOSE TO THE ROAD!!!!! This is my heaven. I have made it I am in heaven.
THEY JUST ROAM AROUND. EVERYWHERE. HAPPILY. AND IT’S NOT JUST PONIES!!! There are donkeys and pigs and I’m sure other things!!! This was very hard for me to handle. It was all very good. But then we got to see our wonderful friends and that was even better!
And then I got the most delicious birthday breakfast and lovely birthday outing to see lovely cars MY FAVORITE ;) and lovely falcons!! and lovely gardens and estates!! and delicious cocktails and it was all so wonderful.
AND THEN the next day they took us to the most delicious Sunday roast I ever did have. It was inspirational! Seriously need to work on my skills cause I must have such things once more!!!
These people are really special. We miss them a lot <3
And then it was one more walk in the woods with the ponies :) :) and off to Windsor Castle!
The Red Coats came.
And then we breathed a big sigh, had one more delicious meat pie and headed home, thankful for the memories, and thankful for our beds :)
Till next time, Europe you were splendid!