After Christmas, my family headed home and I hopped on a plane to Ireland with my friend Hannah. Ireland had never been very high on my “to go” list (which could do with the fact that I despise the color green) but once we arrived in Dublin I was glad I had chosen Ireland over any of the other places on my list.

The Irish people are all incredibly nice, the food is good, and the air almost always smells like beef jerky. Not only that, but the small towns surrounding Dublin hold some of the most incredible scenery I have ever seen.

Overlooking Killiney beach and the Irish sea.

Dublin’s River Liffey reflecting the city lights at night.

The city of Dublin held my interest for about two days, and once we had seen all the book shops and museums, and the beautiful Trinity college, Hannah and I went outside of Dublin to explore coastal towns, castles, and the Wicklow National Park area.

Living in Paris means being apart from the ocean, so I was relieved to be able to get some time near the sea. The water in Howth was so blue, and we sat and watched a group of kids getting sailing lessons.

Malahide Castle dates back to the 12th Century, and housed the same Irish family for 800 years. The castle was impressive, but my favorite part was the walled garden.

    Kitty friend met me at the gate and then gave me a guided tour of the beautiful botanical gardens.

Seeing Irish sheep may have been the highlight of our trip…

Apparently this is Ireland’s largest waterfall, but it isn’t very big so I’ll just pretend the website I read was wrong.

Hannah and I did all the planning for our trip and I’m very happy with how smoothly it went, and with how much of Ireland I was able to see while there. It was a lovely vacation, and now I’m thoroughly worn out, sitting at home and planning my next trip. (I’m thinking Istanbul, or maybe Venice? Or maybe even El Camino de Santiago?? Just brainstorming here…)

For now though, it’s back to Paris life.

XOLily