Snapshots of Ireland, Part 2

by Alex in Ireland, In Transit
 
When we last spoke, our stalwart heroes were halfway through a massive undertaking: drive around the entire island of Ireland, trying to see as much as possible before Tash and I had to start our new job and Mum had to get back to Australia.

We had just left Galway, freshly clean clothes in our bags, and set our sights northwards. We passed through the (beautiful and picturesque) Connemara, stopping briefly to see what would soon be our new home and meet our new boss (albeit temporary), before climbing back into our rental car and setting off for part 2 of our epic, neatly-divided-into-two-convenient-halves road trip!

Nine Reasons To Be Happy This Christmas!

by Tasha in Epigrams and Interludes

So...as you long time followers may already know - I love Christmas!

No....I really really love Christmas.

I love the decorations, I love the songs, I love fairylights and candy canes and Christmas cookies and snow and wrapping presents and....I just love this season.

In fact a while ago I wrote an article on how awesome Christmas is.

But this year - for something a little different, I thought I'd start a list of everything that makes me so happy this Christmas.

and it's not just because I have Christmas Tardis wallpaper!

College Days: Getting our Geek on at Trinity College

by Alex and Tasha in Ireland

Whether you are passing through Dublin or using it as a jumping off point for the rest of Ireland - If you see nothing else in the city I would recommend you take a short stopover and check out one of my favourite areas in Dublin, and home to some of the most beautiful classic architecture surrounding the infamous - and the unironically awe-inspiring Trinity College.

photo by: wenzday01

Trinity College is perfectly surrounded by Dublin City - just on the south side of the River Liffey somewhat near the Temple Bar district. The College was originally founded by Elizabeth I in 1592 to help keep her loyal English subjects in Dublin from picking up any 'pesky' Catholic leanings from the Irish colleges, and it has been Ireland's most prestigious university ever since. Current students offer tours of campus every day, and by all accounts, they're well worth the money.

This, however, was not why we where there.

Snapshots of Ireland, Part 1

by Alex in Ireland, In Transit

When we first arrived in Ireland in February, we had our job in Killarney already lined up. After briefly (and I mean briefly) passing through Dublin and taking a week to chill out (read: barely leave the hostel) in Cork, we headed straight for the hostel that would be our job and our home for the next 6 months.

While it was great working in a lovely small town, we didn't really get the chance to go anywhere and see anything else of Ireland during that time. Fortunately for us, however, at the same time that we were finishing our work in Killarney, my mum came over from Australia to visit us.

Retake the City: Killarney

by Alex in Ireland, Retake the City

For our first 6 months in Ireland, we were living and working in Killarney, in County Kerry. Killarney is a small town but a major tourist hub for the south-west of Ireland, mostly because it's the start & end point for the Ring of Kerry.

We've already shared some of our more memorable experiences around town (including its deeply spooky side), but it would be remiss of us as travel bloggers to spend so much time in such a popular tourist town without giving you guys a bit more of a guide to the town and some of the surrounding area.

The Wild and Beautiful Connemara

by Tasha in Ireland

As anyone who follows us on Facebook will already know, we have moved around quite a bit recently. From Killarney, to a three week road-trip with family, to working in the Connemara, a quick stop in Galway and now settled and working in Dublin for our last few months in Ireland.

I could be completely diplomatic and say we have moved to Dublin for "unforseen circumstances" but frankly, as much as I love Dublin, I am still a little sad we had to move from the Connemara. We were settled in, with a good routine and good friends. Unfortunately the tiny fact of not getting paid for our work got in the way. It's one of those unfortunate possible downsides of travel, and one I am surprised we haven't run into before now. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, know your rights, stand up for yourself and don't be afraid to walk away.

Regardless of how we left things - the Connemara remains one of my favourite natural treasures of Ireland and I would be remiss in my duties as a vicarious travel guide if I did not take you on a virtual tour.