Ireland Archives - Learning To Travel

Fitz’s Pub Doolin Ireland

Have you been to Ireland? No? You should go. Really you should drop everything you are doing with your life and visit Ireland. The place is darn near magical, even though leprechauns are not real.

Spotted this great Guinness sign at Fitz’s Pub in Doolin, Ireland. It was just one of many Guinness things we saw on our visit. I was never sure how big of a deal Guinness is to the Irish but after spending some time there I can say it is a VERY BIG DEAL. One thing that surprised me was that it was expensive. I thought it would be cheaper.

Coca Cola With Vegetable Extracts

Travel Photos

While enjoying a Coca-Cola in Ireland I noticed an odd statement on the back of the can.

“Sparkling Soft Drink with Vegetable Extracts”

Wait. What? Not sure exactly what that means but the Coke tasted pretty much like any other Coke I’ve had around the world.

Statue At Lyrath Estate In Kilkenny, Ireland

Travel Photos

The Lyrath Estate Hotel and Spa in Kilkenny, Ireland, is hands down my favorite hotel on planet earth. A beautiful and historic estate that is now an amazing hotel where they treat you so well you kind of feel like royalty.

Pringles Vending Machine In The Dublin Airport

Travel Photos

During my travels I’ve seen many wonders and right after landing in Dublin Ireland I cam across these, Pringles vending machines.

Irish Drinks

Food and Drink, Our Travel Stories

Guinness and Jameson

The Irish love their drink. Two in particular – Guinness and Jameson.

Knowing we were going to be in Ireland, we had been looking forward to visiting the home of Guinness and having the opportunity to pour our very own “perfect pint” for a while. It was exciting to finally have our chance.

We even got to enjoy that pint with a nighttime view of the Dublin skyline from the top floor of the Guinness Storehouse.

Jameson on the other hand would require a bit more work to find a form I appreciated. Although I tried it straight and it wasn’t horrible. I still can’t say I enjoy sipping whiskey.

However, I did find a version that is perfect for me and nearly as possible. Irish Coffee!

At the Granville Hotel in Waterford, where we had a delicious dinner and a great night’s sleep, we were also treated to a quick after-dinner lesson on making the perfect Irish coffee.

Step 1: Heat up the glass with hot water (not pictured).

Step 2: Add sugar (also not pictured).

Step 3: Add the coffee.

Step 4: Add the whiskey.

Step 5: Stir and then add hot water.

Step 6: Add real whipped cream, “half-whipped” is best (ie. not liquid, but not too stiff).

Step 7 (added in my world): Add more real whipped cream.

Quantities of all ingredients are pretty much up to the drinker and in the end a perfect Irish coffee should end up looking a lot like a perfect Guinness.

There was however, one tiny inconsistency that stood out to us that I need to mention. Apparently the quality of the whiskey is quite important but the quality of the coffee, not so much. We were instructed very specifically to use only the best whiskey, but then were provided with instant coffee. I guess you can see which ingredient takes precedence here.

Cliffs of Moher

Our Travel Stories

It was a sunny October day in Southwest Ireland when we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher. I was already impressed with the Irish scenery, but this was the pinnacle. Walking along the grassy topped 750-foot cliffs with the sun shining down and the breeze blowing off the sea, it was difficult not to feel quite small. These cliffs give pause to contemplate the scale and timeline of the natural world.

In both directions you could also just continue walking to the nearest towns on a series of walking paths. I suddenly really wanted to spend some significant time nearby where I could walk or run to, from and along the cliffs.

Even just visiting the cliffs themselves, you’ll easily want to spend a few hours. The Visitor’s Center itself is an interesting building architecturally as its been built largely underground so as to disturb the natural landscape as little as possible.

The Cliffs stretch quite a distance and you can walk along the Cliffs in both directions offering different views.

And if you think these cliffs seem a bit familiar, perhaps you recognize them as the Cliffs of Insanity from the Princess Bride.

I would say the Cliffs of Moher are a must-see when visiting Ireland. If you have the time to take a multi-day tour or road-trip, that is the way to go. (We had a great time with Paddywagon Tours.) But if you only have a single day, you can still take a tour from Dublin. It’s a lot of travel time on a bus and a long day (12-hours, I believe), but having visited, my opinion is that it would be worth it.