Ireland - I just love this country. I was there several times, and each time I felt it is not enough, so I believe that I will go there again. Ireland is an infrequently visited place and not a widely demanded destination.
It is worth saying that I liked everything there. First of all, this is a very beautiful country and even somewhat similar to my Lithuania at the summer. Everything is very bright (mostly green), very positive and kind people, reasonable prices, and interesting excursions.
Who wants to relax with family, I recommend not settling in Dublin but nearby it. Because the capital is precisely a multi functional city, where a lot of people live and buzz. You can go there for shopping, since shops number is impressive.
The landscape changes from green meadows to weathered cliffs, from moorland to moss-covered forests, from calm and lazy lowland rivers to crazy cascading waterfalls. The Atlantic Ocean and the Cliffs of Moher are like a special song. I could spend hours there, contemplating how the unrestrained element of the Atlantic changes its mood.
SOME COMMON INFO ABOUT IRELAND
The climate there is certainly not the most pleasant but it is beautiful in its own way. During the week, continuous rains can pour there, and even if you see the sun on the street, do not flatter yourself - in a minute, a wall of water may rush.
As for the people, they are very friendly there - a complete stranger can come up to you and ask how you are doing, or ask something about your family.
All buses are 2-store and yellow. The movement is left-handed, that is - when crossing the road, first we look to the right, then to the left, although, out of habit, you begin to turn your head in all directions at once.
In almost all stores you can apply for Tax Free from only 10 Euro per purchase! This was not seen in other European cities; usually Tax Free starts from 70 -100 Euro. Do not forget to take a bank card with yourself on a trip to issue a Tax Free refund on it.
There is no winter on the green island, but summer is also not very warm. The hottest days are when it is as much as 19 degrees Celsius for a short time, so residents gratefully use every warm moment.
Ireland also has its own language: Irish, but for the most part only very old people know it; others speak English.
The best time to explore Ireland is the middle of summer: warm, sunny, and green.
Be sure to rent a car because the beauties of Ireland arise literally behind the hills with sheep, and most often, it's not impossible to get to them by public transport. As I personally understood, in any Ireland village you can suddenly find the ruins of a castle of the 13th century, and when you get out into the gardens, you can find a coast or a leprechaun village around the corner.
EXCURSIONS
Dublin can be visited and enjoyed by the bus tour. But Dublin is not all of Ireland. I really wanted to go to Glendalough (Valley of the Two Lakes). Every day all year round, the Glendalough city bus departs from Grafton Street (on the map, the southern part of Dublin) at 11:30, and returns to Dublin around 18:00. Travel time is about 1 hour. This is a walk in a fairy forest! Here you can find a ruined monastery of the 6th century and an old but still functioning cemetery.
Try to find that very endless staircase in the forest that will lead you to the top of the mountain and offer a view of the lakes! You need the most comfortable shoes and lunch to go. A ticket back and forth costs 22 Euro. The ticket is purchased from the driver at the time of boarding. The same tour can be purchased in advance at any tourist office in Dublin for 26 Euro. Then the start of the trip will begin from another point.
And an excursion to the Cliffs of Moher, for which it is generally worth going to Ireland. The first representative of the travel company offered a tour for 20 E, the second - for 15 /person. As for the set of excursions and stops, in my opinion, everything is the same. I didn't see a difference. Tour starts at 10:00.
And it is worth to buy an excursion to The Aran Islands. The cost is about 26 Euro up to 30 Euro.
In Killarney, there is a picturesque lake, where paradise is closest to the earth! I have never seen a more picturesque sunset than the one I was lucky enough to see there.
Rock of Cashel is the very embodiment of the spirit of modesty and asceticism of the first Christians in Ireland. From the height of the hill on which the castle stands, a view of the entire district opens up - the dream of any artist, musician, and poet.
Well, and of course, you can touch the Celtic culture by visiting the dolmens in the town of Bru-na-Boinne.
Most of all I was struck by the views of the Irish fields and rocks. We had many small stops to admire them. You get off the car and breathe in the fresh air, and the sheep are grazing behind the fence. I don’t know about everyone, but I liked this one so much that if I had the opportunity to stay, I would buy a house in the meadow and get myself sixty sheep. There are plenty of farmers in Ireland!
Ireland is very cozy, green, with a huge number of bridges, pubs, souvenir shops, with its eternally lively and musical Grafton Street, with St. Stephen's Park, where you can hide from the sun and rain, with the Dundrum metro station, with the largest park in Europe - Phoenix, where deer roam freely along with people, with the most expensive but unforgettable zoo, with many redheaded people with freckles...
ON THE FINAL NOTE
Who has not been, I advise you to go. Ireland is a very beautiful country with awesome nature, landscapes, ocean, cliffs, and meadows. Well, you also should visit their pubs, chat with the locals, and drink awesome dark beer and whiskey. I must say that they drink a lot here but people there are very culture.
A few days were not enough to fully enjoy the splendor of these untouched mountain and flat landscapes, to talk enough with real Irish people, to drink beer, walk up and down along and across well-worn Dublin and other cities.
But a few days were enough to understand that it was impossible to come here for a week - you need to come here for longer, rent a car and drive up and down, exploring the magical beauty of this small green independent country with a population of just over 4 million people.
And just one day was enough for us to fall in love with all the splendor of architecture, to appreciate the scale of the culture of this truly great and proud people. We fell in love and left a piece of our heart and soul there!
