Day 2. Brú na Bóinne, Belfast, to Bushmills

The walking, the driving, the trains, the airplanes....they're all part of the adventure that speaks to traveling abroad, as well as the sites and places we find and really experience in any given amount of time. For me, getting from Point A to Point B is the always the most exciting part of the adventure.  I'm a lover of airports and stations, small cafes and window seats.

That being said, the morning of our second day in Ireland included driving from our Day 1 site, Trim, to the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre. Which means...my turn to drive.

Our rental car was a Mii.  In my mind, this car directly translated into a GoKart.  With the driver's side of the vehicle on the right and the actual driving on the left, I was overly excited to try my hand behind the wheel.  I turned right out of our B&B's driveway (onto the left side of the road, of course) and directly into a busy roundabout.  From there, we followed our GPS.

Well, sometimes GPS just doesn't get it right.

This was our first experience with Ireland's "L and R" roads.  Totally dependent on our borrowed GPS, it led us very quickly towards what seemed like the middle of nowhere.  As I zoomed Mii-GoKart down the paved paths and under dark looming trees, through fields of tall waving grass, and emerald rolling hills, this early morning drive turned into a surprisingly beautiful if not serendipitous 45-minute journey through one of Ireland's most treasured and oldest landscapes.

Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre: Knowth & Newgrange

Arriving at the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre, we had the pleasant discovery that our visit (to this OPW Heritage Ireland site which interprets the paleo sites of Newgrange, Knowth & Dowth) was FREE! On any other day that month, the cost to visit both Newgrange and Knowth is €11 per person (roughly $15 each).  It was our lucky day. This turned into a $30 savings for us...all because the first Wednesday of every month (when we visited, at least) is free for all visitors.  This really was a pleasant surprise, especially because the expense of visiting these places (the most expensive of Ireland's sites) was the reason we wanted to buy the OPW Heritage Card.

Path to the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre

In order to visit both sites, you board a bus at a meeting point, travel with your guide to the site, and are given a guided tour.  Then you take the bus back.  Zero time for self-exploration.  Knowth and Newgrange were both scripted tours, and although both guides were great - they spoke clearly and were clearly very knowledgeable - each guide both had their unique, and rather entertaining, quirks. Our first tour was a bit rushed, and the second, well, let's just say the poor guy really wasn't feeling well and looked like he had his fill of tourists for whom simple instructions are difficult.  As much as I loved the info that the OPW Heritage Ireland tour guides gave, they lacked a bit in personality.  My career has been mostly based in education and the visitor experience, and teaching people how to give a great and impressionable tour.  Therefore, the visitor hopefully returns, and spends more time and perhaps, more money.  Essentially, I'm a judger.  I'm probably the LAST person any guide wants on their tour, especially if they're having an off day. In all reality and with some perspective, our second tour was BY FAR the most memorable experience touring huge touristy places in Ireland, and I'll always laugh with (not at!) our guide and his annoyance of visitors.

Knowth and Newgrange were gorgeous and incredibly amazing; "Ireland's Stonehenge." Certainly not to be missed by the archaeology/history nut. We also met the nicest couple, who have a very cool traveling/blogging/photographing family.

Knowth

Newgrange

North view of Newgrange

Newgrange Carvings

Belfast & Crown Liquor Saloon

Leaving the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre (and Newgrange and Knowth), we traveled north towards Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. A whole 'nother country! Being as we visit Boston and NYC often enough, Belfast is comparably very small and apparently, also the city where Titanic was built. Every tourist shop we passed on our city walk advertised the Titanic to death.  I'm not sure I'd relish in the thought that my city built the ship that is most famous for the fact that it sunk.  Not so good for their current shipbuilding industry, eh?  They however, seem quite proud.

Our stop in Belfast was obviously full of intense purpose...we craved sustenance and beer. The highlight (and only stop) during our Belfast visit was the infamous Crown Liquor Saloon, gorgeous in its carved ceilings, granite bar, mosaic tile, gas lamps, and real ales. And, good food, to top it off! Guinness stew and Fish N' Chips. We definitely went for the full Irish experience, and perhaps a bit of comfort food.

Yum.

Downstairs pub.

Enter via the crown tile mosaic.

The Dark Hedges

This backwoods experience was all based on intense research...welcome to the Dark Hedges, the site of a bit of Game of Thrones filming and our last experience of the day.  Out stop here was after Belfast on our way to our next night's bed & breakfast in Bushmills, Northern Ireland.

I might take the time to actually edit some of these photos; spruce them up as all digital photographers do nowadays.  I love the path, the depth, and the drama created by the cowering trees and the narrow road. The Dark Hedges was certainly off the traveled way; they exist as part of a farmer's field, and don't appear in tourist books.  Finding unique places and exploring nooks and crannies of new countries always adds to the appeal of our adventures, and we were able to visit during that magical time of late afternoon/dusk.   A super cool treat towards the end of a very touristy day.

Day 1. Airport to Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland

At the suggestion of a friend, I am going to start writing about our travel adventures rather than simply posting photos.  This log of written memories is more for our own recollections (at 30, I've begun to realize just how quickly memories slip away) but I will include my photographs, as well.

Just an FYI: My husband and I rely mostly on print and online resources when we travel.  He is much more of a planner than I am. We peruse other's travel blogs, reviews, etc. For this trip, we rocked out with TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet, and purchased one book titled the Back Roads Ireland (Dailey et al; 2013).  Perhaps our experiences will help out with someone else's travels, too.

First day's adventures: Airport to Car Rental to Trim, Co. Meath

We decided to rent a car and tour on our own Ireland and Northern Ireland.  My husband read the entire Ireland driver's manual.  Me?  I got in the car and hit the gas.  Heck, I've been driving since I was 5.  I could handle this, no problem.

One piece of advice: if you rent a car, make sure you double-check the sheet metal with the car company's records before driving your rental off the lot.  You'll likely find things like this:

Yes, that's our rental car.

My detailed-driven and intelligent husband asked me to do a walkaround of our rental before we drove it off the lot. Even with my exasperation and blurry-zero-sleep-red-eye-flight-sight, I could have seen this dent from a mile away.  We made sure that this damage was recorded, along with other dents and scrapes that were found (which would have went unrecorded with the rental company), and then we drove off the lot. Hilarious? Yes. Scary? More so. We got a good laugh out of it, but if my husband hadn't had the wherewithal to check over the car, then we would have been required to pay for damage certainly not inflicted by us upon return.

Side note: our driving record was nearly impeccable while in Ireland.  Except for one minor parallel parking mishap in which the driver shall remain unnamed.

My recommendation: get the CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) when you rent a car in Ireland.  Very few credit card companies or American auto insurance companies will cover you while driving in Ireland. The highways and straightaways are easy; it's the curves and the random pop-ups in the road you have to look out for. Not to mention that things can go south pretty quickly if you try for the shortcut. All in all, I loved driving in Ireland. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It's the only way to see the country. You get over driving on the wrong (right?) side of the road and car quicker than you'd think.

Anywho, this was our adventure in Trim, County Meath (just northwest of Dublin).  We had booked one night at Highfield House; GORGEOUS manor, fabulous food, excellent walking distance to everything in Trim, and plenty of parking.  Not much more you could ask for.  After checking in, we grabbed lunch at a small cafe, and hiked about town.  We walked up to the Belfry Tower, or known as the "Yellow Steeple" (built in 1368 for the original Augustinian Abbey).

Highfield House, Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland.

This guy. All this guy. In the Trim Visitor's Centre.

Around town.

Looking up the "Yellow Steeple."

"Yellow Steeple."

Cute pup and the "Yellow Steeple."

We took the guided tour of Trim Castle.  It was excellent; I would highly recommend.  In hindsight, this was probably the best guided tour from Heritage Ireland during our 2-week trip.  Our guide at Trim Castle was a young man who clearly knew his stuff, he was also personable, and allowed us to explore the castle without any rush.  The tour group itself included very few people (probably because we visited during the "off season" on a mid-week afternoon).  I learned a lot (despite sleep deprivation).  Trim Castle was used in the filming of Braveheart.  It's the country's largest Norman Castle (approximately 700 years old), and the views from the Keep are astounding.

Side note: we had planned on purchasing a Heritage Ireland OPW Heritage Card to save a little cash because we wanted to see so many OPW sites. Since the office at Trim Castle ran out of cards, the very pleasant gentleman offered us a discount rate just for Trim Castle because he couldn't offer us the Heritage Card.

Castle Keep to the left, "Yellow Steeple" to the right.

"Yellow Steeple" through the outer wall of Trim Castle.

Under the outer walls of Trim Castle, directly on the River Boyne.

Trim Castle from the bridge over the River Boyne.

Outer wall, Trim Castle

We hiked the length of the Trim Castle River Walk along the River Boyne, visited Newtown Abbey, and even grabbed a pint at Marcie Regan's (Ireland's second oldest pub).  This pub was where we were memorably educated on the most important lesson to drinking a Guinness.  Three older Irish gentlemen who were each consuming (but of course) a Budweiser at the bar...yes, Budweiser...who shared with us that when ordering a Guinness, allow the beer to settle first, to be topped off by your tender, and to settle again before you even think about touching the glass.

I wish I took more photographs in Marcie Regan's. It was quaint, very cool. An early 17th century building, the nooks and crannys were crooked, and the fireplace friendly.  I could have spent all night there.  We also met another American couple who shared with us their experiences during their Ireland travels (and took their recommendations for our next day's adventures).

In the morning we were on the road again after a good night's sleep and some amazing A.M. scones towards Newgrange and Knowth.

Newtown Abbey

A mix of the old and new.  Newtown Abbey and the adjacent yard is still used today as a cemetery.

To make a long story short, this couple was buried at Newtown Abbey,
and the grave is known as the Tomb of the Jealous Man and Woman.
Something about her having an affair, how the couple is not touching even in death,
somehow translates into the visitor curing warts. Touch a safety pin to your wart,
leave the pin at the grave, and it will cure your skin problems.
I'm still trying to figure out how that works.

Views of Venezia