Plan Pack Go

6 Weeks in Ireland

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Overview

Julie enjoying the view from the Dingle Way on the way to Dunquin

Julie enjoying the view from the Dingle Way on the way to Dunquin

Chris and I spent a total of six weeks in Ireland: three weeks on our own, one week hiking with a friend, and the final two weeks sightseeing with family. It was a fantastic trip and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but was it “perfect”? Nope. Here’s a taste of lessons learned (in no particular order):

  • Be constrained and slow down: We traveled by bus and train for the first four weeks which meant no side trips. We got to a destination and explored that place, usually on foot. It was slow, mellow, and allowed us to dive deep. Contrast that with our final two weeks. Since we had rental cars, we used them; boy, did we use them! Just because you can get somewhere, doesn’t mean you should. In retrospect, we spent way too much time in the car. I wish we’d stuck closer to home and tried to cram less in.
  • Don’t travel on Sundays: Many walking and hiking groups meet Sunday mornings, and trad music sessions are regularly scheduled for Sunday evenings.
  • Talk to people: Talk to anyone and everyone: B&B owners, shopkeepers, bartenders, fellow travelers, wait staff, tour guides, etc. This was a major highlight of the trip. We often asked for tips about where to eat or what to see, but mostly made small talk. No matter the topic, we always came away richer. Even if you’re shy, what better way to experiment than in a new country with folks you’ll likely never see again?
  • Eat vegetables: And turn down the big Irish breakfast every now and then. I can handle “vacation eating” for a short period, but a 6-week trip requires better habits. By the end, I was craving healthy food, light meals, and regular exercise.
  • Maintain routine: Again, this may not be necessary for a short trip; that’s one reason we vacation, after all – to break routine. I can’t help but compare the two halves of my trip though. I was very disciplined the first three weeks, our days tended toward a predictable structure, and I was healthy, productive, and energized. Over the last three weeks, things gradually got away from me and by the end, I had stopped writing and exercising, got little sleep, and ate way too much fried food. I do better with more order; even small nods to routine would have helped.
  • Look up: This one is from Karen. On one Dublin walkabout she practically swatted my phone from my hand. I like the reassurance of using Google Maps to quickly get where we need to go, while Karen prefers to briefly look at a map to get bearings, and then explore using landmarks and “street sense”. I get it now! Since she was heads up the whole time, she had a much better grasp of the city’s layout and noticed more landmark details (we always turn at this store, this street leads to the river, etc). I always say I have a terrible sense of direction, but there’s one way to fix that – work on it!

This marks my second trip to Ireland, and I know I’ll return. There’s something about the island that speaks to me.

Moving on to the details, here’s our loose itinerary and associated blog posts: