Growing up, I loved reading Greek Mythology and even studied Ancient Greek in college. I dreamed of visiting and experiencing the culture, food, and history; so when I found out that I was going for my birthday, I was unbelievably excited. Athens is the heartbeat of Greece, full of so much history and has aged …
Dublin, Maynooth, & Rathcoole
I tried to keep an open mind about Dublin because friends had mentioned they did not enjoy it. First and foremost, it is a large city and that was a stark contrast to how the rest of our trip had been. There are also many more tourists making it feel more like New York City …
Kilkenny
We made it to Kilkenny in good time from Cobh and shortly realized while taking our bags out of the car that we forgot our house keys at our last b&b. After brainstorming solutions with our new host, we decided the safest way to get them was to drive back to Cobh and return to …
Cobh & Cork
Cobh is well known for being last port the titanic stopped to pick up passengers before heading out to sea. You can visit the museum where you’re given a ticket with a passengers name when you enter the museum and at the end they tell you about the person and whether or not they survived. Gaelic …
Port Magee & Waterville
To be completely honest, I solely chose this place to catch a boat out to Skellig Michael to see puffins. Waterville is a little isthmus, or a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water. One side is the Ballinskelligs and the other Lough (lake) Currane. Skellig Michael is an island about 9 miles …
Dingle Peninsula & Ventry
If you go to Ireland, you HAVE to visit Dingle! Many tourists have the misconception that the best views are in the Ring of Kerry, but they are sadly mistaken. While it is a gorgeous scenic drive, it does not even compare to the Dingle peninsula. We drove down from Galway and did one half …
Galway & Lisdoonvarna
Galway is a popular tourist spot, but also a big university city for locals. It is well known for being a music and nightlife hub in Ireland. The streets are narrow and lined with shops, restaurants, and bars of all types, so there is a little something for everyone. We ate dinner at King’s Head …
Shannon & Limerick
Several different animals live in the folk park of Bunratty castle including goats, Irish wolf hounds, cows, pigs, ducks, and chickens. This baby goat enjoyed practicing his ram on visitors.
Ponza, Italy
If you’re visiting Rome and looking for a day trip, here it is. You probably haven’t ever heard of Ponza, but I’m sure you have heard of Capri. While tourists visit Capri, Italians head off to Ponza for their holidays. It’s also where I got engaged 🙂 Ponza itself is made from remnants of an …
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre, “The 5 Lands” nestled into the rugged Italian coastline. Full of vineyards, fishing harbors, and world renowned pesto, these small villages are lesser known gems. Getting there… Due to the steep cliff landscapes, these villages can only be accessed via train or boat. Traveling by car is not possible. The best option is …