Traveloteacher

I didn't know a lot about the Cliffs of Moher before the trip. It definitely was a must see, but I didn't expect much, as there are so many amazing cliffs on the islands of the Adriatic. But I wasn't prepared for what I saw. The Cliffs of Moher are spectacular, to say the least. As you climb the first cliff from the visitor center, you feel safe as there's a concrete fence to keep you from falling into the foamy sea, but once you have disregarded the polite request to not go any further, you unexpectedly realize that you suffer from the fear of heights. All of a sudden you don't dare to look down any more, so you try to walk far from the edge by letting the tourists who're already going back take the precarious seaward side of the precipice. There's something that forces you to go beyond and to face your fear, so you go on until it's only you and the waves crashing against the rocks, the sea gulls shrieking in the distance and the wind roaring. Except th...

Upon saying our goodbyes to the owner and his missus and after patting their cute little springer spaniels, we left Moycullen and headed for Galway, one of the five European Rising Stars, according to Fodor's . It was a warm and sunny day, one of those lazy Sundays, when everything seems to be in slow motion, with no hurry and no rush. The exact opposite of what we're used to. Given the circumstances, who wouldn't like Galway, with its old historical center and quirky little shops, situated where the River Corrib meets the sea. It's called the cultural capital of Ireland, but since we were there in the morning only, we didn't get to feel the other, more vibrant side of the city, neither did we learn what mighty craic really means. Well, not yet, and not there. I can't leave Galway without mentioning The Claddagh Ring . The Claddagh is a fishermen's village and the Ring is absolutely stunning. Its design features two hands holding a heart with a crown upon i...

Connemara is one of the most beautiful regions in Ireland. It's in the west of the country, one of the very popular spots for hiking, cycling and horse riding. As you might have guessed, we didn't have time to visit the National Park and we didn't see the famous ponies. We were just driving around for a while with a short stop in the little town of Clifden. Since our five weary travelers, who hadn't slept a wink for the previous 48 hours or so, were eager to hit the sack as soon as possible, we made it an early night. When traveling, we're early birds, always leaving hotel rooms as early as possible, so it was no wonder we wanted to have breakfast at 8. However, this was impossible here at Portara. Breakfast was served when the hostess said, at 8:30 with no changes possible. We didn't mind because half an hour made absolutely no difference, but on the other hand, doesn't it seem a bit strange that you can't have it your way at a place where you're a ...

After three-ish hours we arrived in Co. Galway. Our GPS brought us to our destination - which was a nice row of terraced houses, but absolutely unlike the photos of our B&B from the web. However, it didn't take us long to find it eventually. Although well-hidden from accidental tourists, the Portara Fishing Lodge is a cosy guesthouse, run by a friendly couple, Michael and Maire. We immediately set out to explore the Connemara Region. Being given the maps by Michael, we easily found one of the most beautiful places in Connemara: The Kylemore Abbey. Imagine our disappointment when we got there and found the gates closed, since it was after 5 p.m. As Zoran was about to head backwards, the van went a bit forwards, and the gate started to open. We were just sitting there, unable to believe our eyes, feeling suddenly that the luck was on our side, again. Of course, it had to do with the automatic gate, not with luck, but still, it made us jump with joy. As the gate remained open, t...

After strolling the streets of Derry and taking photos of all the gates and murals, we headed back to the Angel House, where we were finally able to use the internet and tell our family and friends back home everything about our journey that had taken such an unexpected turn. In the meantime, the stranded five were desperately trying to cross the Irish Sea, but were destined to do it in the middle of the night, at 2:30. Luckily, the ferry wasn't cancelled and they arrived in Dublin early Saturday morning, exactly 47 hours after they left Zagreb. It was a real drag, but what the heck, they were there, happy that St. Patrick had finally let them set foot on the Irish soil. However, he wanted them to suffer for another five hours, while they were searching for a rental agency with an available car. Ironically, we booked a car before the trip, but I just didn't dare to drive on the left - I simply couldn't make myself do it, so I cancelled the reservation at Dublin Airport. Le...