Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Tag: Ireland

The Bed and Breakfast Scene in Ireland

When it comes to getting our travel snooze on, Chris and I tend to stay in vacation rentals for longer-term travel and hotels when we hop around from place to place. For Ireland, however, the guidebooks and travel websites I consulted consistently recommended the bed and breakfast route so we decided to give it a go. I’m ~~sort of~~ the Goldilocks of sleep accommodations with my light sleeper tendencies and a need for a fairly sound-proof room, but I went into the experiment with an open mind (and some sleep aids if needed).

That said, I wanted a sure thing for a couple of nights when we arrived in Dublin because Chris needed to be one-hundred percent rested before driving a car. And I needed to be rested in order to navigate, look for photo ops, and make funny jokes to entertain Chris. So before I get to the B&Bs, I have to mention our fabulous hotel, the Radisson Blu Royal Dublin.

From a much appreciated early check-in to smooth check-out, we received impeccable service and we were so comfortable in our room. The bathroom in particular was gorgeous.

My plan worked, because we left the Radisson Blu rested, recharged, and jet lag-free. Once we were on the road, we stayed exclusively in B&Bs all over the country. We spent two nights in Killarney, and one night each in Galway, Donegal, and Belfast. I’ve rounded up my photos and reviews to post here!

Woodlawn House – Killarney

Woodlawn House was officially our first bed and breakfast experience ever. We chose Woodlawn for proximity to the town center and the Ring of Kerry route, but I didn’t want to be too close to all of the action since I need a little peace and quiet for sleeping (see Goldilocks reference, above).

When the owner, Wayne, greeted us with a friendly smile and took our bags at the front door upon arrival, I instantly warmed up to the charm of staying in a B&B. He even sat down with us in the living room to go over details about the B&B, the town, and he gave us personalized tips for our next day’s trip around the Ring of Kerry. Wayne’s advice was spot-on and his recommendations were some of the highlights of our County Kerry tour.

Our room was simple, clean, and situated perfectly within the house on the top level in the back (per my request for a quiet room). The noise was something I was a little worried about, not knowing the ins-and-outs of B&Bs, but we didn’t hear a peep.

In addition to the sweet little beverage station, we had everything we needed in the room with one exception: a larger bed! Chris and I are used to our spacious king-size bed at home, and this one was a double, not even queen-size. I’m sure if I had mentioned it we could have moved to another room, but I didn’t want to give up our super quiet location. Plus we were so tired at the end of each day that it didn’t really matter in the end. We crashed pretty hard both nights.

The en-suite bathroom followed suit with the clean and simple theme, with a bonus window for natural light. My only teeny tiny nitpick? No hooks! I always want hooks in the bathroom, at least one or two on the back of the door. But to be fair, this is a common issue in hotels and vacation rentals alike. I rarely find enough hooks in the bathroom, and it’s such an easy/inexpensive addition. (I wonder if no one else needs hooks like I do?)

Not pictured: the beautiful dining room where we enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the second morning. (The first morning we left early and went straight to the Ring of Kerry.) I didn’t know what to expect from the “breakfast” part of B&B, but Woodlawn offered a huge spread of breads, cereals, jams, and juice/coffee, in addition to hot menu items limited to pretty much anything you can think of for breakfast. I could get used to this!

The Herons Rest – Galway

I have to admit, the words “boutique” and “gourmet” on The Herons Rest website caught my eye and I wondered what differences we’d see at our next B&B in Galway. See that blue building on the left in the photo below? That’s The Herons Rest, and that window on the roof was our room.

Because we showed up right on the late edge of check-in time, we didn’t get to interact much with the staff, but we were shown to our room on the top floor where we found, to quote Ann Perkins and Leslie Knope, “just amenities everywhere. I love amenities.”

Stacks of fluffy towels, robes, port wine, still water, craft soaps, cotton rounds, and even make-up remover wipes. Amenities in every nook. Plus we had use of that pop-out balcony roof window for stunning views of the river.

On the downside, the room felt just a bit cramped, especially for Chris due to the pitched ceiling, and the parking situation wasn’t ideal. We were instructed to park on the street as long as we fed the meter first thing in the morning, or park a block away at another hotel’s garage. We decided to park in the hotel garage, which meant schlepping our stuff a bit of a distance. But in the plus column, in addition to all of the amenities, the top floor location provided us (me?) with the quiet that I need to sleep, and the gourmet breakfast was superb. Um…unfortunately I ate it too quickly to take photos, but I did at least grab a picture of these pretty muffins.

The Arches Country House – Donegal

There are plenty of choices for accommodation right in Donegal town close to the pubs and shops, but I was curious about The Arches Country House based on their glowing reviews. With only a ten-minute drive from town, I figured we could give countryside living a try for one night and I’m glad we did. I could have stayed here all week.

We stayed in Room 1 upstairs, and we had so much wonderful space we hardly knew what to do with it. This two-bedroom room with dual sitting areas would be great for a family or for a group of friends, but we also enjoyed it just for the sake of spreading out and having some breathing room.

The incredibly comfortable bed and perfectly quiet surroundings had me rethinking our early schedule the next day. And I can’t forget to mention Noreen, the owner and our gracious hostess for our stay. We thoroughly adored her hospitality and cooking.

The bathroom was bright, clean, and very spacious as well, with a shower (not pictured) big enough for a horse.

I specifically want to point out one of my favorite details about the room though – outlets! There were plenty of electrical outlets everywhere: next to the bed on both sides, next to the vanity, and on the walls. Chris and I love gadgets, so naturally we love outlets which are sometimes hard to come by when we stay overnight in various places.

If we were staying longer, I would have loved to curl up in a chair at the window with a cup of tea and gaze at this view. If you’re looking for somewhere utterly tranquil to stay in County Donegal, this is it.

Bay Cottage – Belfast

I hardly feel qualified to review Bay Cottage since we were only at the inn for less than twelve hours, but I wanted to mention it because of the convenience to the Belfast International Airport. Owner Elizabeth sweetly helped us get settled and we appreciated her warm reception even though we were atypical sleep-and-run guests! We couldn’t even stick around for breakfast. Our flight to Scotland left at around 8am the next morning, so being as close to the airport as possible was a huge help, especially since we were driving ourselves there and returning the rental car. The drive from Belfast City to the airport would have been about 30 minutes and possibly stressful in the dark. We were up and at em’ around 5am, and it only took minutes to get to the rental car return area from Bay Cottage.

I took a quick photo of our room (the Blue Room) after dark, but please pop by the website to see cozier photos of the Cottage.

Final verdict on B&Bs in general? I’m so glad we tried this approach to our accommodations in Ireland! I had fun chatting with the owners and with other guests, and it was interesting to see the differences between the inns. I couldn’t get over the value for our money; in most cases the B&B option saved us quite a bit of money compared to a hotel stay in the same location. Chris wasn’t as keen on the B&B lifestyle though. He said, “When we go out and come back, I feel like I’m sneaking into someone’s house.” So I can’t say we’ll only stay in B&Bs from now on, but it’s nice to have another viable option in certain locations.

October 19, 2015
Photo Friday – Black Pudding

I’m not a vegetarian although sometimes I do naturally gravitate towards a meat-free day. I eat chicken, beef, and pork with the occasional seafood and pretty much don’t go outside of that list. I’m also someone who really needs my protein to have an abstract quality – I don’t do well with being served a dish that still has eyeballs, for example. And while I require (as much as possible) that the source was free-range, organic, pastured, and treated as humanely as possible, I prefer not to know other process details.

That said, the full Irish breakfast was a bit of a challenge for me when it was time to try the black pudding. I recently saw a segment on the Food Network on exactly how black pudding, sometimes called blood sausage, is made. I completely understand that it’s a matter of what one is used to eating, and that for many countries black pudding isn’t something to be squeamish about, but before my trip to Ireland I had never consumed anything with pig’s blood as the main ingredient.

I promised myself I’d experience the full Irish breakfast though, and I ate it! I actually ate it twice – the first time I forgot to take a photo (darn it!), so I ordered the dish again at the The Arches Country House where Noreen served us this gorgeous meal. Okay, technically both times I gave half of the pudding to Chris, but I still think it counts.

If you’re wondering whether or not I am now a fan of black pudding, um…no. I still can’t get past the ingredients, but it was a huge step for me to try it! I’m not usually good about trying new foods, but I’m pushing myself to get out of my comfort zone (within reason). And in case you can’t tell from the photo, the rest of the breakfast was fantastic.

October 16, 2015
Ireland Road Trip Day 5: Northern Ireland

On our last full day of our week in Ireland, Chris and I drove from Donegal and crossed the border into Northern Ireland since I simply couldn’t leave the Emerald Isle without seeing Giant’s Causeway. But before we explored the basalt columns, guess where we went first?

The Old Bushmills Distillery! We didn’t take a tour, but we did pop in for a really nice personalized tasting and we browsed the gift shop, of course. The tasting experience included three whiskeys and a quick but detailed lesson and overview of the whiskeys while we sat in a comfy lounge area of the restaurant/bar.

We ate a light lunch at Bushmills (they have soup and sandwiches, etc.) and then headed over to Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that I’ve been wanting to visit ever since my parents went there a few years ago and said I simply have to see it for myself. We saw similar volcanic rock formations in Iceland last year so I was excited to see how this site compared.

At £9 each for admission, the first difference was certainly the price since visiting Reynisfjara beach in Iceland is free, but we really enjoyed the Giant’s Causeway so for us it was worth it. There is a substantial parking lot and a nice visitors center with facilities and a great gift shop offering local art selections. The hexagonal columns fit together like puzzle pieces just like the columns on Reynisfjara, but the gradual slope of the Giant’s Causeway is easier to climb on, like a big staircase. I also love the local legend behind this phenomenon, telling the tale of giants Finn McCool and Benandonner stomping and fighting along the Antrim coast.

The weather cooperated for us, although it was crazy windy and my hair was well-restyled after the walk to the columns (it’s about 1.6 miles round trip). We climbed around with quite a few other people, but it was pretty easy to find spots to ourselves for exploring or for taking photos, including one of my cute green shoes. Note that I brought the green shoes with me for the photo only; I don’t recommend climbing on the rocks in flats!

After exploring the Giant’s Causeway, we headed down the road about fifteen minutes away to the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. I kept seeing this bridge in travel articles with titles like, “World’s Most Insane Bridges.” I love a little adrenaline rush and we were already going to be nearby, so I figured we needed to check this thing out.

The walk to the bridge from the ticket kiosk is a little under a mile, the admission fee is £5.90 each, and the stunning postcard-worthy views are priceless. The bridge opens weather permitting, but despite a high wind warning that day and a very brief rain shower, we were able go across and back. I kept wondering what would happen if the weather turned bad after we crossed one way.

The bridge itself wasn’t too terrifying and I don’t think I’d call it “insane” like the articles indicated, although I’m not terribly afraid of heights so maybe I’m not qualified to assign the fear factor here. It sways a little and it’s a bit springy, but no one chickened out or fell off if that helps you get a better picture. 🙂

Visiting both sites was a lot to do in one day, but it can be done! Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for sudden changes in the weather. I completely underestimated the amount of time we would take at each spot though, and we missed out on seeing the Dark Hedges as planned.

We also didn’t end up having any time to spend in Belfast – I tried to squeeze in a Black Taxi Tour, but it was apparently too late in the day. The guy I spoke to on the phone let me know that the tour goes to “some dodgy places” (his words), and he wouldn’t recommend going in the evening even if it was still a bit light out. Noted! So we ate dinner at a little pizza joint after finding the wait times too long at other restaurants, and we put the Dark Hedges and Belfast on our list for next time.

October 12, 2015
Photo Friday – Sunset on Galway

This image was taken from our room at The Herons Rest bed and breakfast in Galway. Chris and I stayed in the beautiful Galway Bay Panorama room and soaked in the incredible view of this sunset from our balcony window. I’ll post more about where we stayed throughout Ireland shortly, but in the meantime I can say that I wholeheartedly recommend The Herons Rest if not for this view alone, then definitely for the gourmet breakfast. Stay tuned for details!

October 9, 2015
Ireland Road Trip Day 4: From Galway to Donegal

As noted in a previous post, I ignored the advice of so many other travelers to base ourselves in one or two spots in Ireland, and instead I spread our route across the south, the west, and the far north. Our route from Galway to Donegal was designed simply to move us farther up the island because Giant’s Causeway and the Carrick-A-Rede Bridge were must-see items on my list. That said, I’m glad we got to see both Galway and Donegal albeit briefly.

I have to confess, I was a wee bit frustrated with Galway. I’m going to chalk it up to timing and lack of research. From the photos I had seen prior to the trip, I thought Galway would be more compact and easy to navigate like so many of the quaint little towns we explored earlier in the week. I now know that Galway is the forth largest city in Ireland! We arrived during heavy rush hour on a weekday (technically Day 3 of our road trip) and we were up against a deadline trying to arrive at our B&B for check-in, so some of the very busy one-way streets flustered us. If I had known it was so big, we would have timed our arrival differently to avoid the traffic. Once we were settled and walking around the city center though, I discovered the vibe that so many people love about Galway.

City size aside, we were especially excited about checking out the live music scene in Galway. After dinner and drinks, we headed straight for Tig Cóilí based on so many recommendations. The pub was filled to the point of standing room only, but we eventually made our way to the front for a prime spot. The band’s lively trad session kept Tig Cóilí packed and full of craic.

After sleeping in a wee bit the next morning, we took off on Day 4 for the three-hour drive to Donegal without much of a plan except getting to our destination. We had been having good luck with winging it and discovering points of interest, little villages, and great pubs in which to grab lunch, so I didn’t research the route ahead. We didn’t end up stumbling onto any food around lunchtime, and after several rounds of, “maybe the next town?” we gave up and ate fast food. At least it was something new to us – Ireland’s answer to the drive-thru, Supermac’s.

When we arrived in Donegal, we found the town center to be a little sleepy, but interesting nonetheless. Fifteenth-century Donegal Castle sits right in the middle of town, though it was just about to close by the time we wandered over to it.

We saw our third traditional Irish session of the week at The Reel Inn where the owner played accordion accompanied by a friend on the guitar. Their hilarious stories and commentary entertained a huge crowd and I could have listened to those two guys all night (except we were exhausted and only lasted until about 10:30pm).

It would have been nice to have more time in County Donegal, nicknamed the “wild child” of Ireland. We enjoyed staying in the Arches Country House and visiting the town, but we only experienced a sliver of the area and I would have loved to see the Slieve League Cliffs. We gave the cliffs a miss in order to get on the road towards Northern Ireland (especially since we had already visited the Kerry Cliffs and the Cliffs of Moher), and I’m glad we did – more on that in the next post!

October 7, 2015