Post Tagged with "Ireland"

Ireland’s top five tourist destinations without tourists…

..or at least a limited number. As Ireland is a major holiday destination (especially during the summer months), it’s quite difficult to escape the guided-tour buses and camera-wielding crowds most of the time, even more so when you visit the “must-sees” as mentioned in most travel guides: the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle (and Blarney Stone) or the Ring of Kerry.

That’s why I thought I’d give you an overview of some of Ireland’s not-so-crowded destinations, which will still give you a good (first) impression of the Emerald Isle. You may also combine these with a longer intineray.

Dunmore East

If you’re looking for a nice little getaway at the sea, with Waterford and its impressive Viking history at hand, Dunmore East is the place to go. Excellent connection to road and rail network, but still a feeling of remoteness prevails here with the 5 local pubs, 3 bed and breakfasts and 1 hotel.

I recommend to visit it in Autumn or Winter to enjoy a look at the ocean battering at the quay wall while sitting snug into a pub and enjoying a warm fireplace and a cold Guinness. It only gets crowded during the annual Bluegrass Festival.

West Cork

Less crowded than the Ring of Kerry or Connemara, this is scenic Ireland at it’s best. Travel along the N71, passing by the small towns of Baltimore and Schull, and end your journey at Irelands most south-western point, where the Atlantic splashes against the rocks beneath the Mizen Head-lighthouse.

Slieve League

Impressive sea-cliffs are your thing? Forget about the Cliffs of Moher. The Slieve League-cliffs are the highest sea-cliffs in Europe and not for the faint-hearted. Avoid after rainfalls. The ground gets slippy….

Achil Island

In the very north-west corner of Ireland lies this little gem, almost a miniature-Ireland in itself. Extrordinary beaches allure flocks of surfers in summer, but also outside the main season the Atlantic Drive and the scattered ruins all along the mountains make for a nice and scenic visit.

Glendalough

Glendalough, you are asking? The one tourist attraction that’s easiest accessible from Dublin and Lonely Planet lists as “the one thing to see when Ireland”. And still it is on this list. Because if you visit in autumn, during a heavy rain shower, or in winter when everything is cold, damp and miserable, I promise that you’ll have the place almost for yourself. And Glendalough during heavy rain (and with the right attire) has an eerie charm for itself. But by all means don’t. Visit. During. Summer. It’s like an Irish Disneyland complete with foodstalls and buses full of schoolchildren.

image source

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All about Dublin. And hats!

On the pages of the St. Stephens’s Green Preservation society you’ll find tons of usefull information on the going ons in the capital of Ireland, interesting for both visitors and locals.

Here’s what they write about, in their own words:

What we hope to achieve with this blog is to give people out there some ideas about things to do in Dublin when you’re alive. As opposed to things to do in Denver…well, you get the idea. Gigs, markets, exhibitions, good pubs – nowhere is safe from our gruesome grip of tyranny. Or our recommendations. To be honest, we’re just going to do whatever takes our fancy on any given day. We’re considering a Hat of the Week section. But people dig hats right?

I personally dig hats, so I see no reason why you should not pay a visit to this outstanding blog – especially if you are looking for something to do that is not listed in the Lonely Planet-Dublin edition.

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On yer bikes! Dublin discovers bike sharing

On yer bikes!

Find Marcel on his personal blog King of Pain (in German and English) or at Dublin Community Blog where he is a contributor.

Ireland’s capital Dublin has recently joined the list of European cities to have its own bike sharing scheme, including Seville, Brussels, Nice, Paris, Cologne and many more.

Photo credit

There are 40 bicycle stations throughout the city. These are located in close proximity to each other, every station has a minimum of 15 stands and so there are a total of 450 bikes meaning that access to bikes is relatively easy – and it’s also quite easy to get around town. There are no reports about stolen or vandalized bikes yet, and I’ve seen many people using the bikes througout the city. You can find all necessary information on the operator’s website.

Photo credit

I think that theses bike rental initiatives are a really good thing, especially as most bikes are free to use (for a limited time though – the first 30 minutes are free in Dublin) and it’s a healthy way to discover a city. Depending on the local traffic that is – and it’s less exhausting to bike around in flat Dublin in October than in hilly Nice in the August heat.

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Cheese on toast

Cheese on toast is a favourite snack for anyone who grew up in the UK. Thanks to Orlipix for sharing this one.

Do you want to share photos of your country’s food? Join our photo group on Flickr and show us your photos.

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Prawn stir-fry from Ireland

Today’s Food of the World photo is by Yoolka05, from Ireland, who posted this photo of her dinner. Thanks for contributing!

You might be thinking that prawn stir-fry doesn’t sound very Irish. We’ve written before about the foreign influences in British food, and it sounds like Ireland has similar habits.

Want to share your food photos? Join our food of the world photo group and show us food from your part of the world. We’ll pick one every week to post on PocketCultures.com

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