I've traveled solo before, but always before or after traveling with a group. This time I booked the tickets, hotels, and excursions all by myself and went without anyone else!
This wasn't my original plan; I had hoped to do a hiking trip over the Wicklow Way, but unfortunately, spending 4 chaotic months aboard a cruise ship made me well aware that hiking 92 miles wasn't the best idea. With only 4 weeks off and two family events at the beginning and end of those 4 weeks, I could only go to Ireland in a short span of time, and the various travel sites I checked either didn't fit into the time frame I had, or were ridiculously expensive. So I took the incentive and booked everything for myself.
How did I fare going out to the Emerald Isle by myself for 8 days? Read on to find out!
Day 1: Arrival in Dublin
With all the understaffed airports and constantly delayed flights, I chose to take my first day in Dublin without a car in case I was delayed myself. Unfortunately, this was my first airplane trip where I wound up suffering from air sickness, but thankfully I'd been smart enough to ask the flight attendant for a bag, which saved me a mess. Still feeling a little gross, I arrived in the late morning and went straight to my favorite hotel, the Roxford Lodge Hotel. As before, despite my being early, my room was ready! So I did the most important piece of business: I took a nap.
After freshening up after my nap, I was feeling much relieved and went off to Grafton Street to visit my favorite ice cream shop, Murphy's Ice Cream. For the next few hours, I wandered the streets and wound up passing Paddy Murphy of the Try Channel on YouTube, but I didn't stop to meet him because he looked like he was in a hurry (though I did briefly converse with him about this on Twitter). I instead stopped by the various tourist shops to see what day trips were now available in this post-Covid time. I wound up booking the Gravedigger Ghost Tour.
Before the tour, I stopped off at a pub in the Temple Bar District that I'd always meant to drop by but never had: The Vat House. I enjoyed a pint of Guinness and dinner and had a lovely chat with the owner, Promise, who also owned the adjoining hotel. He claimed to have the best pint of Guinness in town, and I am inclined to agree. I swung by Murphy's Ice Cream again, this time to actually enjoy some ice cream now that my tummy was feeling settled.
The Gravedigger Tour took its attendees to several so called "haunted" locations of Dublin, starting at Trinity College and going on to the old city wall, Kilmainham Gaol, and the Glasnevin Cemetery. It was an entertaining tour, and there was a young kiwi boy on the tour who was a huge fan of haunted houses and was having a blast. He made the tour all the more enjoyable.
Once the tour was over, I walked around Grafton Street again and had a pint of Orchard Thieves cider at Mary's Bar & Hardware before heading back to the hotel.
Differences from Previous Trips
Ireland reopened its borders earlier this year since shutting down for Covid, so there were due to be some changes to its tourism industry since then. Prior to Covid, you could go into any tourist shop and there would be dozens of smaller day tours you could book. Some of these tours would include trips to Connemara, The Powerscourt Estate, and Newgrange, to name a few. Unfortunately, the trips I named above were no longer available. There are still day trips available, but most of them are for the popular attractions, such as Blarney Castle, the Ring of Kerry, and Belfast in Northern Ireland.
The trips that are no longer available in the tourist shops can still be booked online. These days it's best to book those day trips yourself if your heart is set on going anywhere specific.
Day 2: To Donegal via Cavan and Cuilcagh Mountain Park
Having driven through the Dublin city center only once, I opted to reserve a rental car in West Dublin that was closer to the motorway. After getting the keys, I headed for my next destination: Northern Ireland. There was a lesser known adventure in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, called the Cuilcagh Legnabrocky Boardwalk, or The Stairway to Heaven.
Since it was a bit of a drive, I chose to stop over in Cavan Town for lunch. One of the things that most travelers don't know about Ireland is that most areas charge for parking throughout the week (with the exception of Roscommon town, which is very proud of the fact), so I paid for only 2 hours. I walked around the city for a bit before stopping in a pub for lunch. I had a delicious sandwich before continuing on to Northern Ireland.
I had asked my AirBNB host about crossing the border, and she informed me that the borders were open and I wouldn't need to stop. That was a bittersweet revelation, in that I wouldn't have to stop and wait, but I also missed out on another stamp in my passport. So, I crossed into the UK without a hitch and made it to Cuilcagh Mountain Park, just a few kilometers outside of Enniskillen.
Google Maps had the direct route to the parking lot, but before I reached it I saw a sign for parking for £5, providing parking for both the park and the Marble Arch Caves, which I sadly couldn't visit. I pulled into that lot instead of the one instead of the Google directions, which was a half mile away and turned out to be a smaller parking lot that was free. And there were free spaces. From the parking lot I was in, I could clearly see the boardwalk trail I was about to take, and it looked more daunting than Instagram had depicted!
Despite having had a hearty lunch beforehand, it was about 26.5° C outside, which comes out to around 80° F. These are uncommon temperatures for both the Republic and Northern Ireland, but since I'm used to hiking in these temperatures, I didn't have an issue. However, the parking lot attendant had offered cold water bottles for £1-2, and I skipped on that, which I shouldn't have. I had 2 water bottles which should have kept me fine for about 8 miles, but as I made progress on my trip my tummy began to sour again, and I was drinking more to prevent dehydration.
I finally made it to the base of the Stairway to Heaven, but I had gone through most of my water by then and was still feeling slightly nauseous. I spoke with a local woman who told me she hoped I would feel better and said to complete the trail if I felt well enough to do so. So I gave myself a few more minutes, then continued on. It was slow going, but I made it to the top!
The return trip was mostly downhill so it wasn't as strenuous, and what little water I had left kept me hydrated enough until I reached my car.
From there, I continued on to Enniskillen to get some petrol, and to look for anything resembling Gatorade. It turns out that over in Ireland, the term "electrolytes" isn't well-known, so I picked up a sports drink that looked like it would have the European equivalent of electrolytes. That did the trick for the rest of my journey back into the Republic and to Donegal town.
I stopped at the store first to pick up a few items, then went to McCafferty's Pub for dinner. They had an Polynesian inspired food truck, and it was ladies' night, so there was a 30% discount on specific drinks! After enjoying some fish and chips, that discounted cocktail was absolutely refreshing. Then it was on to the AirBNB where I met my lovely host and turned in for the night.
Interesting Observations
First things first, the heat. I'm from both California and Hawaii so I'm used to much warmer weather. To the locals, this heatwave was something they weren't used to. As I was hiking, I came across many men who were hiking without their shirts.
I've done hiking in warmer weather before, but I haven't come across this many shirtless dudes in so short a time while on a trail. It definitely enhanced the experience.
The next thing I had noticed was how alone I was. I wasn't fearful, but definitely concerned about my recent bout of air sickness. This sort of stomach issue isn't something I deal with often, but when I have, I usually take time afterwards to recover. Without having recovered, and while dealing with jetlag, concerns over my health became very real since there would be no one I could immediately reach out to if something went wrong.
Since I finished the hike and was fine, I can say that if you're traveling solo and have health concerns, listen to your body. You may be able to push it far enough to complete your goal, but be very aware that if you don't listen, you're on your own.
Day 3: Donegal and the Slieve League
After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, I was feeling much better and more secure in my choice to hike the Slieve League, a cliff range along the Wild Atlantic Way that is said to rival the Cliffs of Moher. My AirBNB host had also provided several maps of County Donegal complete with other local attractions in the area, and had told me of a festival going on in Killybegs.
The drive was about 45 minutes and gorgeous, as the Wild Atlantic Way is depicted. Now the hike I was doing had two starting points: one about 1.5 miles from the main parking lot, and that lot being at the base of the cliffs. I drove to the cliff base lot, paid €15 for parking, and got started.
The first mile is a road that tour buses have access to, and at that point there are several trucks full of souvenirs, small entrees and snacks, ice cream, and even a non-alcoholic bar! Of all the hikes I've done throughout the world, this one catered to its clientele the best.
It was still warm and dry, so the hiking conditions were ideal. The trail is mostly comprised of stone steps, so packing slip-resistant boots is an absolute must. No ifs, ands, or buts. You wanna do this hike, make sure you have top-quality slip-resistant shoes, or you're in for a horrible, possibly even dangerous, experience.
The views on this hike were exceptional! If you're an avid hiker like myself, this is one to put on your bucket list. The traffic is much more manageable than The Cliffs of Moher, and as the daylight changes from morning to afternoon, the cliffs themselves change color and become more vivid. The specific Slieve League hike goes to one of the smaller summits along the range, but if you want to do an alternate route that goes to the highest summit, check out the Pilgrim's Path, which is visible from the main trail.
After completing this hike and enjoying a lobster roll and some ice cream, I made my way back to the car park. By this time, it was around 2:00pm, and I had a choice of two directions I could go: I could either go north to Malin Beg or Silver Strand Beach, one of the top beaches in County Donegal, or I could go southeast through Killybegs and go to Ballintra and visit Jamesey's Bar, another item on my bucket list. Considering the time of day, I didn't think I could do both. So I chose the latter: to go to Ballintra.
As I passed through Killybegs, I hit major traffic due to the festival, and though I considered stopping, it soon became evident that this festival was more for families so I drove past. I finally made it to Ballintra and went searching for Jamesie's Bar since all my internet searches had very little info to go on. Ballintra is a very small town so walking down the main street took less than 10 minutes, but I couldn't see Jamesie's.
I found some locals outside a nearby bar and asked if it was still around, but they told me that the bar closed a few years ago. Back in 2018 when I had last been in the area, the lady I'd spoken with about the bar had told me it was open in Ballintra, so I don't know if the bar was a victim of Covid or not. I decided to move on since I'd already missed out on Malin Beg.
Relatively disappointed, I returned to Donegal and instead took a cruise of Donegal Bay on the Waterbus. It was a beautiful cruise, though I took a seat at the back of the boat and was subjected to the roar of the engine, so I couldn't hear the guide's voice over the speaker. Still, the cruise was enjoyable, and I got to see some seals while we were at sea!
Afterwards, I walked around Donegal Town, which is easy to do because the city center is, quite literally, a center. It's a giant roundabout, so traffic is usually nasty on the weekends. There is a castle here, but it was already closed by the time I got there so I couldn't check it out. After doing some exploring and shopping, I finally stopped for dinner at O'Donnell's Bar and Restaurant and ate an entire woodfire pizza.
Tomorrow I would spend on the road, so I decided to retire early so that I could allow my body the rest it would need for my upcoming adventures.
Why Ballintra?
If you've read my previous posts, you know that I've used 2 songs by the band Gaelic Storm to inspire side quests in Ireland: the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival and the hen parties in Galway. Once again, I was inspired by another of their songs: "Darcy's Donkey."
Some older websites confirmed that the song was entirely true in that there was a stuffed donkey butt hanging from the wall. Obviously, I had to see this for myself. Since the bar is tragically now closed, I can only hope that Darcy's ass is still around somewhere, stashed away in a safe place.
And truthfully, where else in the world could you claim that you saw a taxidermy donkey butt hanging up on the wall of a pub?
Day 4: Glencar, Sligo Town, Knock, Galway, and a Lightning Storm!
My next destination was Doolin, which was about 3 1/2 hours away from Donegal. I started early and went to Glencar, Counties Antrim and Sligo, to check out two waterfalls: the Devil's Chimney and Glencar Waterfall. According to Google Maps, there was less than a mile between these two attractions, and neither would take too long to check out.
I started at the Devil's Chimney, but even from the car park I could tell that the waterfall was dry. I still ventured on since it was a small hike, and the views were definitely worth the trek. I'll have to come back here the next time it rains (which, ironically, happened later that night). Then I continued on to the Glencar Waterfall, which had an actual car park, toilets, a playground, and even a teahouse which wasn't open at the time I showed up. This waterfall had a good flow and had some short but nice walks around the area.
From there, I continued to Sligo Town. I hadn't heard much about Sligo so I wasn't sure what I would come across when I went there. What I found was a lovely town that had more of a refined air to it than any of the other towns and cities I'd visited thus far. Sligo is best associated with Irish poet William Butler Yeats and has a distinct emphasis on art, particularly poetry. The town is split by the Garavogue River, which allows for some lovely river walks. There are also historical ruins throughout the area, not the least of which is Sligo Abbey.
Being here on a Sunday, most attractions, including shops, are closed. However, this week in particular was National Heritage Week, and Sligo Abbey was open free of charge for everyone to enjoy.
My next stop would be in Knock, a destination I was supposed to visit the last time I'd been in Ireland in 2018, but we had to skip it due to a visit by the pope, so we were diverted to Donegal that time. Knock is of religious significance to the Catholic Church because there were apparitions of the Virgin Mary and other saints sighted there (hence the reason why the pope visits). The shops there are full of Catholic memorabilia, and the Knock Shrine draws people from all across the globe to make pilgrimage to this holy site. The locals here were very friendly and quick to offer a prayer for you if it seems like you're in any sort of need for one.
By the time I reached Galway, an incoming thunderstorm was just starting to make landfall. Now if you want to stand out as a tourist in Ireland, whip out an umbrella. Having been here plenty of times, I just pulled my compact windbreaker from my purse and hiked up the hood and I was good to go. Galway is a lively city, especially at night (beware Saturday nights!), so the shops stay open later, and there's usually buskers out on every corner.
I was expecting it to be slower since it was a Sunday night, but I was mistaken, so finding a place to eat alone the Whiskey Trail had a long wait time. I tried The King's Head, the oldest pub in the city, but their wait time was far longer, so I went to Sonny Molloy's instead. This being the Whiskey Trail, I opted to finish off my dinner with a shot of Connemara Peated Whiskey, since I'd never indulged in whiskey along that strip before. And, since they have a location here, I absolutely had to stop by Murphy's Ice Cream!
By the time I was ready to leave, I still had about a 1 1/2 hour drive to Doolin, and it looked like the thunderstorm was passing since it hadn't been too strong thus far. Boy, was I wrong!
I was back on the Wild Atlantic Way, passing along the Burren, when the lightning began. I have never seen so much lightning in my life, and the way those multiple strikes lit up that barren landscape? Equal parts glorious and terrifying. Soon, it was pouring rain and gusting winds, and I was scared! The roads were completely soaked to the point that I was hydroplaning on these tiny streets. And then, I came across my kryptonite: Corkscrew Hill.
I cannot tell you how much I loathe this hill. I've driven it before, but the one time I did, I was going down. This time, in the midst of this monsoon-like thunderstorm, I would be going UP. I had no other way to go, so, with some epic Johann Sebastian Bach playing on the radio, I gunned it up that horrid winding road, dodging blustered bushes and other hydroplaning drivers. When someone is driving you, it's a beautiful drive, but when it's you all by your lonesome in an unusually dark night highlighted by uncharacteristically recurring lightning while being pelted by a downpour and unrelenting wind when your windows keep fogging up because Irish cars don't have air conditioning? I'm surprised my pants stayed dry!
At one point I considered pulling over in Lisdoonvarna since I was familiar with that town, but the GPS said that I only had 12 minutes left to my destination, and I didn't know if this storm would last all night, so I continued on. I made it to my next AirBNB safe and sound, and had even received a few messages from my host asking me if I would be there soon. She was happy to see I made it safe.
Under normal circumstances I would've gone straight to bed since it was about 10:30pm, but I was coming off of a severe adrenaline rush. And, of course, the worst of the storm passed about 15 minutes after I arrived.
The Storm
Seriously, I have never seen so much lightning in a storm in my life. There was some minor flooding and power outages, but thankfully not much damage was sustained throughout the country.
For the rest of the week, however, I spoke with several locals who remarked that in their entire lives they had never seen so much lightning. Had I not been driving, I would definitely have taken some videos of this event. It was absolutely incredible.
Day 5: The Cliffs of Moher and Doolin
The storm may have passed, but there was still rain in the morning. I was planning on doing the Cliffs of Moher hike, spanning 15 miles from Doolin and back, but that rain looked mighty unfriendly. I watched the weather for about an hour, then the rain let up. So I set out to do what I intended.
Before hitting the trailhead, I walked in the opposite direction to get some scenic shots of the northern span of the Cliffs. By the time I started my hike, I'd already done 1.5 miles and there had been no rainfall.
I made my way down the trail, and soon enough it split from the marked trail to the unofficial trail along the cliff edge. Being the adventurer I am, I took the cliff edge route. This part continued on for about a mile before I reached Pat's View, which is where hikers can finally see the familiar sight of the Cliffs on the horizon. Before reaching that area, you can see some incredible rock formations that aren't always seen by tourists. There was also a horse along the trail who had somehow escaped his enclosure and was happily munching grass on the edge. Clearly he was used to doing this.
The visitor numbers were fairly low once I reached Pat's View, but as I drew closer to the small memorial for all the victims of the cliff walk, the numbers increased. This was to be expected, because when I had come in 2018, this area was the furthest north I'd made on that trail. The trail had also undergone renovations since then, in that there was a trench-like trail between the fenced off property on the eastern side and on the western side it was just hills with small trails along the cliff edge. Now, there are rocks blocking off the western side, and flowers planted along the cliff edge to discourage overly-enthusiastic walkers from wandering too close.
This made the trek narrower, and the closer I came to the O'Brien Tower and the North Platform, the more people were gathering. It caused major pedestrian traffic and slowdowns! Now, reaching the North Platform puts you just over halfway through the main cliff walk from Doolin to Hag's Head, and right down the hill from there is the Visitor's Center, where there are shops, food, and most importantly, toilets! On the whole, with the walk from Doolin to Hag's Head, being just about 7.5 miles, this hike is incredibly convenient based on the location of the Visitor's Center. I rested there about an hour before continuing on.
The southern part of this walk is the more popular of the two halves because it's more level than the northern part, and there are more parking lots. Hag's Head falls under the township of Liscannor, so not only is there parking for cars, but tour companies often drop by to allow their customers to roam about. This part also has more uninhibited views of the cliffs, so more tourists and photographers visit this section to snap the panoramic shots.
Hag's Head and Moher Tower round out the end of this trail for this direction. The Tower is currently fenced off, with my guess being due to idiot tourists not showing proper respect for historical landmarks.
There's another trail that continues east, but this one goes to the main Liscannor parking lot, and the views aren't as impressive, so I opted not to go that way. After resting for a little bit, I turned north and went back the way I came. By that time, the sky was clearing up, so despite my intention of only taking pics going down, I had to stop a few times on the way back to capture that beautiful sky.
From there, the hike was uneventful. Breathtaking, yes, but now that I'd taken all the pictures I'd wanted, I just wanted to return to Doolin. After all, I'd just done 4 days in a row of hiking, and I was feeling various degrees of soreness! It was about 6pm when I finished, and the shops in Doolin were still open, so I did a little shopping before setting down at the Ivy Cottage for dinner.
Despite the fact that I was already in town, I desperately wanted a shower, and dusk didn't set until around 9:30pm. I went back to the AirBNB, which was less than a 10-minute walk, freshened up, and returned for ice cream and a trip to the pub. The local pub, Gus O'Connor's, was bustling that night, but since I was alone, I was seated fairly quickly.
The girl I was next to was from Wales and also traveling solo. We spent the rest of the time chatting about our various adventures, and every now and then our bartender would join in. He also mentioned that he'd been seeing a lot more women traveling by themselves these days, and I explained that among the Facebook groups I was involved in, when women asked the safest countries to go by themselves, and Ireland usually topped the suggestions.
A band eventually began playing, and unfortunately I didn't get the name, but they played wonderfully, and the full pub was very loud with the applause. I was having such a good time that I didn't realize how late I'd stayed out!
The Town of Doolin
Doolin is a tourist spot mostly renown for its cave and its closeness to both the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren. However, the entire town had shut down when Covid restrictions were put into place. My dad had been there back in March and none of the shops or restaurants had been open. Being here in August and seeing how busy business was, I wouldn't have guessed that! It's good to see how some of the smaller towns are able to recover so well.
Having started the cliff walk from both Doolin and Liscannor, I would recommend starting in Doolin if you're walked to do the entire 15 mile trail. The hike starts at an incline and becomes steeper until you start nearing the north platform. By the time you return this direction, the way back is easier. Also, Doolin is less than a half mile away from the trailhead, so you can stop for food fairly quickly. Liscannor is a lovely town as well, but the restaurants aren't as close to the trailhead.
I've found throughout my years of traveling that I prefer the smaller towns to the big cities because that's the way you can truly experience what life is like in these countries. Doolin embodies this, and definitely tops my list of favorite towns.
Day 6: Back to Dublin via Powerscourt
One of the excursions that topped my list to visit in Ireland was the Powerscourt Estate, Ireland's answer to Downtown Abbey. The estate is comprised of the main mansion, a distillery, hardware store, a golf course, hotel, and a waterfall down the road. This being a 3.5 hour drive from Doolin, I had to leave bright and early. The mansion and its waterfall have been featured in several films and TV shows, most notably Excalibur, Ella Enchanted, The Tudors and Vikings.
The estate was beautiful, though due to the recent heatwave (ended after that awful thunderstorm, bringing the temperatures back down to normal levels) the grounds haven't been as green as usual, though they were still beautiful. The back side of the house and gardens were notably featured in the film The Count of Monte Cristo and still look much the same. Throughout the grounds, you can also find a tower, a Japanese Garden, a massive lily pond, and a pet cemetery.
The mansion has since been converted for tourist purposes. There is a café that features overpriced yet tasty items and several shops. The distillery features the Powerscourt brand of whiskey, where they provide tours and have a nice coffee shop. After visiting all of these, I continued on to the waterfall.
The waterfall was the best part. There is a cash fee to enter the park where you can see it, and at that park there's a playground and a snack shop. There's yet another feature, and you should guess it by now: a hike. It's a simple hike that takes you around the park to the other side of the waterfall for an alternate vantage point. There were a lot of kids running around here, so going to the other side of the waterfall was a more peaceful option. Despite the rowdiness of the kids, seeing this waterfall was definitely worth it.
At this point, it was time for me to return my rental car, and I took an Uber to my next B&B, this one being directly in the Dublin city center. Having now done at least 1 hike per day since renting the car, I desperately needed a nap and a low-key night. Luckily, I had a friend I made from a previous Contiki tour who lived in Dublin, and he and I made plans to hang out after he finished work.
He notified me when he arrived and we went to Dalkey, a more affluent area of Dublin in the south. We dined at a lovely Indian restaurant and talked the night throughout before wrapping up with a nighttime walk around the neighborhood. And we saw foxes darting all over the place! After having spent all this time by myself and chatting with new friends, it was a nice relief to see a familiar face. At the end of the night, he dropped me off and I turned in.
Driving in Dublin
I mentioned back in day 2 that I had reserved a rental car closer to the motorway. The main reason for this is because driving in the Dublin city center is ridiculous. When I first visited Ireland in 2014, I was doing the driving and we went through the city center, searching out for a parking garage our dad had recommended in Temple Bar. This one time driving through there was enough for me to say "never again!"
One of the first things my friend and I had discussed when we met up was the Dublin streets and how crazy they are. There are one way streets left and right and insane turns coming out of nowhere; it just doesn't make sense because the roads were built around the existing houses and structures rather than drafted by engineers or city planners. This was the reason why I chose to rent a car outside of the city center.
The city is the largest in the Republic but it's not so large that you can't make it to most interesting places by foot. They also have an extensive bus system that tends to be late, and the Luas train for public transit options. Uber is available though it's paired with the taxi company, making it more convenient to grab a ride if you need one.
Ultimately, if you're planning on visiting Ireland and will be renting a car, I would highly recommend doing as I did and renting away from the Dublin city center and closer to the motorway. It'll save you some stress.
Day 7: Living up my last day in Dublin
The B&B I stayed at provided a lovely breakfast to get me through the day, though I still stopped at The Rolling Donut after taking a walk through St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre.
And while I was on that roll, I made my way to another donut shop, but not to buy, but to observe. An Irish site I follow on Instagram posted a video of the grand opening of Ireland's first Krispy Kreme Donuts and the mile-long line outside. I went to see it for myself and the line had since diminished, but it had since gone way down.
My next order of business was to go back to Trinity College to go through the library and see the Book of Kells, but they were completely sold out for the day. I moved on to Dublin Castle and took a guided tour. I learned a good deal about the history of the castle and how it's still utilized to this day when political meetings are involved.
The next stop would be at the Guinness Storehouse. Yes, I'd been there twice before, but it is a fun experience every time, and you get at least one free pint of Guinness while you're there. I went through the storehouse and witnessed the history of the brewing process and development of the brand, through the tasting room, the hall of advertisements and the tasting room before making it to the Academy, where you pour your own pint.
My original intent was to go through the storehouse as quickly as possible while still taking time to enjoy myself, but I wound up meeting 3 Italian tourists at the Academy. We talked for a while, and I gave them some suggestions on places to check out while they told me a little bit of their Italian history that I hadn't heard when I was in Italy last year. When we toasted with our pints of Guinness, they were impressed that I knew to tap the tabletop with my glass before taking a sip.
While I don't regret the time I spent with them, I lost track of time and it was getting later than I had planned to be there. I said my goodbyes after trading Instagram info, then grabbed some lunch on the next level before heading up to the Gravity Bar for my next free pint of Guinness. The Gravity Bar offers the best views of the city, this day was exceptionally busy with most of the windows blocked by people enjoying their drinks. I downed my pint, took my pictures, and then headed out.
I made my way west to my next destination: Kilmainham Gaol, but the walk took longer than I had expected. By the time I made it, there were no tours left open except for the final tour, which would run into the final item on my agenda this day, so I had to skip it. I walked back through the Ireland Museum of Modern Art, or IMMA, gardens, and found an unexpected shortcut through this section of the city. Once again, I didn't have time to visit IMMA, so I continued on to the Luas and went back to the city center and returned to my hotel.
I changed quickly and went down the street to check out a French restaurant called Café en Seine for dinner. After a lovely dinner of gnocchi and an Aperol Spritz, I went around the corner for the highlight of my day: The 25th Anniversary of Riverdance playing at the Gaiety Theater!
This being the first time I'd seen any live shows in Ireland, I was particularly excited because I had never watched the full Riverdance specials on TV when they were all the rage in the late 90s; I only saw parts here and there. I was also able to experience what it was like to see an Irish show with Irish people. In all the shows I've seen in my life, I have never been to one where the crowd applauded and cheered so much. The show itself was incredible, but the reactions of the crowd were nothing short of infectious, making the experience all the more enjoyable! There was also a kiss at the beginning of the second act that just about everyone cooed over, which was hilarious.
After the show, I decided to walk around the city a little bit. Dublin is just like any city at night in that its best that you don't go out alone, but if you stick to the Grafton Street and Temple Bar regions, you are still moderately safe, so long as you're careful. I returned to The Vat House to say hello to my friend Promise, and we had a chat while I enjoyed a shot of the amazing Teeling Whiskey.
It was getting late, so I went to Murphy's Ice Cream to enjoy one last cone from them before leaving. I met an entertaining aspiring influencer there who was filming himself as he tried out the ice cream and did some decently funny rapping, but unfortunately, I can't remember his name. Then I walked through Grafton Street a little more before ending my night at The Dawson Lounge, the smallest pub in Dublin and possibly Ireland itself.
Ironically, I ran into a guy who was from my area in California, but I didn't linger because it had been a long day and I was ready to retire. I returned to my hotel and finished packing for my trip back.
Leveling Up in Solo Travel
The trip back to the airport was uneventful, especially since I left so early due to understaffing at the Dublin airport. It turns out that the day I was leaving they were staffed enough so that people could breeze through at normal times, but since I have TSA PreCheck, I went through even faster.
I truly love Ireland, and plenty has changed since my last visit in 2018. But being completely by myself in this post-Covid time has shown me how important it is to be properly prepared when you travel. Here are a few things I learned about going completely solo:
Personal health - I explained in day 2 about my air sickness that had affected me on my trip. Your health really is your first priority whenever you're traveling by yourself. Make sure you are prepared with plenty of medications for expected issues like nausea, headaches and muscle strains, and always have plenty of water.
Buy tickets in advance - prior to Covid, I could walk into just about any attraction and go in on the next opening. This is no longer the case. If you have in mind to go somewhere, buy the tickets at least 1 day in advance. Being flexible is still possible, but not if you have plans you want to stick to.
Check the insurance - many credit card companies will cover car rental insurance, but you will need to check with them before renting your car. I learned this after I purchased the rental insurance for my car, and it was pretty expensive, as I knew it would be.
Looking up friends - I love traveling by myself, but meeting up with my friend was a huge boost that I hadn't realized I needed. It's a completely unique experience to envelop yourself in a culture alone, but even if you aren't experiencing any loneliness, meeting up with friends in foreign countries helps to make the trip more personal. Someone there is happy to see you! If you travel with groups, I highly recommend making friends with people from other countries and visiting them so you can experience this amazing feeling.
No guides - being by yourself means that nobody is telling you about the places you're visiting. That was the main element of traveling that I missed most by this adventure: not learning much. Yes, I did take smaller tours like the Gravedigger and Dublin Castle tours, and I did learn fun tidbits about Dublin history there, but I wanted to learn more. Going forward, when I travel by myself, I will be making more time for city tours so I can understand the history better.
Laundry - other times that I have travels with groups, at least one of the hotels or lodgings we stayed in would offer laundry services. Having booked AirBNBs and local B&Bs, none of them offered laundry services. Granted, I had enough clothing for my trip, but on my last day that only clean pair of pants I had were denim, which are not fun to wear on airplanes! So I had to suck it up and wear uncomfortable pants because I didn't plan better. Oh well.
Don't necessarily upgrade your phone before you go - I upgraded my phone the week before I left, mostly so that I would have more battery power and room for pictures. When I got my rental car, it didn't have a GPS system, but had an HMDI port and was Bluetooth compatible for Google Maps. However, this was an older model rental, and the GPS system was too old to be compatible for my Maps! I was still able to use my Maps on my phone, but I had to get creative so that it would stay in one place within my eye range. And it didn't always work! So before you travel solo, if you're planning on renting a car AND upgrading your phone, maybe wait a bit on the upgrade unless your phone is on the dying side. Sometimes those older phone apps will work better with an older car system. Or bring a cell phone mount that you can attach to the fan.
Credit cards over cash - when I went to Italy last year, I saw many places that were using credit card machines in this post-Covid era. This was the same case for Ireland. In fact, there were many places there that would only accept cards. There were still plenty of places that were accepting both or cash only, but those were mostly in more rural areas, parking lots, or places like the Powerscourt Waterfall that had an entry fee. These days it's best to bring the cards, but still bring a few hundred euros just in case.
No A/C in cars - Ireland is in a temperate zone, and therefore usually doesn't have very warm summers, so having A/C isn't a need. This is a problem during heat waves. As I mentioned during the storm I encountered in County Clare, the windows were fogging up, making it difficult for me to see. I had to crack the windows despite the rain pelting down, or simply try wiping the windshield with my had. Neither option was a good one.
Research alcohol limits - I learned this from my friend after I returned my rental car, but Ireland has a zero tolerance policy regarding drinking and driving. In California, you are allowed to have a blood alcohol level of 0.08% while driving, which is still a bit high in my opinion, but that's California for you. Out in Ireland, the limits are different, and the penalties are severe. Although I was a smart driver while I was over there, it still would have been wiser for me to know this before going. Always look up drinking policies if you plan to drive in another country!
Eight Incredible Days!
Being entirely solo this time around for 8 whole days was definitely challenging, but I enjoyed it. I may not have learned as much about the country this time around as I would have liked to, but I was able to experience the towns and people in ways I hadn't been able to before. It was incredible!
But wait...8 days?
I only mentioned 7...
Oh yes, that's right! The 8th day I flew out, I had a 21-hour layover...In Amsterdam!
Guess what my next post will be about? Stayed tuned next time to hear about the 8th day...finally stepping out into the Netherlands and exploring a country I'd never been to before all by myself!
All pics were taken by me or by my device and not to be used. Gifs courtesy of Giphy.
