How to See the Cliffs of Moher & The Burren

The Cliffs of Moher and the national park of Burren are the most visited nature attractions in Ireland, and that's for a reason. But how do you get around rural west Ireland if the idea of driving on the left terrifies you, or if renting a car is out of the question? We hopped on a bus of Galway Tour Company that took us to the Cliffs of Moher tour from Galway. Here's everything you need to know!

Galway Tour Company offers many different varieties of their tours to go and check out this magnificent piece of cliff, but we took the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren one, since it was offered with a discount by our hostel. The price is 30€ for adults, 25€ for students and seniors, and 20€ for children. In 8 hours you get bused around the coast with a very, very talkative tour guide who might make you sing if you're late from the bus. Be prepared.

Important: since we're in Ireland, make sure to dress properly! The weather gets infernal at the cliffs, so make sure to have good shoes, preferably boots since the pathways are muddy, and a good coat. If you're visiting outside of the summer season, save your ears and take a beanie with you. And hold it tight.

DUNGUAIRE CASTLE

Our first stop was by the Dunguaire Castle close to Kinvarra. The castle originates from the 16th century and got its name from the Dun of King Guaire, the king of Connaght. Our 15 minutes was spent by admiring the impressively low tide (seen in the photo below!) and trying to circle around the castle like a hoard of lemmings. Back to the bus we go.

The barren landscape of the Burren is astonishing. Our enthusiastic tour guide Gary was able to tell us that all of this used to be under water millions of years ago, thus all the limestone.

POULNABRONE DOLMEN

Now that you guys are in Ireland, you better get used to these seemingly impossible gaelic names! The second stop was Poulnabrone Dolmen, one of the 174 portal tombs in Ireland. It dates back to the Neolithic period, approximately between 4200 BC and 2900 BC. So damn old.

This is the closest you can get: as you can see, it's circled with a rope fence. Some time ago a group of idiots decided it'd be funny to try and move this prehistoric tomb, so now there's a 24/7 surveillance. This surveillance is a guy sitting in a car next to the tomb.

It was so windy we survived outside for a solid 5 minutes. Again, please dress well. The land is so barren the few trees are all grown crooked due to the never-ending gust.

KILFENORA CELTIC CROSSES

Our third stop, Kilfenora, is an adorable little village in the heart of the Burren. The reason for stopping here is their famous celtic crosses, dating all the way back to the 12th century. The cathedral around it is pretty much destroyed, but it's still possible to explore the cemetery and admire the graves.

What is this? A door for leprachauns?

DOOLIN VILLAGE

We stopped for lunch after noon in the village of Doolin. It's the tiniest thing. We had a solid 45 minutes to eat, but after the waitress screwed up my order at least two times, in my case it meant more like 15. Reminds me again why these tour buses are really not my way of travelling, but sadly the options to get around in here are quite limited.

THE CLIFFS OF MOHER

Finally! The admission fee to the cliffs is included in the price of the tour, but please take this into account in case you decide to arrive by car: visiting the cliffs is not free. There's a visitor centre with a cafe and a museum where you can gather your strength before facing the gusts of the cliffs. Check out their website: Cliffs of Moher

The cliffs stretch for 8 kilometres and are 214 metres at their highest point. It's easily one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. We were lucky to have a good weather during our visit, but our very own enthusiastic Gary told us it's not always the case - sometimes the fog gets so thick you can't see a thing. Make sure to check the weather forecast in advance or you'll end up paying to see the tip of your nose!

Now, the wind. It can easily get as fast as 120km/h, and hear this from someone who's been there: it can sweep you off your feet. It can rock the bus from side to side. So as you approach the cliffs, please for the love of God don't get on the wrong side of the fence! Here's how it all looks like around the cliffs:

You can walk along the cliffs as far as you like, but Galway Tour Company allows you 1,5 hours on the location. Our sensitive asses survived a solid 20 minutes outside, and after the excruciatingly strong wind caught my bag and broke the strap, we headed inside and devoured warm beverages for the rest of the time.

This is how it looks to the opposite direction from the cliffs:

This area was beyond the maintenance of the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre. People actually jumped the fence and posed for pictures a metre away from the edge. I personally preferred to squeeze the stone fence so hard my hands turned white. Fear of heights? Yes. Fear of dying? Hell yes.

As seen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!

COAST ROAD

Our last stop was by the Coast Road to have a view of the Aran Islands on the horizon. The drop in itself isn't as impressive after seeing the cliffs of Moher, but 8 metres is enough for me to not get too close to the edge. The barren soil gets unstable, so watch where you walk. Our 10 minutes in here passed fast taking Instagram-worthy photos of us staring at the horizon.

The bus took us back to Galway bus station at 6pm. Crazy wind, crazy tour guide, crazy landscapes and one absolutely gorgeous Ireland. There's something about the barren land and the winds of the Atlantic Ocean that create quite a magical atmosphere on the west coast of the island.

 Have you been to the Cliffs of Moher? How was your experience there? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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A WEEK IN IRISH NEWS

None of us can miss out on news about large-scale international events, no matter where we live. But how about the smaller ones? What kind of national issues made it to Irish headlines this week? I kept an eye on Irish newspapers for a week and for each day picked an article specifically dealing with Irish issues that probably didn't make it outside of the island. And here we have it: a week in Irish news from 20th to 26th of February 2017!

MONDAY

MAN IN HIS 50s DIES FOLLOWING SHOOTING IN DUBLIN | Irish Times

A good start, right? A man in his 50s was found dead in an apartment on North Circular Road following a shooting incident on Sunday night. No one has been arrested yet, but gardaí are investigating the incident.

I picked this one for multiple reasons. Firstly, I had no idea the police are called gardaí in Ireland before I moved here, and wanted to show you a bit of that gaelic craic in action. Secondly, the amount of shooting incidents and people dying from gunshots or stabbing in Dublin was an absolute shock for me at first. Nowadays, sad to say, I'm pretty used to it. I don't think we can pass two weeks in here without the news telling yet another story of someone being shot dead. Usually it's about gang violence or drugs. Thirdly, we live only a few blocks away from the crime scene...

TUESDAY

#PINTBABY HAS BEEN LOCATED! SO WHAT IS HE UP TO NOW? | RTÉ News

I don't usually like to say this, but now I will: only in Ireland could a video of a baby drinking a pint of Guinness become viral - and so the hashtag #PintBaby was born. A reporter from RTÉ found a clip from a documentary filmed in 1997 where the camera cuts to a baby taking a gulp from a pint of Guinness, and the video soon started spreading all over social media. After intensive search, the Pint Baby was found, and apparently prefers to be called Stephen.

This hashtag was no. 1 on Trending on my Twitter feed last night. Not gonna comment on the question whether a baby should be allowed to take a sip of beer or not, but the response to the video here in Ireland has been surprisingly positive. The general attitude seems to be "Ahh for god's sake, we've all done it..." The Irish truly are a special folk!

WEDNESDAY

CORK MAN WHO TOLD GARDAÍ HE DIDN'T KNOW HALF-A-TONNE OF FERTILIZER WAS IN HIS VAN CONVICTED OF IRA MEMBERSHIP | Independent.ie

Well there's a title that grinds the gears of a Lit graduate. A man from Cork has been found guilty of IRA membership after 500kg of ammonium nitrate based fertiliser was found from the back of his van. The man stated he was going to Monaghan (a city by the border of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) for a drinking session and was apparently not aware of the fertiliser in his car...

Now, I picked this article to show you the haunting presence of the past still lingering in Ireland: this is the second case of someone associated with the IRA being arrested for the possession of explosives since I moved to Dublin. The other guy was arrested from a bus to Belfast (the capital of Northern Ireland) with TNT in his bag. There's no way the IRA still exists in the same form as during the Troubles in the 60s and 70s, but there are a couple of contemporary movements, such as RIRA (The Real Irish Republican Army) and NIRA (New Irish Republican Army) attempting to keep the legacy alive. Sinn Feín, the political party associated with the demobilised original IRA, has condemned the activity of these groups. However, I feel like the threat of a so-called "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic due to Brexit keeps everyone on their toes nowadays, since there's this fear of the peace agreement falling into pieces and violence returning if a proper border control is installed in the north. You know how The Cranberries sing: It's the same old theme / since nineteen-sixteen / in your head, in your head / they're still fighting...

Wow, this got serious. Anyway, no one's building car bombs anymore, please mom don't be scared.

THURSDAY

FINE GAEL SET TO HAVE NEW LEADER BY EASTER | Irish Examiner

Interesting times in the Irish politics: prime minister, in Ireland referred to as Taoiseach, Enda Kenny is about to resign due to a police scandal involving false accusations made about a whistleblower. Thus Fine Gael, the party of Mr. Kenny, needs a new leader, a new prime minister. We finally have news as to when the Taoiseach is about to step down from his throne: after his visit to see President Trump in the White House on St. Patrick's day.

I haven't followed Irish politics as much as I probably should, but there seem to be changes in the air: in addition to Enda Kenny resigning, Sinn Feín also got a new leader just a few weeks back (that was some serious political shit storm right there for a while). The only issue I'm actively checking up on is the question of the 8th amendment - better known as the abortion ban for anyone outside Ireland. Having my say in local politics would also be pretty much the only reason why I'd eventually be interested in getting an Irish citizenship in case we actually (probably by accident) end up staying in Éire.

FRIDAY

'DRIVE-THRU' ASHES COMING TO GALWAY FOR THE START OF LENT | TheJournal.ie

Yes. There's nothing the Catholic church can do to surprise me anymore. Glenamady church in Galway has decided to install a drive-thru service on their grounds so people can quickly and conveniently get their ashes on Ash Wednesday.

I grew up in a 99% Protestant country and have only gotten my fair taste of Catholicism after first living in Québec and now in Ireland. In case you're like me, completely oblivious about religious dates: on Ash Wednesday the ashes of previous year's palm leaves from Palm Sunday are placed on the heads of the congregation for the start of Lent. Is Ireland religious, you ask? Well, let's just say I've never seen this many Jesus shrines on roundabouts before... It's been a weird experience for someone whose country doesn't have such a visible relationship with Christianity. Thanks to Ireland, I also had a chance to write my very first email starting with "Dear Father _____....."

SATURDAY

JEDWARD CLAIM REFUSAL TO BRITS AFTER-PARTY WAS A 'MAJOR SET UP' | Independent.ie

Since we've already covered politics, crime, religion and viral phenomena, I've spared the Saturday slot for pure entertainment and Irish celebrity gossip.

Remember Jedward, that overly energetic teenage duo with hair defying the laws of physics representing Ireland in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest? THESE GUYS? Well, as I've found out by now, these guys weren't just a one hit wonder - they're actually pretty big celebrities in Ireland to this day. Pretty sure you can't walk 100 meters in Dublin without finding their face from a lamp post.

Anyway, Jedward was apparently refused entry to Warner Music Ciroc bash at Freemasons Hall in London's Covent Garden on Wednesday night. Some A-list celebrities like Ed Sheeran and Doutzen Kroes were on the list to this VIP after-party, as supposedly was Jedward, but upon arrival the duo found out their names were not on the VIP-list after all. Jedward now claims that it was all set up, as there was a frenzy of paparazzis ready to photograph them being thrown out by the door. Oh my.

SUNDAY

FALLEN TREES AND FLASH FLOODING AS STORM EWAN SWEEPS COUNTRY | Irish Times

Our week will finish with a weather warning - we're in Ireland, after all. Met Eireann (the Irish weather forecast service) issued an orange warning today as the wind reached a whopping 120km/h. Fallen trees and flooding have kept the whole country indoors today, including yours truly.

If there's one aspect of Ireland that really, really puts me off, it's the weather. You've been to UK? Think it's bad in there? WELCOME TO IRELAND. Honestly I thought I'd be prepared to face the Atlantic winds and 24/7 misty rain after living in Britain, but no. Ireland takes the game a step further. It's a hell on earth in here on most days - I even invested in my first-ever truly waterproof mascara a while back just so I could stop looking like a beaten up panda after 15 minutes outside.

Do you actively follow what's going on in your new home country? Or do you care more about what's going on in your old home? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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A DAY TRIP TO MALAHIDE

One of the things I love about Dublin is how close to so many other cool places it is. I've previously told you about all the wonders of BRAY and HOWTH, but this time our destination is a wee bit different. No cliffs, but castles. I'm of course talking about Malahide.

Malahide is a town North of Dublin, and couldn't be easier to reach: the Dart takes you there in half an hour from the city centre. The biggest attraction by far is the Malahide Castle, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the whole of Ireland, according to someone somewhere. I had insisted on going for almost three weeks, until finally the miracle of sunshine was blessed upon Ireland and we had the perfect weather and zero excuses to ditch this thing again. So off we went, no idea what to expect.

Malahide turned out to be the most adorable thing. I took so many pictures. So. Many. Let's have a look!

Now this wouldn't be an Irish coastal town if it didn't have a small harbour, like so. We took a tiny tour around.

I tried to come up with a cheeky thing to say about this photo but then my buzzkill editor side took over and all I can say is I LOVE OUTDOOR LIGHTING.

Now, the cute city centre. Photos will follow below. I mean, how are you supposed to pick a restaurant when they all look so welcoming? I want to eat in all of these. I want to get my hair cut in that salon just because of the lights outside.

I honestly had no idea how many palm trees there'd be in Ireland before I moved in and was baffled by all things tropical. What's up with that? Where do you guys get your palm trees?

After rolling around aimlessly for an hour or so and getting lost like two times we finally headed to the right direction and found the castle grounds - which was surprisingly hard for us taking into account it's pretty much the same size as the whole town centre in itself. And it's right across the road from the train station, but you know.

There was an inner garden here, but you'd have to pay to get in. Alex wanted to come back in the summer.

The castle! Apparently the oldest parts of it date back to the 12th century, owned originally by the Talbot family for over 790 years. It eventually got sold to the Irish State in 1973, and is now open for visits.

We didn't go in: visiting the castle and the West Gardens inside the walls comes with a price we were not interested in paying at this time of the year - 12€ for adults, 8€ for students and 6€ for kids. We planned on returning during summer when we'd actually see flowers in bloom.

The castle and the surrounding lands are a pretty impressive sight in itself though:

Alex was fascinated by these flowers. No matter how far the winter is, I'm still confused by the amount of green in here at this time of the year. Is this the real life? Is this my winter now? Smelling flowers in February?

Later on in the evening we returned to the town and found a pub to have a pint in. Gibneys was pretty full and sportsy, but we fit in and had a break before heading back to Dublin.

A lovely trip all in all! Like Howth and Bray, Malahide was added to my personal list of "Places Where I Want to Retire". Talk about a long-term plan....

Have you been to Malahide? Are there any other such spots within a day trip distance from Dublin I should go and check out? Share your tips and thoughts in the comments below!

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HOUSE TOUR! | Our Dublin Home

Hi everyone! Welcome to our Irish crib! Or chez nous, like my French-speaking counterpart would say. We recently moved to a lovely new flat not too far from the city centre of Dublin, so why not take you to a little tour around this Irish-Finnish-Canadian fusion living of ours?

This is the first time I have a hall in my apartment since I left Finland. Our flat in the UK, both flats in Canada and my previous one in Ireland all opened straight to an open space or to a long corridor, but this is some serious hall-ness happening right here. The door on the left opens to a bathroom, the one on the front leads to the apartment.

LIVINGROOM

Welcome to our living room! And bedroom. And kitchen... Needless to say, we live in a studio. Dublin is a nightmare when it comes to the rental market, so as poor-ass students there's not much more we can afford. Luckily this beauty is more than spacious for us two, with a mezzanine to sleep on. Let's take a tour around!

In case you're wondering about the white panels on the walls, those are our heaters. Now, we've all heard horror stories about badly built apartments on the British Isles, and I've got my fair share of that in the past, but this apartment has none of that crap. The temperature goes down to 16 or 17 degrees Celcius during the night if we don't keep the heaters on, but we can set the heaters to a fixed temperature (usually 23) after which they turn themselves off automatically. It's a dream, really. And like I stated in one of my Christmas vlogs, upon returning to Finland for the holidays I realised I'm not comfortable in the typical dry, 24-degree indoor air of my parents' apartment. Ireland has made me thick-skinned.

There used to be a fireplace, but the structure was removed during renovation. What's left is only the beautiful exterior as a sign of the apartment's past. Most flats in here seem to have a fireplace of some sort, functional or not.

MEZZANINE

When living tight, every square meter has to be used. Our bed is up the stairs on a mezzanine. Storing clothes is also well planned...

This is the coziest space ever. I confess sitting right here at this very moment, typing this post! The bedsheets are the absolute best.

KITCHEN

Welcome to our kitchen. This kitchen is a source of many disagreements for a multicultural couple - kitchens often tend to be. During the last few years I've learned to live without the greatest Finnish invention since the dawn of mankind - that being the dish drying cupboard. The substitute is this metal horror on my counter.

Another issue is the brush/sponge debate. To be honest, I had kind of forgotten the Finnish fascination of brushes and submitted to using sponges, up until I re-encountered a brush when the previous tenant left us his unused dish brush. Nothing prepared me for the pleasure of washing my dishes with a good ol' brush once more. Alex, however, can't stand this anomaly, so we had both options until I decided to do some self-rehab therapy and sacrificed the dish brush to wash our stove plates with it. Good bye brush: gone, but never forgotten.

One of the hardest things to adjust to in a country of teadrinkers is the poor quality of coffee. Now, before anyone attacks me by screeching "THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE COFFEE IN IRELAND", let me remind you that my lovely northern nation is statistically speaking the most passionate coffee drinker in the world, with an average of 5 cups of coffee being consumed each day per person. Let that sink in. Also I'd like to know why there aren't more heart attacks per day.

Anyway, coffee. My lovely sister bought us a French press accompanied with some real Finnish coffee for Christmas, and I absolutely love it! Two years of drinking instant coffee has left its mark on my dark Finnish soul, but those days are no more. I have a French press now.

BATHROOM

There's not much to photograph in our bathroom apart from a few Anglo specialties. Now, the first one is of course familiar to anyone who's ever been to London for a holiday. The taps. Right. The physical representation of all illogic of the Empire. This shit drives me nuts, no lie. Every morning I'm put on a trial to choose whether I want to start my day by burning or freezing my hands/face: great times, each morning. It keeps you on your tip toes in a way.

Don't look at the toothbrushes, I know there are three. One of them is, according to Alex, his next toothbrush.

Here we have many more funny things to wonder and ponder. Air conditioning up right, this random source of heat on bottom left. My primary way of using this heat anomaly is to dry my hair with it, because for some absolutely unknown reason the only power socket in this whole house that does NOT follow the British/Irish standard happens to be in the bathroom. It fits the European standard. It fits the Canadian/American standard. It even fits the AUSTRALIAN standard, but no, my hairdryer with its British/Irish plug doesn't fit. The irony.

This was new for both me and Alex. The fuse. We have a water tank in the cupboard behind our bed, which heats us water on command. The command is this red button. It creates a weird kind of sense of control to my life, as now I have to plan my showers at least 15 minutes in advance. What a terrible idea for a postgraduate used to spending each day in her pyjamas, living dangerously and spontaneously by using cookies and snack bars as her primary source of nutrition.

I hope you liked what we did with the apartment! Alex and I are well-suited in many ways, one of them being a similar taste in decoration. The only element which caused trouble was the above scented candle I insisted on buying because it was fancy and colourful and it has this little furry thing hanging from it. No regrets! Alex learned to live with it within a few days after realising it doesn't smell like balsam and amber after all...

Have you found it hard to adjust to a new apartment in a foreign country? Who decorates in your couple? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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