Staying Seaside

January 28

Morning in Blackrock

On Friday morning, two of my roommates and I went to the nearby town of Blackrock (only a 10-minute bus ride from campus) for coffee and a walk along the water. We went to Hatch for coffee, which was recommended by a local Irish friend, and the coffee was delicious! The inside was extremely Instagram-able, but the food and drinks supported the Hatch's recommendation. After our breakfast, we walked along the beach and then around Blackrock Park.

We then waited over 30 minutes for a bus to take us back to campus because one of my roommates had class at 1:00pm. We thankfully made it back in time, but we learned that morning that bus 17 can be very unreliable. The town was more industrial and smaller than Bray, but being by the water made me feel like I was back home, allowing me to relax and more fully feel like this is my new home for the next few months.

January 29

A Rocky Start

On Saturday, we woke up with the intention of going to Glendalough, which is located in the Wicklow Mountains and features hikes around two lakes. The night before, we did our research and learned that there are only two buses that run directly to Glendalough: one at 11:45am and one at 6:15pm. When we woke up, we made sure to get to the bus stop early so that we didn't miss the bus.

We got to the bus stop around 11:35 and saw that bus 181 was on its scheduled course. 11:45 rolls around and no bus. A few minutes go by and still nothing. We start to lose hope and figure out our next plan of action, as we had planned for a day of hiking. Finally, at 11:55, we see bus 181 approaching our stop. We flag it down only to be told by the bus driver that the bus is full. Plan B it is.

Howth Cliff Walk

We switched tactics and decided to do the Howth Cliff Walk. We waited about 20 more minutes for a bus to Blackrock, which is where we could catch a train to Howth. There was a train scheduled for 12:20pm, which we missed by just a few minutes, so we had to wait until 12:50 for the next one. We decided to get coffee at Hatch in Blackrock while we waited for the next train.

The train ride took us through Dublin and then north of the city to Howth. Once we got to Howth, we started the cliff walk! What an amazing time Howth was. I will admit that the walk was a little scary for me, as the path along the cliff was extremely narrow, really only wide enough for one person, and extremely close to the edge. I'm not the biggest fan of heights, so my knees definitely went weak for parts of the walk.

The views were absolutely worth it, though. The terrain was a lot steeper than Bray but no less stunning. We caught the most amazing moment when we reached the summit. We reached the top and were greeted with views of sunkissed mountains in the distance and the sun's rays touching the bay ahead of us. Standing in awe of the beauty we saw before us, I think we all felt like we were meant to experience that moment.

No picture will ever capture how it felt to stand at the top of the mountain and see the sun shine onto the water like that. It felt almost spiritual that we were able to experience that. That view will forever be imprinted in my memory, and the feeling associated with it will stick with me forever.

After we reached the summit, we headed back towards the town center to watch the sunset on the pier and grab some food. We walked through a neighborhood to get back and saw two donkeys wearing jackets!

The weather has worked out for us every single day we've been here, and today was no exception. The only downside today was the wind. While we were waiting for the sunset on the pier, we almost had to leave because the wind was blowing so harshly and making sitting there a very cold experience.

In the end, the sunset ended up being beautiful, making an already great day even better.

Before heading back to UCD, we warmed up at O'Connells, a pub at the beginning of the pier we were on. We picked it because it was the closest restaurant to where we were, but the food ended up being fantastic! I got a caesar salad, and it was actually one of the best I've had in recent years.

We took the train then a bus back to campus, marking the end of a long day. I walked over eight miles again; exploring Ireland is definitely a work out!

These last few days have been so amazing to explore Ireland's beauty, making me even more excited to venture to other parts of the island.

Cheers!