Busy as a Bee!!!

It's been quite a summer so far....

From my sister Kaitlyn getting married in Ireland, our first trip abroad, my sister Ashley having her first baby and all 3 kids being home for the summer, it seems to be flying by.  We are so blessed to have had the opportunity to travel and be a part of all these amazing milestones.....but needless to say I haven't been good about keeping up with my blog. 

Seriously the Best fish and chips in Ireland!!

 

Visiting Ireland was a dream come true but sharing it with my Mom was amazing!! 

Our little blue car got the job done, maybe not as fast as you'd like but she got us from A to B. 

As one of the locals put it "it's a fucking washing machine on wheels". LOL!!

I'm so glad we got to drive ourselves around.  It gave us so much freedom, we truly drove cross country.  P.S Never rent a car without GPS, it seriously saved us and our marriage. LOL

 Visiting the Hill of Tara.  For obvious reasons I wanted to go here but it wasn't just the name.  It is one of the most historical places in Ireland.  142 Kings are said to have reigned in the Name of Tara. 

Driving was an adventure to say the least.  My husband John drove the whole time but I had to try it just to say I did it.  It was fun but very strange.  Every time we turned a corner I'd say left side, left side.  John did an amazing job, we had no accidents and both mirrors were in tacked when we returned it.  LOL!! 

The Luttrellstown Castle is where my sister got married.  It's also where David & Victoria Beckham were married.  It was a fairytale and we are blessed to have been a part of it.  The Castle was amazing, the staff was great and the food was fantastic!  The pic to the right was one of the views from our room.

We had the King John room.  I had to get a pic of John sitting on the Throne in the King John room.  Too funny!!

Who needs a glass!! Guinness is good for you!

 My gorgeous sister on her wedding day!!

What's a castle without secret passageways?

After we left the Castle we headed to Tipperary where my family originated from.  We made a quick stop to the Rock of Cashel.

 One of our favorite places on our whole trip was the English Market in Cork.  AMAZING!!!!!

I really wished I had a kitchen while we were there.  There was so much I wanted to cook and taste.  We did buy lots of yummy cheeses, olives, breads and jams for a picnic.

 The Cliffs of Moher was one of if not the top sight to see for me.  Unfortunately mother nature had other plans that day.  The fog rolled in thick and quick.  I guess this just means that I will have to come back again some day.


Next we traveled to Galway, which is the area where my husband family originated from.  Galway is known for its good seafood.  The Kings Head has been around quite awhile so we thought we'd try it out.  They did not disappoint. YUM!!

 The weather while we were in Galway was not the best.  It was raining and blowing the whole first day.  Did that stop us form walking the streets?  Heck no!!  We were prepared, so glad I brought my rain boots.  So worth the suitcase space.

While we were checking out the Spanish Arch we found this little restaurant, Ard Bia at Nimmos.  It was tiny but had so much character.  I had one of the best meals of my life and dream of going back.  I love it when you stumble across a gem like this.

 I LOVED the tea in Ireland.  Isn't this the cutest tea pot? 

When mother nature rains out your picnic plans, what do you do?  You get in your comfy clothes and have a picnic on the bed in your hotel room.  













Ireland was #1 on my bucket list and it had every reason to be.  My husband and I are both from Irish decent and it was a dream come true to visit and experience all that we did. 

Next we hopped on a plane to Paris for a couple of days.  We stayed in the city near the Louvre and used the metro and cabs to get around.  That was quite an experience in it's self. 

We walked the streets, climbed countless stairs and saw some of the most breathtaking architecture and history in the world.

 We climbed to the top of Notre Dame Cathedral.  The line is a lot longer than the one to go into the church but soooo completely worth it!

Of course a kiss under the Eiffel Tower was a must. 

 One of the best things was seeing my friend Perrine.  She was an exchange student in my high school and we became good friends.  She moved back to France after college and I hadn't seen her in 19 years.  You know that you have good friends when you can pick up where you left off.  SUCH GOOD TIMES!!!!

After a really long line we made it down to the Catacombs.

 It was quite an experience and one I'll never forget.  Not to many places like this in the world and definitely worth the wait.

Before we headed over to the Louvre we needed to eat.  There was this great cafe down the street from the Catacombs.  We had escargot and I had seafood pasta and John had the duck.  Very good!!!









Of course you have to have macrons while you are in France.  I picked up some at Paul's, they were delicious!!!

 The Lourve was my 2nd favorite place on our trip.  It is the most amazing place.  You could spend a week in there and not see everything.  One thing you have to remember is to always look up.  The ceilings are spectacular!!  I found that the architecture of the palace was just as impressive as the art work and exhibits.

My husband and I never had a honeymoon and after almost 13 years of marriage we got one.  Boy was it worth the wait!!!!  I still can't believe we went.  I look at the pictures almost everyday.  We are truly blessed!!!!!