Sunday, July 26, 2015

Beautiful Maiden

Bre has spoken often of how she would enjoy modeling a white dress with the wind picking up the fabrics on the cliffs of Moher!  What an exhilarating experience it was to photograph her - she is such a natural in front of the camera.  We didn't have much time to scout for a location considering the light was going fast but this fortress was perfect in the images and we were lucky to have stumbled upon such an amazing spot!  She really enjoyed herself during this shoot and the ocean breeze did its magic just as we were hoping.








Cliffhanger


We embarked on our road to the Cliffs of Moher and encountered several toll bridges.  Surprise!  We stopped for (YET) another cup of coffee and had a "proud to be an American" moment when we ordered a white chocolate americano with room for cream.... we got the craziest look!  The guy working said "wouldn't that just be a mocha?" ...No.  A mocha is made with milk.  Americano is made with water.  Don't these Europeans know anything about coffee?    Later on in the car we keep saying "MERICA!!!" and giggling after we have funny moments like these (and there are way too many to count!)


ALL the fences around here are made out of stone.  Apparently the farmers used to burn their fields to prepare for next year's crop.  The stone walls keep the fire from traveling to the field next door!  Genius.





Many cars push their mirrors in when they park around here. 
Another small town pub in Doolin.  Perfect authentic Irish food and local live music.  It took us a little longer than we expected it would to eat (the place was super busy) so the race was on to catch the sunset at the cliffs when we left here!
Driving like a bat out of hell on the no-name backroad to catch the light 

As we pulled in, Alicia sprinted up a bazillion flights of stairs with camera gear and barely caught the sunset lighting up the cliff sides! 
If you're feeling tipsy after your pub visit read the sign..... 


Teaser: A few minutes after the sun set, Bre and Amy arrive fully garbed for a gorgeous twilight cliffside photo shoot

A Day in Galway



Love the local music!

The Original Claddagh Ring Museum - We loved seeing the variations through history


Our lunch venue

The Quays (pronounced Keys) used to be a thatched roof cottage!  They have since rebuilt it to be 3 stories with a pub on the top two floors, and the restaurant on the lower floor where the cottage used to be. As luck would have it, they had SPRINGROLLS for Bre!  We loved this place.  Alicia ordered Beef and Guinness stew and Amy had fish and chips.



We ended our journey in Galway enjoying the live street music.  If we had to do it all over again Bre would have chosen  Galway over Dublin.  We certainly daydream there will be a next time in each of our futures!




Thursday, July 23, 2015

Trinity College Longroom


Need we say more?












The Ultimate Quest for Teriyaki

Amy/"Mum:"

So Breanna’s favorite food vendor is Japanese.  She loves California rolls and Teriyaki chicken with Gyoza.  So on this trip of a lifetime where she has the opportunity to experience other foods we have found ourselves deadlocked on the chase for Teriyaki. So after a very rough morning of not feeling well and having a hard time adjusting to the time change, we took Bre back to the hotel so she could rest.  She promptly passed out and as you readers can tell we caught up on blogging to our hearts content.  Finding ourselves hungry we decided that maybe we should go in search of Teriyaki to make Bre happy.  

So after much googling (using wifi that only works in the hotel lobby) we discovered a restaurant called Tapenyaki that was near by.  She was still napping so we left her a note saying we would be back at 6 with food.  We head to the car in the parking garage from hell where we have to put our mirrors in to park…. (seriously I don’t know how they expect cars to fit in and out of these!! Terrified every time) we realized we forgot to write down the address.  Having no wifi outside of the building and no cell service overseas we pulled the car out of the garage, stopped in front of the hotel to the spot where we could pick up wifi and search on a kindle.  Then after getting the address, the Garmin said “does not exist.”   After several times we finally discovered that we could find the place by hitting the “restaurant search” button.  We go to leave the hotel and the parking validation ticket is not in the car.  We have to back up so Alicia could run in for another ticket.




So we get on the road following the GPS coordinates and basically go in a really big look by which I tell Alicia “This feels like we’re going back in the direction of our hotel.”  But we continue on.  We find the restaurant and I say to Alicia “Um I didn’t think this through very well we’re going to have to park the car!”  so while sitting through a red light multiple times Alicia jumped out of the car to check and see if there was parking in a nearby ally.  We see a parking spot (within a foot of someone’s front door) and say “ok we’re taking it!”  We proceed to the restaurant and find it closed….. “To reopen in about 15 minutes.”  Well that was not the hours we saw posted on their website!  So we kill time until it opens, order food, wait over a 1/2 an hour for food which costed a small fortune, proceed back to the car stashed in the ally to find it blocked in by a van and a bunch of sketchy looking blokes hanging around it.  We are both thinking “Oh crap we’re busted!”  So we apologize for being parked probably where we shouldn’t be, get in the car and go to leave then we find the ally is a dead end…….  luckily the sketchy looking blokes lightened up after we spoke a few words in their native slang (lots of 4 letter words) and helped us back up and told the guy in the van to move so we could get out of the ally.  After getting back on the road again we discovered we were about 5 blocks from the hotel and could have walked in far less time than it took to drive.  When we arrived back later than we said (what should have taken us 25 minutes took us literally 2 hours)... thankfully she was just waking up!  Next time she wants Teriyaki we plan to walk! :)

The Search for Moon High Cross

This is a two lane?  80km per hour?? Are you crazy?!! 
When Bre saw this picture she said "Swiggity swoody I'm coming for dat booty" ...we were rolling!

Having a blast on the countryside in our Nissan Qashqai (also known as a Rogue for those of us Americans!)

In our journey we got lost (shocker) and came upon the cutest boutique B&B.

We all needed a potty break and the owner said to go out in the courtyard. That the ladies have a roof and the gents are open air. Thats how they do the loo in the country.We had a good laugh about it.
Alicia enjoyed the friendly hospitality and wonderful conversation in the main reception/pub area 
Finally!! We found it!! So quiet, we had the place to ourselves.

Amy & Bre being goofy.

Bre we so overwhelmed she needed a moment of reflection to write in her journal.