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The Best way to Explore Edinburgh Scotland on a Budget

August 1, 2018 by Meg 2 Comments

How to Explore Edinburgh Scotland on a BudgetWe visited Edinburgh between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I have always wanted to see Scotland in winter, especially to experience a real Christmas market, plus I loved the idea of being in Scotland for Hogmanay, which is the Scots word for the last day of the year. Hogmanay is known to be a huge celebration to bring in the New Year. When we planned this trip, we were going through some personal strains and money was a bit tight. As much as we really wanted to see and do everything, we also had to be mindful of our spending, so these tips are how to explore Edinburgh on a budget. I am sure there are tons of other things you can see and do if money was no object, but really, we love finding a bargain and free things to do really are sometimes the best ways to really see a new place.

How to get around:

Edinburgh has a great public transport system with buses, trains and trams you can get around the city really easily. We caught the Airlink 100 from the airport straight into Waverly. From there we decided to pick up a RidaCard, and loaded a week on the card which cost 22 pounds (with a once off fee for the card). It allowed us to take any form of transport whilst we were in Edinburgh for 5 days. Well worth it, and it meant we didn’t have to search for cash or buy tickets at every stop. If you are not planning on travelling around a lot then skip the RidaCard. If you base yourself centrally in Edinburgh, it is a city that is easy enough to walk around (but be warned there are a few serious hills!) We had planned to get out of of the city center to explore other suburbs and areas around Edinburgh so for us the RidaCard made sense, because we certainly made full use of it. Plus it was winter, so some days we just really prefered to be in a warm bus than trekking in the snow!

Things to do for FREE:

  1. Calton Hill, and the Scottish National Monument

Trekking up Calton Hill and admiring the views of Edinburgh was one of our first stops, and I highly recommend you go up there – any time of year. We went in the middle of winter, with some snow and ice on the ground, and it was worth the steep walk to the top. The National Monument is a partial replica of the Parthenon in Greece, however it has been left unfinished in 1829 due to lack of funds.Calton Hill and National Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland

  1. Scott monument

Scott monument was the first bit of Edinburgh we really saw. Over the Christmas market it is at the heart of the market, so it almost is a bit hidden amongst the Christmas market festivities, but it is a tall monument so you really can’t miss it. It is also the second largest monument built in honour of a writer in the world. You can pay to go up the monument to see the view, but for me the joy was in looking at the monument (plus it doesn’t cost anything to look at it).Scott Monument, Edinburgh, Scotland

  1. Victoria street

This is possibly the most visited street in Edinburgh, and the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. It is filled with little cafés and shops – a lot of which are marketed towards Harry Potter fans, however there are a few art gallery shops which we quite enjoyed browsing. Victoria Street, Diagon Alley, Edinburgh

  1. A Free Harry Potter Walking Tour

If you are a Harry Potter fan then Edinburgh is definitely going to be on your list. You can visit the coffee shop that JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series (we tried but it was packed, and we tend to avoid high tourist areas). If you are on a tight budget, you can meet at the George IV Bridge for a free Harry Potter walking tour. The tour starts near Greyfriars Bobby statue (tourist tip: don’t be an obvious tourist and rub the statue’s nose – the rubbing is wearing down the metal of the statue and actually damaging it.) The tour starts at various times every afternoon, time is dependent on the time of year, so check out their website for times. You are not required to pay anything for the tour, however if you enjoy it, leave the tour guide a tip

  1. National Museum of Scotland

This museum is free to enter, and is open all year round. It is massive, and you would need a full day to truly explore all of it. If you are short on time, the one tip I have to recommend is going up to the rooftop terrace in the museum. You will get a pretty awesome view of Edinburgh, and it is completely free to access. On the day we went, it was closed due to snow, so it is weather dependent. National Museum of Scotland

  1. St Giles Cathedral

In the heart of old town Edinburgh, is a gothic style church also known as the high kirk of Edinburgh. It is the principal place of worship for the Church of Scotland, although not technically a cathedral as there is no bishop. A lot of tours meet outside the cathedral, so it is often a busy square, but still beautiful to look at.

  1. The Royal mile

The Royal mile starts at Edinburgh Castle goes all the way to Holyrood Palace. It’s an easy walk to do, and only a mile long. A friend recently visited Edinburgh and had a great tip, when walking the royal mile she listened to an audio guide which share landmarks and stories as you walk.

  1. Arthur’s seat in Holyrood Park

There are several walks you can do in Holyrood Park; one of the popular walks to do is to hike up to Arthur’s seat. We tried to walk up to Arthur’s seat ourselves but there was a lot of ice on the path. We got halfway and started to slipping and sliding along the path that we opted to walk another route – the view was still incredible, and at least we stopped falling on ice! I think when the weather is good, the hike up to Arthur’s Seat would take about 2 hours and is a must for anyone who loves the outdoors and enjoys taking in a good view. Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

  1. Explore Leith and the Shore area.

We chose to explore Leith for personal reasons, but really it is such a pretty part of town, that I would recommend people try get out there and see it themselves. The reason we wanted to get there was because that was where Rob’s grandfather grew up. He played football for the Hibernians, which is a professional football club in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. Whilst we were visiting the area, we realised that the Hibs were playing against the Hearts (Heart of Midlothian, a Scottish football team in the west of Edinburgh). The two teams are local rivals, so it was special that we got to sit in a local Hibs supporter pub and watch the game. Leith, Shore, Edinburgh

  1. Stockbridge

Stockbridge is a bit of vibey town, filled with thrift stores, quaint cafes and gastro pubs. A tip for foodies looking to explore this part of Edinburgh – book a restaurant in advance, we battled to walk in to most restaurants the night we visited, however we did stumble across a place that was pet friendly and served good food, called Hector’s. The service was slow, but seeing dogs in a restaurant was a real treat, plus the food was tasty.

Things worth paying for:

  1. Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a popular tourist spot, and it is well worth a visit. Some tips before you go are to book your tickets/time slot online to avoid the queues. Also try book for the morning slot, because once you are in the castle, you can stay as long as you need to. There is quite a bit to see and do in the castle, it is self-guided however there is a small guided portion where you can get a sense of where everything is. Try doing the walking tour as soon as you enter, because it helps to orientate yourself for exploring the rest of the castle on your own. There is also a lovely café at the castle, and it is great to stop and grab a tea and cake there. You can buy your tickets to online here: https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/ Edinburgh Castle

  1. South Bridge Vaults

This was another tip recommended to us by a friend. There are lots of different types of underground tours you can take – some spooky and some factual. We decided to take the more factual tour and although we didn’t have the best tour guide, I really recommend taking this tour, especially if you love history and learning how people lived underground in the vaults in Edinburgh was truly fascinating. This was the tour company we used: https://www.mercattours.com/ South Bridge Underground Vaults

  1. Take a bus tour out of Edinburgh

If you are staying for a few days, and have the time, then definitely consider taking a bus tour out of Edinburgh to explore more of Scotland. We chose a bus tour that offered a nice mixture of things to do: whiskey tasting, Glencoe Mountains and a boat cruise on Loch Ness. Although we didn’t end up finding Nessie, we loved the tour we did. This was largely because our tour guide Graham was amazing; we also got to see more of Scotland in the snow which was as enchanting as you could imagine. You can read more about out day trip here. This was the tour company we used: https://www.nessbus.com/

Where to eat:

One of the best tips to budget travel is to try and not eat and drink out too much. Alcohol and restaurant food is where a large portion of the budget often goes when you are travelling and away from home. We always try to get accommodation that is either self-catering or serves a big breakfast as part of the rate. When we went to Edinburgh, we staying in a guest house that offered a really tasty, home cooked breakfast each morning and this really helped get a good breakfast in before we went off and explored the city. There were a few times where we ate out, and I feel some places are worth a mention. Since we tended to eat a small meal during the day, we did try a few coffee places for light snacks. Zebra’s had some great coffee; along with Pep and Fodder, which served good coffee with amazing treats. I already mentioned Hector’s in Stockbridge, the food was good (except the service was slow) – we actually had intended on trying Scran and Scallie, but they were fully booked the night we went there. I think if you book in advance, it might be a good restaurant to try – it looked very cool from the outside, and a fully booked restaurant is always a good sign of good food. The last place I need to mention is the bakery we went to TWICE while we were there, Mimi’s, it is award winning with three locations in Edinburgh (we visited the one in Leith twice) – recently rated best bakery café 2018. Highly recommend the cake as well as their brunch; we also saw they do a high-tea which looked delicious!

So those are our budget friendly tips to seeing the most of Edinburgh. I also recommend you read my post on budget travel for some tips on how we save money while exploring new places. Edinburgh definitely stole our hearts, but it also started this great love affair for all of Scotland. We have since been back again on a road trip through Scotland in the summer. Visiting Scotland in two seasons has left us even more sure we that we absolutely love Scotland. Even though we have so much more of the world to see, I would be happy going back to Scotland again and again.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO EDINBURGH? ANYTHING WE NEED TO SEE NEXT TIME?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

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How to Explore Edinburgh Scotland on a Budget

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: edinburgh, expatlife, scotland, travel, travel tips, travelling, travels

The best way to experience London is with a Local

June 12, 2018 by Meg 3 Comments

We love travelling to a new place and seeing it from a London local perspective and we have to say that our friends really know how to pull out all the stops to ensure we had the most amazing weekend exploring London.Over Easter weekend, we went over to London to visit one of our best couple friends and Rob’s BAE bestie. We have to say that our friends really know how to pull out all the stops to ensure we had the most amazing weekend exploring their home from a London local perspective. Truth be told, I was never really a massive fan of London, I am not sure if it is because more than half my high school somehow moved over there straight out of school, or that it just seems too big city for my country simple living vibe that I just thought London wouldn’t be for me. The one thing we love about Dublin is that it is a small city but it also has loads of craic (find out what this Irish word means in a previous post) and a really big heart. London just always seemed so show-offey (that’s a word I just made up) and OTT. Like anything I can think of, London has done it and done it bigger, and well, I have always been a bit weird and awkward and not quite so popular, so I guess I never really thought I would suit London. Our friends have been living there for a little longer than we have been in Dublin – and we showed them all the reasons we love living in  Dublin, so we had to go an experience London through their eyes. Whilst I still might not want to live there, I can definitely see that it is an awesome place to visit and explore. One long weekend was certainly never going to be enough time to explore this big city but our dear friends really gave us a one-of-a-kind true feel for the place. And after all my grumbling about not liking London, I may actually be converted into a bit of a fan of the place now because London in the summertime looks rad on Instagram. London really does offer so much to so many people – and it would be hard to not find something to suit all sorts of tastes.

To save some leave days, we opted to fly in after work which in hindsight we should have rather opted to arriving early in the morning and making the most of an extra day. We arrived at our friends a little after 11:30pm and the proceeded to drink and catch – it was Rob’s birthday and our friends even bought him a small (which ended up being massive) rainbow birthday cake. Barring the lumo yellow icing, it looked just like our wedding cake, and it was delish!).

birthday cake

Day 1:

The next day we were treated to a home cooked brekkie – shakshuka (which is honestly my new fave savoury brekkie!) After a slow start we then went off to explore a bit of London. It was a little rainy and being in Ireland kinda makes you forget that when it rains you really should have an umbrella. I guess we have lost one too many umbrellas, that we now just trudge through rain with our water resistant coats. But in London, almost everyone has an umbrella, like when the weather is wet, you can almost just see a sea of black umbrellas. So we went and bought two umbrella’s so we could blend in with the locals. Rob chose a bunny one, and I chose a pale pink one. See I told you we were awkward!

After successfully getting kitted for the wet weather, we walked over to The Shard for drinks and a view. Our friends know how much we love a great view, and also love a bit of a sneaky bargain. If you go straight to the bar and order a drink (it can be anything), you get a great view of the city and it saves you having to book a table and eat an expensive meal for the same view. Granted the drinks are a little pricey, but the view definitely makes it worth it.

Drinks at the Shard

Then when you are feeling a little hungry for lunch, you can always go down to Borough Food Market which is literally across the road – for a whole range of tasty treats at far more affordable prices. I had a yummy pad Thai stir-fry, with extra lemon and peanuts – yum!

After a little mosey through all the food stores, we walked down Oxford Street which is like Grafton street in Dublin but on steroids. It is massive, with tons of high-end stores and loads of people. It is not really our scene, but it was still great to see it and my fave was seeing all the London cabs driving down the road.

To get away from the crowds, we walked down a few alleyways and found some cool street art in what I think was a part of Soho. It was on the way to China town – of course once we got to all the Chinese lanterns, we had to do a few boomerangs with our newly acquired umbrellas.

Walking back to the train, we walked through Trafalgar Square. The last time I was there, I was 12 years old and it was during a quick stop over with my family on our way back from visiting family in Canada. It was our only overseas holiday we did as a family, so being back at there really made me think about that trip and made me miss my family a little more.

London Underground

We went home and had a few drinks and a home cooked meal – which after a bit of a wet day, it was so lovely to sit in the lounge in front of the fire and chat and catch up. It is crazy how even though we have been apart for a while, it was like we were all back in Joburg just chatting away. Such a special friendship, and we have all been there for each other through this expat experience, which has made the friendship even more special.

Day 2:

We slept in a bit and took it relatively slow and easy for breakfast. The sun came out a bit, and we took a past Fulham Stadium and then walked along the Thames River, under the Hammersmith Bridge straight to the Dove for some tasty London pub grub. If you are thinking standard pub grub, you would be wrong – i had a delicious wild mushroom gnocchi which was anything but ordinary! It was a very relaxing day which was just what we needed, filled with tasty food because for dinner we had another splendid meal made from scratch by our wonderful friends.

Hammersmith Bridge

Day 3:

We had to get up a bit early, so that we could catch the bus to the Colombia Road Flower Market which is open only on Sundays. This is a lovely flower market that has been running since 1949! One thing I will say about London is that they do keep up with traditions, heritage and history. Another handy tip for people travelling to London, you can now use your bank card to tap for busses and trains – this is such a great feature, I would love if Dublin got connected like this!

Colombia Road Flower Market

After some coffee and a mosey through the flowers, we made our way to The Bookclub which is a great little brunch spot around the corner from the market. We had our hearts set on prosecco with brunch and were disappointed to find that they don’t serve booze until 12pm, which quite frankly sounds obsurd! Prosecco brunch is such a popular thing here in Dublin, I would have thought this trendy restaurant in London would atleast offer the same. Nonetheless I still had some berry pancakes which were out of this world so all is forgiven.

We then walked off brunch by exploring a bit of shoreditch, on the hunt for great street art and even found a banksy original which was a real treat!

Banksy in London

Then we made our way to the highlight of the weekend for Rob and a great bucket list wish was ticked off – I guess there is a reason why Rob has a BAE bestie, because this wonderful friend managed to organise not one but four tickets to watch an Arsenal Football match at the Emirates stadium. Rob has been a loyal supporter of Arsenal since he was a teenager, and long before we decided to move to Dublin, we often talked about going and seeing a match at the stadium together so I am so grateful that our friends made this dream come true for both of us. It was such a special moment, that I am happy we all got to share together. Plus, Arsenal actually won the match – which given their track record, was a great thing to see in real life!

Arsenal Football at the Emirates Stadium

After the footie, we went in search of more food – and tried Home Slice in Neil’s Yard for some extra yummy pizza. The restaurant is in a the most instagrammable courtyard, so colourful and bright plus the pizza is super delish!!

Home Slice in Neil's Yard, London

It was our last night in London so we decided to a do a bit more walking around, and ended up walking through some gardens, along the river near the London eye, past Westminster Abbey, as well as the statue of Nelson Mandela. It was a great way to finish off our final eve.

Day 4:

Duck & Waffle Restaurant with view of the Gherkin

Before our flight, we managed to get a early breakfast booking at the Duck and Waffle which is in the city, with a great view of the city. The food is incredible, and pretty affordable, although the portions were a little small. Rob had the signature Confit Duck leg and waffle, and I opted for a sweet waffle (obvs). It was a great cherry on top, and perfect ending to a really awesome weekend with our London local friends!

London with locals

HAVE YOU BEEN TO LONDON – WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF YOUR TRIP?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

PIN THIS AND READ LATER:

We love travelling to a new place and seeing it from a London local perspective and we have to say that our friends really know how to pull out all the stops to ensure we had the most amazing weekend exploring London.

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: England, expatlife, Great Britain, London, travel, travelling, travels, United Kingdom, vacation ideas

Visiting Kinvara in Ireland and living in a tiny house

February 26, 2018 by Meg 3 Comments

Visiting Kinvara in Ireland and living in a tiny house. Our first time staying on the west coast of Ireland, and our first Airbnb! Since we rented a car specifically for this trip, we thought it would be the best time to explore a smaller town, and really get a feel for Irish countryside. Kinvara did not disappoint.Our first time staying on the west coast of Ireland, and our first Airbnb! Rob and I were keen to see what the west coast had to offer, but were not so keen on staying in a busy city. Since we rented a car specifically for this trip, we thought it would be the best time to explore a smaller town, and really get a feel for Irish countryside. Kinvara did not disappoint.

Because we were traveling in winter, Kinvara as little country town, was very quiet – a lot of the restaurants were closed in the evenings. If you want to travel around Ireland in winter, it is important to remember that a lot of tourist spots are closed or have winter opening times. Read this post I wrote about the benefits of visiting the west coast of Ireland in winter.

Kinvara, County Galway, IrelandWe really just wanted to get away (with our dog) and just road trip around Ireland a little bit. We didn’t have much in the way of a bucket list of things we wanted to see, but rather the main goal was to unwind and relax. For us, Kinvara is the perfect place to just chill out. We did a few walks as a little family (Jack included) and took some time to just sit and read and drink wine too. It was the perfect amount of explore and recharge.

Tiny house living, Minimalism, Off the grid CabinWe found a great little Airbnb that has gone almost 100% off-grid, with a wood burning stove, solar powered lighting, and composting toilet. The cabin is small, 6m x 3m so it really gave us a real taste for tiny living – something both Rob and I are very keen to do long term. The cabin had a little cooker and we cooked our meals at home to save a bit of money, but also it gave us a lot more one on one time. Time to just hang out as a little family.

pet friendly airbnb, kinvarra irelandOne of the best parts of this cabin, apart from the tiny living feel, was that it was pet friendly! Jack absolutely loved his stay here, the cabin shared a little outside area with the cabin next door. There was no one staying in the second cabin which meant Jack had free reign to explore the garden – which he absolutely loved.

The nights were cooler, but the stove inside honestly worked such a treat. Rob accidently put several logs on the stove at one time on the first night we were there, and it ended up bringing the temperature inside the cabin to almost hotter than a summer’s day in South Africa. We were sweating that first night, but it made for a good laugh, and we just hydrated with extra wine. It will always be a fond memory of our time in Kinvara.

kinvara irelandTiny living is definitely something I want for us as a family. Since we have moved overseas to Ireland, we have learnt to scale back what we have in our own home. This tiny cabin experience in Kinvara really brought home the fact that we don’t need a lot to survive. And if organised cleverly, you can have the right amount of storage areas to hide away the things you do need. The cabin was fitted with a lot of cool features like a little kitchen nook where we ate our meals; shelves under the bed for storage; and a drying rack that could be hung up on the wall when we had finished using it.

going off grid, tiny house livingThe only real challenge was the compost toilet. I think this is something you have to wrap your head around if you ever plan on going off the grid (or in this case, renting this particular Airbnb). I won’t go into graphic detail about it, but it did take some getting used to. A composting toilet means that there is no water or drainage to flush things away. It basically stores it, and you then have to remove it once it fills up. The mechanics are a bit like a porta-potty, but it doesn’t smell or stink up the place. We thankfully didn’t have to remove or replace the unit while we were there. I am just not sure that sort of contraption is for me, I could handle visiting there, but not for the long term. So maybe going off grid entirely is not for me, but I do think I would love to live in tiny home.

All in all, our time in Kinvara was lovely, if not for being very low-key. That is part of slow travel that I enjoy the most. You don’t need to always be going to still enjoy being away. We had a great time, all three of us, and it was the perfect time away we all needed.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO KINVARA? WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT A WEEKEND AWAY?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

PIN THIS AND READ LATER:

Visiting Kinvara in Ireland and living in a tiny house. Our first time staying on the west coast of Ireland, and our first Airbnb! Since we rented a car specifically for this trip, we thought it would be the best time to explore a smaller town, and really get a feel for Irish countryside. Kinvara did not disappoint.

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: expatlife, ireland, irishlife, kinvara, minimalism, minimalist, slow travel, travel, travel tips, travelling, travels, vacation ideas, west coast ireland

Visiting County Cork in Ireland for the first time

January 25, 2018 by Meg 5 Comments

Visiting county Cork in Ireland for the first time. All the things you can see and do in one weekend. Short Trip Ideas!We finally made it to Cork! I say finally because my first ever Irish friend (who I met when I au paired in the USA) lives in Cork. She has come to visit us in Dublin, and well let’s just say, it took us over a year to reciprocate by going down to visit her. Shocking, I know. We finally booked a little leave and took a Friday off so that we could travel down and explore a bit of Cork and what it has to offer. We quickly found out that 3 days is in no way enough time to fully explore all that Cork has to offer – there is just so many ways you can go about seeing this county!

Cork City Center

How to get there:

  • We took the goBus from Dublin to Cork. It is a 3 hour bus drive down to Cork at only EUR28 return. You could take the train which is only 30 minutes quicker for almost double the price.
  • The bus leaves from Dublin City Bus Stations (Busarus) and drops you off in the city center in Cork, at Parnell Place.

Where did we stay:

  • I found a great deal for a bed and breakfast option in Blarney, at the Muskerry Arms. There are busses going from Cork City to Blarney every hour. Blarney is a small town, the main stop is right outside the hotel.

How did we get around:

  • We took busses between Cork city and Blarney; it is quite handy that if you have a leapcard – you can use this on public transport in Cork!
  • We also had my dear friend who lifted us around while we were there – Thanks, Amy!

DAY 1 – FRIDAY

We decided to go down early in the morning on Friday, instead of after work. This was purely from a cost point of view, there didn’t seem much point in travelling down the night before just to sleep there. So we got up early and arrived in Cork at around 11am.

Cork City, IrelandCork city is quite unique in that the center of the town is effectively an island. The River Lee runs through it. the main city center is on this island and you probably wouldn’t notice it if you didn’t have an husband who is obsessed with reading maps like mine is.

Cork City Map

Source: John the Map

From the bus drop off we walked down Oliver Plunkett Street – which is a main high street in Cork, lots of shops etc. It is also the name of one of Rob’s High School friend’s so we felt we had to see it for him. 🙂

Street Art at White Street Carpark in County Cork, Ireland

We then made our way to white street car park which is known for its various street art. I have to say that by this time it was properly raining in Cork and I may have not given the art as much of a solid look and more a quick ‘walk-by’ because I was wet and cold. Regardless, it is worth a look.English Market, Cork, Ireland

Because it started pouring down with rain, we cut the street art viewing short and walked to the English Market to find some warmth and some much needed lunch. The English Market is a must stop for any foodie, or anyone interested in finding some food. We went to the restaurant on the top floor that sits above with a view of the market below called Farmgate. we just grabbed a light lunch and coffee although there is a more fancy menu and seating area on the other side.National Monument, Cork City, Ireland

The great thing about the rain in Ireland is that it doesn’t often stay for too long, so straight after lunch we were able to continue our walking tour of Cork. We walked down the Grand Parade towards the national monument, over the river towards Saint Finn Barre’s Cathedral.

Saint Finn Barre's Cathedral, Cork, IrelandThis cathedral is absolutely breathtaking. It towers above you, almost making it hard to get a good pic! we walked around the cathedral and found a small labyrinth around the back, which I promptly walked – ofcourse.

Labyrinth, Saint Finn Barre's Cathedral, Cork, IrelandWhile exploring the cathedral grounds, I caught a glimpse of street art that was bright and colourful down the alley behind the cathedral, so happy I found it, really such a rad art piece.

Street Art in County Cork, IrelandAfter Saint Finn Barre’s we tried to go across town to the Butter Museum (yes friends, there is such a thing!) but it was closed – pro tip from our mistake: check the opening times of museums and tourist spots over winter: they are often closed or have shorter opening times! Since we were fairly close to the bus stop to Blarney, we decided to go out and check in.

We spent the evening at the Muskerry Arms, not only was it a comfy bed – but there is a lively bar and restaurant too. The great thing about this spot is when you want to go to bed – you don’t hear the pub at all from the bed room! Which I was super impressed and relieved to find out.Muskerry Arms B&B, Blarney, County Cork, Ireland

DAY 2 – SATURDAY

On Saturday, straight after breakfast we walked over to Blarney Castle and Gardens. It was great that we were able to get to the castle early, before all the bus tours arrived. It also left us pretty much the whole day to really explore Blarney Castle and Gardens. I wrote a whole post about our experience about kissing the blarney stone, and all the wonderful things you can see here.

Blarney Castle, Cork, IrelandAfter our full day exploring Blarney, we stopped by the Blarney Chocolate store for some treats to enjoy with our afternoon tea. As well as a quick visit to the Blarney Woolen Mills which is basically a huge tourist shop with irish trinkets and gifts. Sorry but shopping really isn’t something I enjoy while on holiday!

Blarney, County Cork, IrelandIn the evening, Amy drove us through Cork to see the Christmas lights, and we went to a great restaurant in Cork City –  Market Lane, on Oliver Plunkett Street. Great food, healthy glass of wine and even better company. We sat in a high booth table near the bar, as it was a very busy night and they fitted us in without reservation, but I think we had the best spot in the house – it is a beautifully decorated restaurant. The food was really good too!Market Lane Restaurant, Cork City, Ireland

DAY 3 – SUNDAY

Our last day, this trip really flew by! We made our way back to the Butter Museum in the city and I have to say this quirky spot was such a treat to visit. There is alot of history with the butter trade in Ireland, and how dairy farmers expanded from milk to butter products. The interesting part for me was learning all about the marketing they had to do when they started exporting butter to other countries – the marketing nerd in me was very intrigued! It costs EUR4 to enter and you watch a short video which explains a lot of the history, then you get to wander around the museum. They have some peat bog on display too – not as big as the one at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin but still fun to visit. The best part was showing Amy, an irish gal who has lived in Cork all her life, all about the Butter Museum that has been outside her front door all this time! Another reason to explore your city, you just never know what gems the tourists will find!

Butter Museum, Cork City, IrelandWe then headed out to Cobh (pronounced ‘Cove’) which is steeped in more Irish history. Cobh is also on an island in Cork City’s harbour. It is also the last port call for the Titanic in 1912. 123 passengers embarked at Cobh, and only 44 survived. Aside from the history of the Titanic, it is a quaint fishing town, with multi-coloured buildings that line the coastline. It is a cool little town to visit, the perfect day trip to end our trip to Cork.

Titanic Memorial Garden, Cobh, County Cork, IrelandWe went to the Titanic Memorial Gardens, as well as did the Titanic Experience. I found the titanic experience to be interactive and engaging. They issue you with a name of a passenger on each of your tickets, and you go through what it must of felt like for the passengers waiting to board the Titanic, how they lived on-board, what they ate as a final meal and what they might have experienced as the ship started to sink.

Cobh Titanic Experience, Cobh, County Cork, IrelandAt the end of the tour you get to go to a large wall and search the name of the passenger on your ticket to learn more about whether they survived or if they did not. Tickets costs EUR9.50 and the tour lasts about 45 minutes.

Cobh, IrelandAfter that, we had lunch in Cobh before heading back to the bus to make our way back to Dublin. Cork definitely needs a bit of a longer stay, and possibly we need to consider renting a car so that we can really see a bit more. But one thing is for sure, we haven’t seen all Cork has to offer – and we will be back – but it was a great first trip to Cork nonetheless!

Total cost of the trip (for two): EUR469.00

  • Transport (bus down; and public transport): EUR76.00
  • Accommodation & Pug Sitter (two nights): EUR216.00
  • Food: EUR100.00
  • Entertainment: EUR57.00

A huge thank you to Amy, who was so generous with her time, lifted us about town and even sneakily paid for a few things too! We loved visiting you, and can’t wait to come back and explore more of your city with you.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO CORK – WHAT SHOULD WE SEE ON OUR NEXT VISIT THERE?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~Meg~

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Visiting county Cork in Ireland for the first time. All the things you can see and do in one weekend. Short Trip Ideas!

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: Blarney, cobh, Cork, County Cork, discover ireland, expatlife, travel, travel tips, travelling, travels, vacation ideas

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About Meg

Hey! My name is Meg. I am an astrologer with a focus on Astrogeography and evolutionary astrology. I am a South African currently living in Ireland, using Astrogeography in my own life has been so helpful that I started doing readings to help others move and travel based on their astrology. Read my story here

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