#meant to be viewed horizontally with the employee in the middle but that doesn’t really work here

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BLOOD BATH AT BURGER KING

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Fun On The Wrong Side Of The Road: The West Coast of Ireland

Dia dhuit! As a Dropbox employee in EMEA, I find myself visiting our EMEA HQ in Dublin quite often. As Ireland is quite close to London, most of these trips are quick stints to have a few meetings, shake a few hands, and remind people about the Queen and royal babies and Brexit and all that. With the last trip I made, I realized I had never really explored anywhere else in Ireland. Given that, after the UK, it’s my second-most visited country in Europe, I endeavored to make amends (to myself, I guess) and take a weekend to roam around. So, after a team offsite (read: 2 straight hangovers), I rented a car and properly explored the west coast which has been lauded as one of the most picturesque places in the world. 

If you ever need a heart racing experience, just tip toe about 5 steps further from where I was standing

I was particularly excited for this trip since it would be my first real solo adventure since moving here. Though I speak very fondly of solo travels, I haven’t had as many opportunities to do it and have been spoiled with some amazing travel buddies. That said, there’s something unique about roaming a country with just yourself, your music, your thoughts and your plans. It challenges you to be more social and adds some level of self-reflection you don’t easily get otherwise. I love to travel and if I can’t find a buddy it doesn’t stop me. Some advice for all you readers of this blog (so, like, me and like 10 other people), if you haven’t done some solo traveling, set yourself the challenge in a place that you’re comfortable going to alone and venture forth. You’ll learn more about yourself than you expected.

Holy smokes what side of the road was I supposed to be on again? And why is making a right turn so hard now?

Ok! Now that the self-help section of this is done, let’s talk about the west coast of Ireland! About 2hrs drive straight from Dublin, I aimed myself at Galway and the area directly south of it for my trip. As the blokes I met at a pub in Galway told me, there’s a whole bit north of this area that is amazing, but given the highlight of my trip was meant to be the Cliffs of Moher, I decided not to press my luck and try too hard. That and this was my first time driving on the left (read: wrong) side of the road! So I left and picked the first spot to see off I went on a Saturday morning. The highway from Dublin to the west coast is straight, easy, and well paved, so you can motor down at 120km or more (75mph for my Americans). Soon after I left, I made it to my first stop, Dunguaire Castle.

I snooped around here for a bit trying to find a leprechaun and realized that was the last bad Irish joke I was going to tell 

This was really an amazing sight to behold to start my trip off with. This old 16th century stone castle was immaculately restored and boasts some absolutely stunning views of the landscape around it. I didn’t loiter too long as I had loads to see, but I was blown away by what I saw here. I was aware this was how most of my trip was going to be, so got excited that this particular weekend was clear of rain. If you fancy, you can pay an entry fee to walk to the tower and take in the view, but my solo traveler decided to get back in the car and eat some breakfast (since I hadn’t yet) at a nearby jewel: Linalla Irish Ice Cream.

To say I was distracted whilst eating is an almost offensive understatement

I know what you’re thinking…are you eating ice cream for breakfast? And my answer to that is a resounding yes. You know why? Because I am an adult who loves ice cream and always wanted to eat it for breakfast and dammit I’m 32 and somehow haven’t done that yet. So I said what’s the harm, paired my wild berry flavor with an americano, sat outside and ate some delicious Irish ice cream. Couple this the insane view Linalla has outside her farm/home/shop (and the dogs actively running around trying to play fetch with you) and you have the trappings of the best breakfast I’ve had in years. As I walked away, I said a heartfelt thank you to my hostess, got a piece of Irish chocolate in return, and continued on my winding-driving way to my next stop: The Burren Smokehouse.

Smoked salmon, smoked bread, smoke cheese (is that even a thing). Basically smoking is only ok when it’s like this

I know what you’re thinking…didn’t you just eat a moment ago, and now you’ve stopped again to eat? Well, yes, thank you for judging me. But, to be fair, it’s everyday that you drive by a place known specifically for their smoked Atlantic salmon. So I figured, without needing much reason (and as a horizontally-growing boy), I could make yet another food stop for a quick bite at the famous Burren Smokehouse. Try anything with fish in it and don’t be afraid to dive into the gin selection here (if you’re not driving, which I was, so I didn’t, because “adulting”). With my belly well and full and reminding me of several Indian uncles I knew growing up, I ventured to what I was hoping to be the highlight of my day: The Cliffs of Moher.

It’s not often that it’s “dry” at this sight, so if you view the album of photos I have you might be overwhelmed with just how many I took

As an avid Harry Potter fan (and general travel aficionado) I had to visit this site simply because Dumbledore brought Harry here in The Half Blood Prince (spoiler alert) to find the cave with Riddle’s locket. Aside from being perhaps the most famous location in Ireland (and certainly one of the most visited), the Cliffs of Moher are a sincerely breathtaking experience, in that I might’ve lost my breath while hiking for a few hours all up and down the trails. Situated right against the Atlantic ocean with a beautiful view of the see, the height below is staggering, so much so that when I took a photo of just what the fall would look like I scurried slowly/carefully back up because my brain went into overdrive and said “you alright mate?” If you have time to visit Ireland, put the Cliffs of Moher on your list and don’t even think twice about it. Wear some good, waterproof shoes and stretch a bit, because seeing just one part is not worth it as the views and locations vary vastly. Also, in case you stand alone on a rock and pensively look out into the world, be aware that German tourists might take your photo and ask to publish it somewhere else on the internet since you looked “beautifully distracted”. After several hours here, I hopped back into my whip and saw my last site for the area, which was a surprise favorite for me: the “Poulnabrone Dolmen” stone tomb.

Stone age tomb sounds like a really good name for a rock band

The Poulnabrone Dolmen is an ancient stone-age burial ground situated basically in the middle of nowhere. If that seems like an odd thing to stop and look at, you’d be right there with me when I rolled up to the entrance of this sight. But beholding the history of civilization and the beautiful placement and surroundings of this tomb made me shudder as I realized this tomb dated to 4200-2900 BC, a time so far away that it’s barely comprehendible. Since it’s a quick sight to see, walk around and read about, it’s a definite wonder to behold. Photos won’t really do it justice till you stand in the middle of that empty vastness and see this polylithic structure unassumingly owning your attention. 

Galway conveniently has a river, ocean and bay…but Galway and bay rhymed so that’s the joke I went with

After my long day of driving I was more than knackered and needed to park my steed and have a relaxing night. My plan was to spend the evening in Galway, Ireland, the biggest city on the west coast and home to many of my Irish colleagues. Galway is a lovely city but what struck me most was the food here. The amount of Michelin stars that the city boasts is astounding, with such great variety that I was certain my meal would be one to remember. So, with my difficulty and waiting, I settled on Cava Bodega, a lovely Spanish Tapas spot with only locally sourced ingredients. While traveling alone, it’s VERY easy to romance yourself with a good setup (see evidence here) and Cava Bodega did just that. The menu is enormous and everything is tasty, but try the chili seaweed sauce, anything seafood related, and the churros when you’re done. Wash it all down with a Spanish wine and you’ll be well off to be nursing an even larger belly than earlier that day.

I can’t lie to you, I ate the whole thing and might’ve scared the staff when I decided to lick the wooden plate

After my meal, I had very little energy for a drink but endeavored to have one cocktail anyways. I found the cocktail bar at the House Hotel Bistro was up to my liking with some unique flavors and mixtures that gave me a sense of the budding cocktail scene in Galway. After settling on the Superman (Sloe Gin is a new favorite of mine), I felt sufficiently stuffed, drunk, and tired to find my way back to my B&B for much needed rest. I realize Galway is known for it’s partying, but being alone and tired, I opted to be alive the next day rather than cursing everyone and everything around me.

Note: please do not eat the book

After a restful night at my adorable B&B and some juice/scones/pleasant-but-slightly-stereotypical-irish-grandmother-conversation, I went off to explore Galway city in the daytime and see the sights like Salthill, Red Earls Keep, etc. I can get more into this, but to be honest, Galway is a pretty small city and it’s quite easy to see the biggest bits during the day. The highlights are on the map below, like the Spanish Arch and the Cathedral, but the biggest boon to my day was the incredible brunch I had at Ard Bia at Nimmos. This is a particularly great benefit of solo traveling: you can basically eat anywhere you want bc there’s rarely a wait. So, without a booking, I tucked into a delectable play on salmon eggs benedict and coupled it with a Turkish coffee that got my ended my day of wandering with a bang. This was the highlight restaurant of my trip and the absolute top Galway recommendation I can make. Read their house cook book if you have a chance as it explains just why this is such a gem of a restaurant.

Apparently Galwegians will do nearly anything with a visitor except jump into the water in October on a dare

With my final meal in, I called an end to my weekend and headed back to Dublin for my flight home. There were many gems I couldn’t get to bc of off-season closures or just not wanting to bore you with my random solo-traveling antics (I might’ve spent 2 hours in a bookstore reading on the history of England vs. France, specifically the Battle of Agincourt for some reason, then bought "Around the World in 80 Days” for 3 Euros). Have a look at the map I used for the weekend below (if you need some travel ideas or are just curious about where everything is) and here’s the album of my weekend if you’re in need of more photos / selfies.

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Sláinte! Abhishek