A Day of Thinking

I cannot believe that our trip to Europe has gone by so fast and people always ask me what's my favorite? I can honestly say I can't pick a favorite... this has been the trip of a lifetime and I loved all of it. Everything from the culture, to the sounds, to the food to the countryside it has all been amazing. I can say though I am pretty lucky that I could share it with my love, Patrick and 16 amazing days in Ireland with my Mom. I am a pretty lucky girl. I have met some amazing people along the way and even made some new friends. I have learnt so much from this trip and found myself and where I want to go in my life. I have to say thank you to my parents and Patrick's parents for the support they gave us on this journey. I couldn't have done it without you guys. But of course, I have to thank Patrick for sharing everyday with me and showing me his old life in Holland. I also have to thank him for putting up with me during my sad, frustrated, crazy, funny and happy times. This trip will be apart of our lives everyday and we will be able to overcome obstacles that may face us in the future. I couldn't have asked for a better travelling partner; I got to travel with my best friend and boyfriend and we got to know each other on a much deeper level. We got to share many first's and see the excitement in each other's faces and also support each other through the difficult times. I cannot believe we have less than 3 weeks until we come home to Canada but I know that we are both very excited to see our families and friends. We will be able to share our amazing life experience with everyone and of course numerous pictures. It will be something we will never forget. Our Euro-trip 2012 :)

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

 “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill



See you soon!
Love From,
Tam in Deventer, Holland

Galway to Dublin back to Holland

On July 29 we ventured along the West Coast and what a beautiful drive. It was really worth going back for! We arrived in Keem on the beach and watched a sailboat come towards the bay and we got to see the most amazing view ever!! There were 3 dolphins beside the boat! If we were any later or sooner we would have missed it, we sure were lucky to see that. We made the trek back to Galway and enjoyed a delicious supper. After we packed our bags and got ready to head back to Dublin on the 30th. We arrived in Dublin and delivered the car back to the rental company, Tam teared up a bit as she was letting go of her baby for the 2 weeks we had her. It was an amazing car and we really put the kilometers on her. Over 4,000kms to travel all around Ireland and see the beautiful greenery, cities, countryside and enjoy Mom's company. We just vegged in Dublin the last 2 days because we had to be up at 4:30am to head to the airport to catch our plane for 7:00am and Mom's plane departed at 10:40am to Heathrow, then carried onto Calgary. Tears were exchanged this morning as Tam had to say goodbye to her Mom. She really did enjoy having her Mom come over and share the experience of Ireland with us. It really was the most amazing part of our trip and one that neither of us will forget. It is an amazing thing we can share and talk about for the rest of our lives. Mom just texted us and said she found her gate in Heathrow with 15 minutes to spare, good job Mom! Tam says its because of the lucky clover she gave you before departing today :) We knew you could do it. We arrived safely back to Adri and Monique's but will have to get used to a 2 person trio, Mom will be missed dearly especially with the giggles Tam and Mom got! Thanks Mom for an amazing experience and wanting to share it with us. We love you so much! Now onto our next adventure; it will be full of surprises! See you next time readers! Mwahaha

Tam & Mom before departing



Love From
P&T in Deventer, Holland

Bushmills through Belfast to Dundalk to Galway AGAIN!

We had an amazing time in Bushmills at Finn McCool's Bed and Breakfast Hostel. We were only a 200meter walk to the Giant's Causeway but after we got checked into our room, we drove into Bushmills to get some British Pounds as were in the United Kingdom. After we headed to the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge where we hiked across onto the Carrick Island. Mom did good getting across but let's just say it didn't go as smoothly on the way back but she did it. We were both very proud of her and said we wouldn't do anything else outside her comfort zone until Newgrange Passage Tomb just outside of Dundalk. After we went back to our hostel to enjoy a nice BBQ which was an option for us to enjoy double quarter pound cheeseburgers. It was only £3.50 per person for us to eat some GOOD FOOD! After we hiked down to the Giant's Causeway where we watched the sunset and hike up and down the pillars of stone. It was amazing to see that they were all perfectly shaped polygons and it sure did make you wonder how they were developed in such amazing shapes and laid so close to the ocean. It was funny to hear the locals talk about the fables or myths behind the Giant's Causeway. We also had an amazing visit with each other and took numerous pictures. After we ventured back to our hostel where we talked to Steve who owns the place and what we should see on our drive through Belfast tomorrow. The only thing he said "THE BLACK TAXI TOUR." Well we did the Black Taxi Tour and it was amazing to get the history on the battle between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics within Northern Ireland. We saw the murals on the walls within the Protestant Community and the 3 1/2 mile Peace Wall that reaches 42 feet high at the highest point to separate the 2 communities. After we saw the RIA wall and understood how much power the IRA has over Northern Ireland. We also got to see a beautiful Roman Catholic Church, it was absolutely breath-taking. After we continued on our drive to Dundalk where we stayed for 2 nights and as you know, something always has to go wrong when you are travelling. We arrived at our Bed and Breakfast just outside Dundalk and we had reserved our room for 2 nights in June but when we arrived they had no reservation for us. The good thing was they had room for us the first night but we needed to move the second night as there was no room for us. But lucky the B&B next door did have room for us. We walked along the beach of the Irish Sea where Tam collected sea shells and the following day we ventured around the County of Louth where we saw Newgrange Passage Tomb, Battle of the Boyne and had a beautiful drive. Today we headed back to Galway as we missed the most important of Ireland, the west coast close to Westport which is what we will do tomorrow. :) Busy busy busy but a lot of amazing memories. We will talk again soon!

Tam and Mom on Giant's Causeway 

 Giant's Causeway

Our "Black" Taxi Tour

Love From
PS&T in Galway, Ireland

Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Surfing and onwards to Bushmills

We arrived in Galway on July 21 and had a day of vegging as tomorrow we were off to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. On July 22 we got all packed up and headed out early that morning to the Cliffs. We walked along the path to witness the amazing view and even walked to the furthest lookout tower. Mom did an amazing job as Mom sure does hate heights. She wanted to wear a T-shirt that says I walk the inside you walk the outside! Haha she is too funny. After we took the scenic route through the Burren which covers a large area around Galway. It was an amazing day! The morning of the 23 we headed north to Strandhill to a Surf n Stay Hostel. The weather was very cloudy and rainy when we arrived and they cancelled surf lessons for the day. There weren't even any locals out surfing so you knew it was too bad to go out. On the 24th we got suited up and headed out at 10am to have surfing lessons by J-Man and Mom was our professional photographer. We did an amazing job but man it sure was tiring! Patrick was the first to stand up and Tam stood up the 2nd try! We had to take a break from the waves as our legs were killing us but we had an amazing time! We got to surf for 2 hours! Tam rated the day 15 out of 10! After we went out for a nice bowl of soup or chowder to warm our bones back up. Then we headed to Sligo to the tourist information to get a map for Mom to take home to show everyone where we have been. Tam also parked in the wrong place as she went into the tourist information. A guy knocked on the window and asked Patrick and Mom to move so Patrick jumped in the drivers seat to move the car. He did an amazing job! He didn't even scratch it up. Today we jumped in the car and headed towards Bushmills and went even more North into Northern Ireland. What an amazing part of Ireland. The view was absolutely incredible where we even saw the bog being harvested and the tree lines where trees were being cut down. We arrived just down from the Giant's Causeway where our hostel is located and then we headed into Bushmills to get some pounds then went out to the Carriackrade-Rope Bridge. We had an amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean and could even see a working lighthouse! Mom felt like she was having a heart-attack walking over the rope bridge that was suspended over 100ft in the air over the ocean. At the time it sure was funny until Tam went to cross it too and finally got a little nervous. We took some pictures and then ventured back towards the main-land and headed back to our hostel. We even get hamburgers made by the guy that runs our hostel. After supper we will be venturing to the Giants Causeway to see the sunset and take some more pictures. Tomorrow we will have a hot Irish breakfast and then head into Bushmills to the Old Bushmills Distillery and then head to Belfast if we can still drive after the whiskey! Just kidding, Tam will be the designated driver. We will finally stop at Dundalk where we will stay for 2 nights then carry on to Westport on the West Coast. We sure have so much more to see and only 6 days left to go! Here's to many more adventures.

 Practice before we enter the water

 Us after surfing

Tam and Mom watching the other surfers



Love From
PS&T in Bushmills, Northern Ireland

Ring of Kerry & Skellig Ring to West Cork Routes

Have you ever wondered how people can put on so many kilometers in one day? Yesterday we put on over 400 kilometers worth of driving on the Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring but the views we got to witness were so worth the driving. We took a de-tour (Thanks to Tam) down towards the Gap of Dunloe where we took a jaunting car experience down through the valley passed Echo Lake, Purple Mountain and our last stop through the Gap of Dunloe. The view was absolutely breath-taking, even brought tears to Mom and Tam's eyes that is how amazing the view was. Scooby-Doo our horse who carried us through to the Gap of Dunloe sure did work hard and it was a very nice experience to be part of. After we enjoyed the 2 hour jaunting-car experience we jumped back into the car and looked at the beautiful scenery along the way of the Ring of Kerry. We got to the ferry to head to the Skellig Ring, where Tam did an amazing job of driving onto the ferry to the Island. It was Tam's first time ever driving on a ferry and she was a professional at it. We stopped at the Skelling Interpretation Centre but could not get to the Skellig Islands as it was booked up until Saturday so we continued our drive along the coast. It was amazing to see land and the ocean couldn't have been a better view. We stopped at a place along the road where you could see the most beautiful cliffs in Kerry and the Skellig Islands which were very close at this point. We met a very nice Scottish man who took our picture and was going to charge us €40 for the picture. We sure did give him a laugh. After we enjoyed the amazing view we drove more along the coast and more and more until we came back to the Point of the Ring of Kerry. We stopped a couple more times along the way and finally made it back to our hostel around 11:15pm. Were we ever exhausted after being on the road for over 12 hours! We had no problem sleeping at all! But had an amazing day!
    Today we headed to the West Cork Route where we stopped in a small town to view a very large Model Train Village. Tam's Dad, Keith would of loved it! The had the small villages around the area, an old military base and trains going outside and through the villages. After we jumped back in the car to head to Galley Head where we were going to see a Lighthouse. But once we arrived close to Galley Head we were not allowed to go any further. Tam was pretty bummed out but will look for another lighthouse we can hopefully see the inside of. We did enjoy a short walk to the cliffs though near the Lighthouse where Tam's Mom made a new friend. A cute black laborador puppy who wanted Mom to play fetch with her. After we got back in the car and headed to the small village of Baltimore to wander through the Pirate Castle and see where the Pirates were in the area. That was the end of our trail and we made the 1 1/2hour tour back to the hostel where we made a delicious stir-fry for supper. We cannot believe that tomorrow we are off to Galway, the adventure just keeps getting better and better!

 The Gap of Dunloe, #1 of our trip

 The jaunting car we took back to the 5th Lake

The view on the Ring of Kerry Drive



Love From,
PS&T on the road around Cork, Ireland

Dublin to Kilkenny to Cork

Tam's Mom arrived safe and sound on July 15th in Dublin. Was it ever amazing to see her but the wait for Mom to get off the airplane was painful as we were so excited to see Tam's Mom after 4.5 months of being away. Tears were exchanged between us all and after we got everything together we headed to get our car and hit the road to our hotel in Dublin. After one night in Dublin we headed to Kilkenny where we spent 2 nights and got to enjoy the City of Kilkenny by seeing: The Black Abbey, Kilkenny Castle, The Smithwicks Brewery, St. Canice Cathedral and hike up the 1200 year old St. Canice Tower. Mom did it and are we ever proud of her as the steps got narrow near the top, it was a tight fit. Today we left Kilkenny and headed to Dunmore Caves before making our trip to the City of Cork. We got checked into our hostel Bru Bar and Hostel and then headed to the Blarney Castle and Gardens. Mom and Tam bent over to kiss the Blarney Stone but Patrick said I don't need to kiss the stone as I am already lucky as I have Tam. :) It was so cute! After we ventured to see the Gardens around the Castle. We got to see the Posion Garden which you were not allowed to smell, eat or touch the plants as they were poisonous. We also ventured to the Fern Garden for Mom as she loves ferns and she's jealous that we cannot grow them in Alberta. After we headed towards the entrance to head back to our hostel. The next couple of days will be busy as we are hoping to see: The Skellig Islands, Ring of Kerry and Killarney so we have a very busy couple of days and then off to Galway. It has been an amazing adventure and we are so glad that we could share it with Mom. Here's to more amazing memories.

Tam, Patrick & Mom

Love From,
PS&T in Cork City, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

We arrived in Dublin safe and sound on July 10th around 6:00pm. We ventured out to find our free shuttle to the hostel we were staying at, Paddy's Palace and were we ever in for a treat when we stepped outside. IT WAS POURING! We ran and waited for our shuttle and took the 30 minute drive to our hostel. We got checked in, dried off and were hungry so asked the guy at the hostel where we could go for some good Irish food. O'Shea's which was just down the street from our hostel was the place to go. We sat down and enjoyed a delicious bowl of Irish stew. We called it a night early as we were exhausted from the day of travelling. On July 11th we were up early to enjoy a free breakfast from our hostel and then headed out to the National Leprechaun Museum. We even got to sit in a Giant's Chair, Patrick finally got to know how Tam feels. :) After we continued to the Old Jameson Distillery to see how the famous Irish Whiskey is made. We got to enjoy an hour tour and really enjoyed it. At the end of the tour we got to enjoy a nice Jameson. We headed out to the supermarket to buy some food to make supper. We made a great tasting spaghetti and called it a night as we had to be up early to enjoy a free tour to Kilkenny. July 12th was an early start for Tam as she was up at 6:45am to get ready for the tour and then woke Patrick up at 7:00pm so he could get ready as well. We sat down and ate breakfast and then headed out for the tour at 8:00am. We first went through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains to a Monk Monestary, Saint Kevin's. We got to take a 3km hike to the Upper Lake which both reminded us of Lake Louise, absolutely beautiful. After we headed more into the Wicklow Mountains to head towards Carlow where a Portal Tomb was at. It was like a hunebed but instead of small rocks there was one large rock placed on top. We got back on the bus and headed to Kilkenny where we got to spend 2.5 hours. We decided not to spend any money as we will be spending 2 days with Tam's Mom in Kilkenny but know where we want to go with Sandy when she comes. We got back on the bus around and arrived in Dublin around 6:00pm. We visited with Jason, a guy from Austrailia in our room and invited him to join us for supper at a small pub, The Celt. It was an amazing night, we had a great visit and a delicious meal. We headed back to our room and exchanged numbers with Jason to host each other when we go to Austrailia and when he comes to Canada. We called it a night as we were all exhausted. Today we slept in as long as we could as we were tired from the day before. We got up and enjoyed breakfast and then got ready to tour around Dublin. We met Jimmy, a guy from Manchester, who is staying in our room and he showed us some things to see in Dublin. We ventured towards the Dublin Port and towards their beautiful glass Stadium. It was a day of relaxing and visiting with the roomies in our room. What an amazing time in Ireland we have had so far! Just to think it will become even more amazing when Tam's Mom arrives in 2 days. We cannot wait for her to come and where the real adventure begins.
Love From,
P&T in Dublin, Ireland