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getaway

We have been bitten by the wanderlust bug and have been itching to get away from gloomy Ireland for far too long.

We are forever checking airline prices, swooning over travel blogger’s Instagrams and wishing we could just drop everything, grab our passports and abandon the dull realities of everyday life.

There are too many places we want to go to but one at the very top of our list is Iceland.

The Irish Globetrotter aka Niamh McDonnell sat down with us to share her words of wisdom after a recent trip to Iceland.

Niamh headed to Iceland for three full days and managed to squeeze everything and anything into her quick getaway.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by The Irish Globetrotter (@theirishglobetrotter) on

Flights:

“We flew into Reykjavik on Thursday afternoon with Icelandair, who are so lovely to fly with. The two-hour flight was a breeze, especially because of the TVs.”

The flight cost €120. Niamh recommends booking your flights at least three months in advance to get the best deal.

Accommodation:

Airbnb is extremely popular over in Iceland so you’ll have a much easier time finding somewhere to stay if you rent an apartment as opposed to staying in a hotel. Niamh and her pals found an apartment that slept up to six people.

The apartment cost €625 between their gang, which works out just at a little over €100 each.

“Staying near the main strip will make your trip a lot easier, as that’s where all the bars, pubs, restaurants and shops are. Staying close by will save you a lot of hassle, especially on nights out.”

The other great thing about renting an apartment is having a kitchen to rustle up meals throughout the day. “The food in Iceland isn’t the best and is extremely overpriced, so making breakfast and sandwiches to snack on during tours was a huge help financially,” Niamh shared.

Night Life:

Speaking of nights out, like every Irish person on holidays, Niamh ended up going to an Irish pub during her trip to Iceland. She said the best thing about the Irish bars is the mix of people you unexpectedly meet there.

“There were international students and Norwegian sailors drinking in one Irish bar, and the atmosphere was so different.”

“Dubliners is a great spot, as is the Drunken Rabbit, where you can order food from the fish and chips next door whilst you’re enjoying a pint.”

"Appy Hour is a life-saving app that will show you all the local drink offers, which will be a huge help to you as Iceland can be super pricey,” Niamh shared.

Sightseeing:

“We booked our tours with Reykjavik Excursions for €330. This price included the Northern Lights tour, pick up at the airport, Blue Lagoon entrance and drinks, Golden Circle tour, a glacier tour and even pick up on our last day.”

“Head to the Blue Lagoon in the early evening because you will experience it during daylight and as the sun sets.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by The Irish Globetrotter (@theirishglobetrotter) on

The main reason she headed to Iceland was to see the Northern Lights, so it’s safe to say Niamh was gutted when the weather meddled with her plans.

“We were scheduled to go see the Northern Lights on Friday evening, but the tour company cancelled the trip because of the weather.”

September and October are supposed to be the best months to go, but the weather wasn’t on Niamh’s side. It was extremely overcast and cloudly on the second night they tried to see the lights.

Despite the Northern Lights disappointment, Niamh adored seeing the glaciers and waterfalls Iceland is so famously known for.

“We went on a four-hour tour to see glaciers and waterfalls, which was an experience I’ll never forget,” Niamh said.

“The only thing is the weather is extreme. There was one point where I had to get down on my hunkers because the wind was so harsh, so dress warmly.”

Forget about your Nike runners and OOTD Instagram snaps, because all you want to wear in Iceland are a pair of boots and about 50 layers.

Flights: €120

Accommodation: €125

Spending money: €350

Sightseeing/tours: €330

Total: €925

Niamh experienced all Iceland has to offer and more for less than €1000 so if you’ll need us we’ll be booking our flights immediately.

 

 

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The sunny weather has finally made an appearance and we can’t help but daydream about summer adventures. Spending the summer in New York sounds perfect, but unfortunately, our bank accounts are stopping that dream from coming true.

Luckily, there are plenty of places to visit around the Emerald Isle that are perfect if you’re in need of some time away from reality.

There's one place you must visit this summer and it’s the charming town of Clonakilty, Co.Cork. The West Cork town is one of the nicest parts of the county with the stunning Inchydoney Beach, snug pubs, plenty of dinky cafes and dozens of historical sites including Michael Collins House.

Once you arrive in the colourful and vibrant town you’ll never want to leave. The locals and their cheery disposition will make you feel like you’ve lived there your entire life.

There are plenty of hidden gems in Clonakilty that will make your trip all the more memorable.

1: Cafe On The Lane

This quirky spot is hidden down Spillers Lane, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets. The cafe is covered in bunting and fairy lights, with fresh flowers donning every table. The main seating area is full of mismatched, vintage furniture that adds to the character of the place. Treat yourself to a croissant or a brownie and a cup of coffee and listen to Elvis play on the cafe's record player.

Image result for cafe on the lane clonakilty

2: Cycle around Clon​​​

Clonakilty is the first rural community to offer a bike rental scheme. There’s no better way to see the glorious town than cycling around Clonakilty, especially when the sun is shining. The Clonakilty Bike Scheme even shares advice on how to cycle safely on West Cork roads. Cycle out to Long Strand, which is only 20 minutes away from the town. Take in the breathtaking scenes and breathe in that fresh sea air.

3: Pints in Scannells

This gastropub is the heart of the town, known as the small pub with the big garden, you just have to visit Scannells for a quick pint and a bite to eat. You’ll struggle to leave the pub with the infectious atmosphere and assortment of live music, from jazz to trad, Scannells has something for everyone.

4: A bookworm’s paradise

The Children’s Project charity shop may just look like every other charity shop, but once you go upstairs you’ll be greeted by mountains and mountains of books. The second floor of the shop is a bookworm's idea of heaven. They have shelves full of best-sellers, horror tales, young adult novels, well-loved classics, popular chick-lit books more. You’ll go in for a quick browse and end up leaving the shop hours later with bags full of books.

Clonakilty is the perfect place to visit if you need to escape to the country, especially when the sun is shining!

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Stormi Webster is officially one year old, we can hardly believe it.

The time has flown for Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott and their cute little daughter, who will officially celebrate her special date on February 1.

Her 21-year-old mother revealed she was "too excited" for Stormi's first birthday, and has already begun wrapping presents for her baby.

This morning, Kylie shared an image of the mother-daughter pair enjoying some fun in the sun;

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on

The cosmetics mogul captioned the adorable picture;

"Let the birthday adventures begin," before sharing several must-see snaps from their getaway to a luxury beachside locale.

The images show Stormi walking along the sandy setting in a white dress, clearly lapping up the special attention from her mum.

Instagram: @kyliejenner 

When Stormi was born, her mother spoke about how wonderful the experience of pregnancy had been for her, after logging off social media for the entire nine months,

"Pregnancy has been the most beautiful, empowering, and life-changing experience I've had in my entire life and I'm actually going to miss it," Kylie wrote to her millions of followers.

"I appreciate my friends and especially my family for helping me make this special moment as private as we could. My beautiful and healthy baby girl arrived February 1st and I just couldn't wait to share this blessing," she added.

"I've never felt love and happiness like this I could burst! Thank you for understanding."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on

Kylie has consistently documented her baby girl's numerous milestones throughout the last 12 months with her fans, and shared her desire for another child.

E! News reported that Kylie and Travis plan on welcoming baby number two, "sooner rather than later," claiming, "She wants lots of babies and for them to be close in age."

Their current family of three look over the moon with joy, Happy first birthday Stormi, you're one lucky baby.

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Booking a break this Christmas?  Then you’ve come to the right place.

In the run-up to Black Friday, Ryanair has launched a HUGE Cyber Week sale, selling 250,000 flights to a variety of European hotspots for just €9.99 one way.

From today until Cyber Monday (November 28), Ireland’s favourite budget airline will be offering tickets to cities like Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Warsaw for less than a tenner.

Those looking for a quick trip to the UK can also avail of the deal with flights to London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bristol and others all coming in at – you guessed it – just €10.

Too broke to cure your wanderlust?  Not anymore!

Feat image: Ryanair

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Yup… we all know the feeling: heading back to work after a hollier is like the Sunday night fear times a million.

It's brutal, in fact.

There you are, just admiring your sun-kissed glow when you realise that your only clothes are bikinis and shorts, not to mention that there is NO food for breakfast – never mind for your packed lunch the next day. 

And now – quelle surprise! – Aer Lingus has confirmed what we suspected all along: 40 percent of adults suffer from post-holiday blues. 

The company released the figures today – and 44 percent of the same 1,000 surveyed individuals said that 'the fear' of returning to work is the worst symptom of their post-holiday come-down. 

It furthermore takes pretty much everyone (nine out of ten people) a full two weeks to 'get over' their holiday and return to regular emotional health. 

Still, two-thirds of those asked reported that they alleviated their gloom by… simply booking another holiday. 

Aer Lingus released the figures to coincide with its Need Another Holiday Sale which starts at midnight tonight. 

This sale includes flights to Britain from €20, mainland Europe from €30 and North America from €209. 

And given that more than seven out of ten folk in the same report agreed that travelling abroad improves their mental well-being and general happiness… We're off to plan our next holiday!

The sale runs from September 14 on aerlingus.com.

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***Competition Closed***
Winner is Noelle O’Connor

We have an amazing prize up for grabs – seriously, just look at that view!

The spectacular award-winning Inishbofin House Hotel and Marine Spa is set to become an ultimate destination for foodies after bringing celebrated chef Raymond McArdle in as their Head Chef Consultant.

Inishbofin, which was last year voted as one of the top five places to visit in Ireland, will now draw food lovers from Ireland and beyond with both Raymond and new head chef Taidgh McDonald working culinary magic with their new ‘Wild Tasting Menu’.

We have an envious one-night stay available for one lucky winner. The package is for two people and includes breakfast, dinner in Inishbofin House Hotel’s exciting restaurant and a spa treatment in the Marine Spa.

To win, simply pop over to our Facebook page and enter. You can also comment below for a sneaky extra entry.

Best of luck!

Sx

inishbof2

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