Howth!

A big group of us Americans took a day trip Howth yesterday. If you've never heard of Howth, it's a small fishing town in Dublin, Ireland and it's one of the most magical and beautiful places I've ever been. Google it, for sure.

I don't know how well I'll be able to describe the beauty and charm of Howth solely through this blog. Therefore, I'm going to describe the events of the day and reccommend you take a look at the photos on my facebook page. It's better seen than described.

Anyhow, here we go...

Upon arriving in Howth (via DART) we stumbled upon the local farmer's market complete with a sea of free samples and eager bargainers. Aside from amazingly fresh (and organic!) produce, the market offered cupcakes, crepes, hummus and scones. Not like any other market I've been to!

We made our rounds through all the free samples, then took a short walk to the rocky coast for a photo shoot. All pictures will be on facebook soon.

We then got lunch, some of us got crepes at the farmer's market, and others (including myself) opted for the local fish and chips restaurant, Beshoff Brothers.. Insanely delicious! (I'd like to thank Casey Munn for the recommendation, haha). That is the first time I've ever had fish & chips, and the salt and vinegar added a nice little something!

We then made our way to the tourist center where the Howth experts handed us a map, which looked like it was drawn by a 5th grader, and told us to visit the castle, walk the footpath beyond the castle and make our way to the cliff walk. So we did just that.

Since I am a very inexperienced navigator, I decided this was the perfect chance to tap into my inner compass and lead our small group of 7 or 8 to the castle.

I was quite proud of myself, and even had Allison take a picture of my trusty map and I, but I soon realized I had the map upside down and was leading the group in the entirely wrong direction. So, after a quick apology and directions from a local, we were back on track and all was forgiven. Thank goodness Howth is so small!

We soon made it to the castle and had yet another photo shoot. This castle was special, however, in that it was inhabited by an actual family. Yes, there are still those who live in castles. We got to "play" on the grounds, though, and that provided plenty of photo opportunities. Again, see facebook for pictures!

We then walked the footpath behind the castle (just like the experts promised!) and it was amazing! From the top you could see all of Howth and the weather was perfect! As you may have guessed, another photo shoot took place.

We then hurried to the cliff walk, and were stunned once we arrived. The cliff walk officially begins after you walk up a steep hill and enter the "cliff zone". The cliff walk was like walking up the side of a mountain, with a few beaten paths along the way. Although I almost feared for my life at certain points, I think the view and the entire experience was one of the most amazing things I've ever done!

I was very lucky to have gone with such a great group of people and I'm so happy we have beautiful places near by!