This is Us...Living

Live Simply & Travel Slow

discover ireland

Athlone: A day trip to the middle of Ireland

by 10 Comments

Visit the middle of Ireland: Athlone in county Westmeath. plus 6 things you need to do in Athlone!This post is long overdue! I wanted to share my trip to Athlone which is in County Westmeath, Ireland. According to some forums and searches online, Athlone is considered the middle of Ireland. However, there is also a geographical centre of Ireland (which is Carnagh East, County Roscommon) and the middle of Ireland according to Irish Mythology is the Hill Uisneach (just outside of Athlone). Regardless of all the facts, to me, it is in the middle of Ireland.

How to get there:

  • If you book early enough you can catch a train for 30 euro (return). the train takes 2hrs5min from Connolly station, Dublin to Athlone.
  • I left buying a train ticket to last minute, and by then the price has increased considerably, so I took the bus instead. A bus trip costs 18 euro (return) and for a 2hrs15min bus ride from Dublin (Busáras) to Athlone, which I think is far more affordable, and for only 10 minutes extra!
Visit the middle of Ireland: Athlone in co. Westmeath. plus 6 things you need to see there! Click To Tweet

Things you must see while visiting in Athlone:

  • Shannon River

This is the largest river in Ireland. It runs from Dowara, county Cavan all the way to Limerick city, county Limerick (360.5 km!). To get to most of the tourist spots on the left bank in Athlone you need to cross over the Shannon as the bus and train stops are all on the other side of the river.

River Shannon, Athlone, county Westmeath

  • Lowe & Co

I cannot rave about this little gem of a restaurant enough. Lynda has created an ethical, organic, community deli that is just bursting with flavour and yummy treats. All locally sourced products, and a wide variety of items are made at the onsite kitchen.


They also have great coffee! I tried  the lemon and coconut cake while I was there – it did not disappoint! Check out their Facebook page, and Instagram page – just a note that they are closed Mondays & Sundays.

  • Luan Art Gallery

This is a publicly owned art gallery in Athlone. Admission is free and they have a display that changes every 2 months. Luan Gallery, Athlone, IrelandAt the time I was visiting, they had a display on illustration and illustrators using various mediums, which was fascinating! On the banks of the Shannon river, with floor to ceiling glass windows, the view alone is worth a visit (plus, did I mention it is totally free?)

inside Luan Gallery on the banks of the Shannon River, Athlone in Ireland

  • Athlone Castle

Looking to learn the history of the town, then you have to stop in at Athlone Castle. It is an interactive museum, with a great way of telling visitors the history behind Athlone in a fun and engaging way.Athlone Castle, Athlone, Ireland

The castle was built in the 12th century and a few years ago went through a bit of renovation. Cost of admission is 8 euros, and I recommend setting aside at least an 1 hour or so to go through the museum. Don’t forget to go up to the viewing deck as well, the views of Saints Peter and Paul Church and the river are pure magic.

Athlone Castle, Athlone

  • Saints Peter and Paul Church

I didn’t go inside, but you cannot walk past this church without snapping a pic.

Saints Peter and Paul Church, Athlone, Ireland

  • Sean’s Bar

What is a visit to a quaint Irish town without stopping for a pint?! It is mandatory that if you ever find yourself in Athlone, that you visit Sean’s bar.


According to Guinness Book of Records, it is the oldest pub in Ireland. Built in 900 A.D, this cosy establishment on the river is a must visit pub. In summer time they have a beer garden out the back, and I told it gets very festive. I visited in the middle of winter, and still felt such a lovely vibe in there. Besides, who can visit a pub and not have actually stop and have a pint?!

Oldest pub in Ireland: Sean pub in Athlone built in 900AD

I only went for the day, so I only got to see the places above, here are places a little outside of town that I recommend you visit (especially if you have a car!):

Moydrum Castle – this is a castle that is in ruins, that has ivy slowly growing over it. It looks fascinating, and totally Instagram worthy! This blog post has some great pictures and shares the history behind the castle ruins.

Hill of Uisneach – As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, according to Irish mythology it is the centre of Ireland. You can only access it by taking a guided tour (cost is a 10 euro donation), the walk is about 3km, so takes about 2 hours to do. Open from May to September, Wednesday – Sunday at 1pm. Check their website for further info.

The Old Rail Trail – This is a greenway cycle route from Athlone to Mullingar. The full route is 40km, but you can do parts of it, as little or as much as you can. I really love that all through Ireland these greenways are being opened up – they are in the process of building one in Dublin too, and there was one in Waterford when we visited there too.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO ATHLONE, IRELAND? DO YOU KNOW WHAT TOWN IS THE CENTRE OF YOUR COUNTRY?

Unlock the simple life,

~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:

Visit the middle of Ireland: Athlone in county Westmeath. Plus, 6 things you need to do in Athlone!

How camping in Ireland is different to South Africa

by 3 Comments

So what are the differences between camping in Ireland versus camping in South Africa?Rob and I recently were lucky enough to be invited to our first camping trip in Ireland. Our new friends invited us to tag along for their 40th Birthday celebration. As with most campers we have met – these guys love camping. But more than a love for camping, they are avid campers. What makes them so over qualified for camping is that they are mountaineers! They all met at university – and were part of the moutaineering club back in the day. So you could say that we were safely in the hands of experts in Ireland.

Rob and I have always enjoyed the odd camping excursion. Back in South Africa, we enjoyed going camping with a few regular camping friends. In fact our first ever camping trip together was in the Pilanesberg. I tried looking through my pictures of that first camping trip, and realised the only pictures I snapped were of the animals we saw on our game drive (shame, tough life back in Africa – score one for South African camping!). For context, and for the purpose of showing the differences between South Africa and Ireland camping, I found this image via Google of the campsite in Pilanesberg:

pilanesberg-camp-site-bakga-South Africa

Image Source: Findtripinfo

So we like camping, and back home we had been slowly building up all the necessary camping equipment. Something Rob taught me very early on, the trick with enjoying camping is going away with the right gear. If you are kitted out enough – it makes the experience much more enjoyable. And he was right, even with our first experience getting off to a shaky start (we arrived at the campsite, at night, and had to pitch a tent that we were not familiar with – in the dark!), I have loved all our camping trips together. What makes it so much fun is that I get to plan and organise to a point, but once we are all set up – then its pure relaxing, you can really step away from the hustle and bustle, and just be at one with the great outdoors (I realise this sounds super cheesy, but it is true).

The differences between camping in Ireland vs South Africa? Read this post! Click To Tweet

The only major stumbling block to camping in Ireland was that we brought over absolutely none of our camping gear. Although we didn’t sell it with everything else we got rid over back home. All our camping gear is inconveniently sitting in storage, all the way back in South Africa. But Ruth and John were determined to have us join them. They arranged between the extra gear they owned, and all their mountaineering friends, and rallied to find us a tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags – all the camping essentials. They even gave us a lift to the campsite and back home after. If that wasn’t enough, they fed us too. We were treated to the five star Irish camping experience, perhaps you could even call it glamping since someone helped us put up the tent when we arrived. So camping in Ireland definitely is way better than home (score ten for Ireland – thanks John, Ruth and friends!)

A little info on where we stayed:

We camped at a spot just outside of Tipperary, on the way to Limerick, called Ballinacourty House. It was an absolutely stunning location, with a beautiful view of the Galtee Mountains. Also close to a great biking park where the guys went off to mountain bike the one afternoon. It cost us 9 euro a night to pitch a tent, per person (excluding electricity). Camping in Ireland might be the way we explore more of this beautiful country, because under a tenner for a night is a huge cost saving in my books! Plus, this particular camping spot allows you to bring dogs! John and Ruth’s neighbours have the coolest giant schnauzer called Harper who got to come camping with all of us. On the camping grounds there is a walled garden with beautiful flowers, I took a million pictures of all the beautiful flowers – I definitely think it is a spot I would love to take Rob’s parents to, I know they would love it there!

Here are a few pics from the weekend:

Ballinacourty House. Camp site. Camping in Ireland. Galtee Moutains in the distance. Campsite is near Tipperary, on the way to Limerick

Our campsite (our tent was on the right)

Ballinacoutry House & Garden, Tipperary, Ireland. Camping, Campsite. Galtee Mountains.

The walled garden

giant schnauzer. dog. pet. Ireland

Harper! This picture really doesn’t show how big she is.

So what are the differences between camping in Ireland versus camping in South Africa?

  1. Pitching a tent in Ireland is a whole lot easier. (and that is not because someone did it for us). The ground is so soft that the pegs just sink into the ground – in South Africa one of the key camping essentials is a big hammer to hammer the pegs into the dry, arid ground.Caamping in Ireland. Ballinacourty Campsite, Tipperary
  2. Not every camp spot has their own BBQ facilities. Every campsite in South Africa has braai (BBQ) facilities next to every tent! In Ireland, you have to bring your own, or in some cases, there are communal facilities that you share with the other campers.
  3. Recycling depots. I love that all throughout Ireland there are facilities you can use that help you to recycle. It is not so big back home, and I have never seen collection points for plastic, bottles and general waste all separated at an actual campsite until we were in Ireland.
  4. Plan for all weather types in one day. In Ireland it can honestly be all four seasons in one hour. On our camping trip we had a bit of everything. It was cold at night (I did not pack enough warm clothes!), was misty in the mornings, and then it cleared up and was such a beautiful sunny day (I even got sun-burnt on my feet, because it was the first time wearing sandals in Ireland!). So bring sunblock, plus a thick coat. It is kind of weird that even though it rained, it didn’t ruin the camping experience. Back in South Africa, if you went camping and it started to rain, you would probably pack up and go home early. But I will say the rain here in Ireland is not like back home. It is more of a light drizzle, and you hardly experience thunderstorms, so it is not all together too bad.
  5. Midgies versus Miggies – it is important that you know the difference. In South Africa we have these pesty bugs that fly around in a group, just annoying you. They will fly into your face, and just generally buzz about. Those are called Miggies. Midgies are something we have only encountered in Ireland. These little buggers are lethal. They are like a cruel mix of a mosquito and a red ant. When they attack, you know it. But they are very tricky to really spot, they look like miggies, but they bite, so that means they are far the worst. We tried several midgie sprays, plus wore thick layers and covered up – and still got attacked.

I have to say that we love camping – whether it is in Ireland or in South Africa. It is great to be outside, and away from the city. It was just the kind of mini-break we needed. A huge thanks to our new friends, John and Ruth, for making such a big effort to make our very first camping trip in Ireland a memorable one. We know that there will be more camping trips in our future, and we hope that one day, we can pay it forward and help someone out just like they helped us.

Do you like camping? Where is your favourite place to camp?

Unlock the simple life,

~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:

So what are the differences between camping in Ireland versus camping in South Africa?

How to get a taste of Northern Ireland in 1 day

by 14 Comments

Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Visit Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Visit Dunluce Caste, Northern Ireland. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Visit Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland - a UNESCO heritage sight. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Check out the street art in Belfast City. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Game of Thrones fan? Visit the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.

Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.The great thing about travelling in Ireland is that it is easy to travel around the country. In fact, it only takes 2 hours to get from Dublin to Belfast. So with a 2 hour drive, you are technically in another country, even if you never leave the island of Ireland. The problem comes in when you don’t own a car. Some of the best spots along the coastline, are not easily accessible if you don’t have wheels to get there. While I am not against hiking, or walking, sometimes it is just easier to drive to your destination. It also means that you can see more than one place in a day.

We found a great Groupon deal to take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day, you get to stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful coastlines as you sit comfortably in a bus.

I wasn’t sure if we were going to enjoy the bus trip. As you all know, we are not conventional tourist type, in fact, I make it my mission to avoid crowds and tourist traps wherever we go. But this day trip was a great way to get out town over the long weekend – and get a taste for Northern Ireland. At best I thought we would snap a few pics, and have a fun day out. I have to say that the tour guide we had on the bus was super informative, she made it feel like she wasn’t just reading a script – she cracked a few jokes, told us some interesting facts, and pointed out things we would have missed had we driven there by ourselves. All in all, I have to say that if you are looking to see parts of Ireland that require a car, then taking a bus tour should be your first choice – and I highly recommend taking Finn McCools bus tour – since it is affordable and well worth it (also out for Groupon deals to make even more budget friendly!).

Tips on how to make the most out of your @Finn_tours of Northern Ireland. #discoverireland Click To Tweet

The day starts out quite early. We had to be at the pick up spot at 6:45am. Because it was too early to take public transport, we walked to a bike station, rented bikes and cycled up to the pick up spot just off O’Connell street.

The bus left on time, and we headed out of the city on the motorway. They stop at a petrol station just outside Northern Ireland, as a last chance to buy any snacks or beverages for the day.

*Tip: Rob and I made sandwiches and packed a picnic of snacks we brought from home. Bringing your own will save you money, as buying snacks at the petrol station, or at the tourists spots is bound to be overpriced. 

The first official stop is in Belfast City. We arrived in Belfast at 9am, on a Sunday, which meant it was pretty quiet. Most of the shops only open at 1pm on a Sunday! You get a little over an hour to walk around. The nice part was that it was quiet, so we got to take pics, without tons of crowds. We took the time to draw some money, and walked around city hall.

*Tip: Keep in mind that Northern Ireland does not work in EURO’s, so you would need to have pounds to spend at any of the stops. This stop is also the only chance you get to draw some pounds, which you could need if you want to do any of the add-ons during the trip. 

Northern Ireland bus tour: Belfast City Hall, great stop and chance to explore the city, as well as some cool street art. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

The next stop is at the Dark Hedges. This is one for the Game of Thrones fans. It is a strip of road that has these unique trees on either side. It was used in a scene in GoT, but obviously looks a bit different without all the special effects. To be honest this stop is overcrowded, there are people and cars/buses trying to access this road (as it is not cut off from the public, people still try use this road to drive through), so it is difficult to get a “perfect” pic.

Tip: You only get 10 minutes or so, so get out the bus quick and try get ahead of the crowd to take a pic before it gets too crowded. 

Northern Ireland bus tour: The Dark Hedges. A scene from Game of Thrones. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

A quick stop to take a pic of Dunluce Castle is the next stop. It was pretty windy, and because the castle is a little farther away, my cellphone pic just didn’t do it justice.

Northern Ireland bus tour: Dunluce Castle. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

The main stop for the day is Giant’s Causeway. Our tour guide, Tara, gave us the “full Irish story” of this UNESCO world heritage site, and 8th wonder of the world as we were driving there. I won’t give too much away, but I will say that it involves a giant named Finn McCool. We stopped here for a good hour and half, and had our picnic lunch with a view of Giant’s Causeway.

Tip: It is a unique spot, but I recommend if you have time to walk down towards it, and then loop back going up the stairs and walking along the cliffs. It gives you a nice view of the Causeway from above.

Northern Ireland bus tour: Giant's Causeway. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

 The next stop is at the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. You have a little over an hour to explore, and if you would like, you can walk across the rope bridge for £7. Unfortunately, the rope bridge was closed when we went, due to extremely high winds. It is however, a beautiful stop – we walked along the cliffs on both sides of the car park, and really will have to go back to brave the rope bridge!

Tip: Finn McCool’s offers a discount if you buy your rope bridge ticket from the bus driver – but you need to pay in cash, and they only accept pounds!

Northern Ireland bus tour: Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

From here, we drove to Cushendun, and did a quick stop here to see another famous GoT scene, as well as Ireland’s most famous goat! On a clear day, you can get sight of Scotland, but we didn’t get to see it on the day we went. Still, it is a quaint little village, with beautiful views.

Northern Ireland bus tour: Cushendun. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

On the way, back to our last stop, our tour bus had to detour due to a car crash that diverted traffic. In usual circumstances, you would expect the bus driver and tour guide to get a bit flustered, however this did not slow them down one bit. They cracked a few jokes about getting us lost in the Glens, and we ended up seeing a bit more than we thought we would. Even with the detour we still got home in time, and I loved how well it was handled.

The last stop is back in Belfast. This time we managed to walk down a few side allies and find some great street art while we were there. I definitely think it gives you a nice flavour for the city, but not nearly enough time to properly explore Belfast – so we are keen to head back and really stay a few days. I see that Finn McCools have added a new tour that gives you more time to explore Belfast, so perhaps that may be a good option for us too.
Northern Ireland bus tour: Belfast Street Art. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

Let me know in the comments: Have you done a bus tour? How did you find it? 

Unlock the simple life,

~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!

How a pet improves your life as an expat

by 15 Comments

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn't have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat. #livingabroad #expatlife #puglife

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn't have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat.#livingabroad #expatlife #puglifeWe always knew we would take Jack (our pug) where ever we went (Read how to bring your pet into Ireland). He is part of our family and we love him dearly. In truth, I love him more than most people. He has always brought us so many laughs and love in the 3 short years we have had him. But I never really knew how much we needed him until we moved to a new country.

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn’t have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat.

Jack the pug

When everything is said and done, only people who have gone through a move to a new country, or are going through a move like this, can really empathize with what you are going through. People get busy, and when you are not around them, they move on and life happens. But a pet will always be there no matter what. Jack genuinely just loves us. I think he loves his little life with us, and having him around has lifted our spirits when we have felt despair and loneliness. The truth is, we have had an emotional year so far. As much as we have grown stronger as a couple, having Jack has improved our lives greatly too.

I have been unemployed for over two months now, and it has been a hard adjustment for all of us. You have this idea of how things will go: move over, get a job, start traveling, life is grand. But life doesn’t always stick to a plan you have designed in your head. We have had to work out a budget using only one salary. We have had to learn how to figure out this new dynamic of me being home all day, and Rob going off to work. Rob has had to figure out the new work culture here, and when I start work, things will change again. But every morning we start the same as we did back home, and every night when we go to bed, the same as we did back home. We do it with Jack. We do it all three of us together.

Jack the pug loves the beach. #beachpug

Jack gets up when Rob gets up in the mornings, and he sits with him while Rob eats his breakfast (hoping for treats, I am sure). Then when Rob hops into the shower, Jack jumps back into bed with me, for a snuggle. When I get up, we play with the sheets (I try to make the bed, Jack tries to sleep some more). We mission down the stairs and start our day. Jack follows me everywhere. He comes out and watches me load the washing machine, while I make coffee, while I iron and clean the house (except when the vacuum cleaner comes out because then he hides away). When I sit to blog, check mail, make calls, scan social media – he sits on my lap and snoozes. He loves to be where I am. And I love that he loves me so much. The best part of my day is when we go for our walk. The way that he runs and sniffs everything. I think I see him smiling. He is always so excited to get outside. To meet other dogs and get treats from other people. I could be having the worst, loneliest, saddest day but the minute we are in the park and Jack is off his lead, I can’t help but smile and love him even more. He lifts my spirits.  I think more people need to live life like Jack: care-free and with an open heart.

let sleeping pugs lie #puglife

When Rob comes home, often as he is turning the key, Jack is running to the door. He is the first one to greet Rob when he comes home. And it makes Rob so happy. I see it in Rob’s face – the love he has for both of us. Jack just makes our hearts happy. Rob goes up to get out of his work gear, and the two of them play while I cook dinner. Sometimes the three of us walk together; or we sit and watch series; or talk about our day. After dinner, we all get ready for bed. He is the first one to snuggle up in between us and usually starts snoring before we turn the lights off. We kiss each other good night, all three of us together. One happy little family.A family of reindeer for Christmas

I have heard all the benefits on owning a pet, and how a pet improves your life. But I can’t stress it enough, how much our pet has improved our lives as expats. When everything is foreign, and new – he remains the same, and loves us just the same.

If you are on Instagram, check out my stories, Jack features in a lot of them!

Let me know in the comments: Do you own a pet? How has your life improved since owning a pet?

Unlock the simple life,

~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!