With Reading Week right around the corner, I wen to the North, which, technically, is Donegal and Northern Ireland (I went to both!). Donegal is part of the Republic and off the track. There are beautiful landscapes and breathtaking cliffs! The cliffs exceed the Cliffs of Moher by far! The Cliffs of Moher are packed with tourists. There are endless bus drivers waiting outside for their passengers to hop back on again to return to Dublin back in time. In Donegal, it is different. Donegal is a bit remote. It is a bit like Hicksville and whereas I could not imagine to live there, planning a roadtrip to see Donegal is a must-do! We slept in Letterkenny, where had found a modern and clean apartment (which allowed us to stay in a small city -no village- which was en route and allowed us to watch and dance to Mamma Mia). On Sunday, we were back on the road at around 9. We headed to the Dark Hedges, which is really just a photo spot BUT as we have figured, at least while we were there, coaches passed by but none of them actually stopped, after we had been to Dunluce Castle, Giant's Causeway and the rope bridge.
We were so lucky with the weather, but, still, it was extremely windy. We had rainbows and loads of sun, but what we also faced was wind so strong that we could not open the doors of our car that easily, when we were on the top of the cliffs in Donegal.
What to remember when going to the North:
1) If you rent a car in Dublin, the car measures your speed in km/h. As soon as you are in Northern Ireland (A.K.A. the UK), speed limits are displayed in miles. Keep that in mind and either learn what is 30, 40, 50 and 60 mphs (the most common speed limits) or make a rough estimate (which I did, because I roughly know the differences between miles and kilometers, plus I've been driving in the UK before and I am quite skilled). Luckily, there aren't really radar controls...at least, I haven't seen any.
2) People in Dublin speak very clear English compared to those living in Donegal, Sligo and Northern Ireland (and most remote parts of Ireland, which I don't include in here because this text deals with the northern part). You understand them, if you're English is not too bad, but it can be tricky.
3) Roundabouts. There are hundreds of roundabouts which I find pretty nice, as they don't use unnecessary power and are quite handy but, I admit, you have to get used to them first and you'll learn to love them. (Plus, there are roundabouts every 2 miles (not always but so, so often), randomly appearing, some of them are HUGE, some of them are quite small and barely actual roundabouts.
4) The streets are not as bad as people from Dublin will say.
5) There is one question that kept popping into our minds: why do people randomly build houses in the middle of nowhere?
6) Irish cities basically look the same, what is so fascinating about this country is the landscape.
7) We had no sheep crossing the streets in front of us, but people walking on the motorway. As soon as you get out of the capital, often, there are no sidewalks so you must get creative. Remember to walk with your right hand on the side of the shoulder of the street.
8) Motorways to Donegal stop after about an hour. N-roads are fine, too, but eventually, they will stop, too.
9) The weather changes within 2 minutes. In Dublin, it's 5-10 minutes. In the North, the wind is rougher and is a constant companion to your journey. But it's fine! :-)
10) Make sure to get yourself a car. There are a few bus tours up there, but none of them will get you around properly. A car makes things not only easier, but more comfortable and makes you see fantastic sites!
