Yesterday was a beautiful day, sunny and warm which was luckily a good day to choose for a hike. I hopped in the car and drove to Glendalough, a place I hadn't been since a primary school trip years back. It is one of the most visited places by tourists in Ireland and you can see why, once you start driving in the direction or Roundwood and Glendalough. It has so much ancient history and plenty of round towers and old monasteries to be seen during the hikes or just when walking around.

When I arrived I parked at the vistor centre which is a 1.6km walk away from the information office where the treks start but it is free and well, what's an extra few kms! It was a lovely day so I set off down the boardwalk and having chose the 'white route' or the 'Spinc and Glenealo Valley route', I followed the white arrows. The great thing about the park is that all the trails are well marked and there's no hope of you getting lost if you follow them and doesn't wander off on the unmarked trails. There were plenty of people to make you feel safe when hiking alone there but not too many to make it feel crowded.

I chose this hike because it was 9kms and would take 3 hours to complete and it boasted the best scenery in the Wicklow mountains. I would love to have time to have done the full 129km Wicklow way starting in Wicklow and ending in Carlow, if I had the time, but this was a good hike to pick! The trail led up 600 odd steps that led up to the too of the mountain giving you that big blast of fresh mountain top air just at the right moment when you think you're about to die... Well not that extreme but it's tough! When you're up there, the boardwalk style tail leads all the way up and around the hills looking over the upper lake and surrounding valleys. It carries on down the mountain towards some rocky terrain and beautiful small flowing waterfalls. This is a great spot to stop for a snack or lunch if you haven't already done so.

The trail then continues down on the rocky scree like surface so be careful and watch your step. There are so many great photo opportunities along the whole trail so don't forget your selfie stick or just your phone timer if you're hiking by yourself- like i use! The end of the trail brings you along the lakeside on the level of it giving you a different perspective and leads you though a beautiful enchanted forest, feeling very Canadian like! I almost expected a bear to pop out of the surrounding woods. It ends at the information office and you just carry on 1.6km back to the visitor centre car park.

Everything is free and there are plenty of places to chill and relax along the hike or even after it on the open grassy areas. The vistors centre can be entered for a small fee and provides lots of historical information about the area. There are some old ruins to pass on the White trail too so you will see some cool things like monasteries and round towers along the way so keep your eyes open! There are also many options for other longer or shorter hikes or even just for an easy stroll.

Go for it! Below are some websites with more information on walking trails and information on Ireland in general.

www.wicklowwalks.com

www.failteireland.ie

www.discoverireland.ie

www.walkingtrails.ie

Upon arriving on the island we were picked up and brought to our accomodation at the Aran Islands Hotel. The hotel was beautiful and had a great location right by the ocean with a great view from the dining area. The staff were so friendly and constantly there to help us, even when we had some rowdy neighbours on the second night. The food there was incredible and we had the fresh fish on the first night which was delicious. I had goats cheese bruschetta and cheesecake which was indescribable! The goats cheese was fresh from the local goats on the island and all the fish was freshly caught. I don't normally eat fish but I had to try the local fish in this case.

Our room was huge and we had a large single and a large double bed with a large TV. We were provided with clean towels both days, lovely toiletries and a kettle with teabags/coffee etc. The hotel was very well maintained and the waitresses in the dining area both in the evening and morning were very friendly and welcoming. Even when we checked out, we had s lift to the ferry port and they saw us off just as friendly as when we arrived. I would definitely recommend this hotel for your stay on the islands and the tour we did around the island can be booked at the reception.

www.aranislandshotel.com

https://m.facebook.com/AranIslandsHotel

Arriving in Rosaveel an hour outside Galway, we took the 6:30 ferry to the largest of the three Aran Islands- Inismór. When we arrived, we were picked up by the Aran Islands Hotel and taken to our accomodation right across from the ocean. The staff were so welcoming and our three course dinner that evening was to die for. Our hotel room was massive and we had two nights booked there. We had an early night and prepared for our full day exploring the next day.

The next morning we had a full Irish breakfast which was included in the price but I was pleasantly surprised to see a veggie breakfast option on the menu. I was even more surprised when I got it. It was the best veggie breakfast I'd ever had.

After breakfast we were picked up by the tour and driven all around the island to Inismór village, Dùn Aongheasa fort and throughout the tiny narrow roads of the island along the coast. We were super lucky with the weather and we really enjoyed the day even more with the sun shining. The walk up to the fort was lovely and when I got to the top the view from the cliff edge was beautiful but slightly scary. The sheer drop down to the Wild Atlantic Ocean was so steep with no barriers around the edge and it made me think of the Cliffs of Moher. This was the largest fort in Western Europe and over 2000 years old with some amazing history. The tour continued for the next while and we were then given the option to be dropped in the village, which we did. We did some shopping in the Aran wool sweater shops where I got a beautiful sweater for 50% off. We also looked in the gift shops and then stopped by the local bar for some fish and seafood chowder, which was delicious. It was like being in a different country listening to everyone speak Irish around us. This was a Gaeltacht area where many of my school friends would have spent their summers learning Irish with locals. The west is one of the only places in Ireland where they speak Irish fluently and only 7% of the country actually speaks it fluently. Later after walking back to the hotel we chilled out and later that evening we got a lift to Joe Watties Bar where everyone seemed to be. They had lovely cider and good Irish music there.

The next morning we had another lovely breakfast and then took the 12pm ferry back to the mainland where we would take the car to Dingle, Co. Kerry. Our trip to the Aran Islands had been brilliant and the weather made it even better! I can't wish to go back again.

One of the best things about coming home was seeing all my friends and family again and I was intrigued by everyone's new lives and stories. I couldn't wait to hear everything. Throughout the first week I had gone out with Rebecca for a drink to Slevins/Bradys, on my first night home, I had met Amy my old school friend for a drink in ODwyers/Slevins, I had organised to meet my childhood 'almost sisters to me' Jean and Paula and Jeans baby Fionn, for lunch in the local cafe. Mam joined us and we chatted about old times and even times when me Paula and mam were together in New Zealand. I had met my good college friend Elfreda in town for some drinks and dinner, I had had lunch with my two good friends Sarah and Davina in the local cafe and I had even made it into town again to meet my yoga sister Emily who I had recently met India, for a no alcohol, no lights dance hour. It was incredible! Check it out here - http://www.joe.ie/entertainment/soda-bread-box-the-new-dancing-in-the-dark-night-thats-taking-off-in-dublin/498779

I had successfully met up with so many people and bumped in to others around town which was great considering my planned short holiday home.

During my time here I still had a vacation on vacation planned to the Aran Islands and Dingle with my mam to explore a part of Ireland I'd never been. When I would return I was planning even more meet ups with as many people as possible before my due date out of Ireland once again. It was such s great first week back and I was so happy to see everyone. It was amazing how everyone had changed so much and we felt so much more grown up each time I would return. I could finally get into my old routine of healthy eating and daily yoga which was great, especially with the sun setting as late as 10pm it was incredible. Thanks Ireland ya beauty 😍

Arriving back in Dublin was quite surreal and I almost felt like a tourist in my own country given how different everything seemed to me. The Irish humour was the first thing that hit me and it took me a while to kind of get the jokes. Being greeted by my mam and my childhood bestie at the arrivals area was brilliant. We all headed back to Dunboyne- my home, and had a typical Irish roast dinner and tea afterwards. It was delicious. As always, I raced straight to my bag and proceeded to take out and show all of my souvenirs whilst babbling on and on about stories from my travels. It was time to chill out!

Later on that evening Becky and me headed to Slevins pub in the village for some drinks and a catch up. It was so surreal to have come from Africa straight back to this and it literally felt like a time warp only with the people being a bit older than they were when I left.

Bank holiday Monday was a day for me to finally relax and sleep in considering my long flights home. 24hrs in transit through 4 cities in 3 continents to be precise and that's exactly what I did. I had visited my uncle and grandad straight after the airport the day before which they were delighted about but today I had a whole day to spend at my grandads- drinking tea and watching game shows just like before. The drinking tea thing was starting to get a bit much and I found myself constantly with s cup in my hand as if it was another limb. That's Ireland for ya. The next day I was up early and in town to apply for my new passport (I managed to fill the old one finally) and driving licence (which was stolen from me during my travels). When I was finished looking in my favourite shops, my mam and I headed for a lovely dinner in The Porterhouse (highly recommended by most Dubliners including me, even in though I'm not actually a Dub). The next week would give me a taste of the celeb life with all the meet and greets i had scheduled (just kidding), but I was super excited to catch up with everyone.