white rock, b.c.

It's always a must to visit White Rock Beach when we're visiting B.C.  I spent many summers here during my high school days.  It's only fair to show Little H where his Mama went gallivanting (ha).  

* WARNING.  Photo overload coming your way *

ring of kerry, ireland

On our last day in Ireland, we took a day tour of the Ring of Kerry.  It takes you along the beautiful west coast of the County of Kerry.  We started out in Limerick where we caught the Paddywagon Bus Tour. 

We made our way to the town of Killarney.  If we ever go back to Ireland, I'd love to stay there overnight.  It was voted as "Ireland's Tidiest Town" in 2011 -  how could you pass that up?!

dublin, ireland (part 2)

We continued on to St. Patrick's Cathedral, about a block away from Dublin Castle.

dublin, ireland (part 1)

The morning after the wedding festivities, we took a two-hour train ride to Dublin.  When we got there, we went on a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city.  A bus would come every 15 minutes and stop at the city's main attractions.  It was very convenient, especially for visitors like us.

The city reminded me so much of downtown Vancouver (minus the mountains), with people walking around and the streets lined up with shops, bars and restaurants. 

Sadly, we did not go to the Leprechaun Museum.

rehearsal + ennis, ireland

After visiting the Cliffs, we headed to the groom's hometown of Ballinasloe, Ireland for a Rehearsal Lunch.  It was held at the groom's family home, which also serves as a bed and breakfast.  Their family welcomed us with open arms and their food was absolutely delicious!

The happy couple saying their goodbyes the day before they tied the knot.

Loving all the blue and white stripes!

After the Rehearsal, our bus driver suggested we eat dinner in Ennis, Ireland which he calls home.  It's another little town with its own cute downtown area.

I had to have a sip of Guinness!  Don't worry, this was my one and only time!  Paul made sure to call me out and say, "excuse me, she's pregnant" out loud!

Next week, I'll finally post about their fairytale wedding.  Geez, two months later!

cliffs of moher, ireland

The Cliffs of Moher was listed as one of the top places to see in Ireland, so we made this a priority, rain or shine!  Our day started out a little wet, but luckily it cleared up when we got to the Cliffs.

We had to go through what seemed like a hurricane trying to get to O'Brien's Tower.  Actually, we had a little too much fun with the wind!

The beautiful Cliffs of Moher. 

By the way, if you ever visit the Cliffs, don't bother bringing an umbrella.  It will only end up here:

I highly recommend visiting the Cliffs of Moher if you are ever in Ireland.  The views are truly breathtaking, and they say many writers and poets have referenced these famous Cliffs.  Apparently, it was featured in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie.  I will need to go back and watch it!

galway, ireland

We arrived in Dublin, Ireland really early on a Tuesday morning.  The groom greeted us at the airport and looked just as exhausted as we were.   We still had to take a 2+ hour drive West of Dublin to the city of Shannon where we will be staying.  At least we were able to catch some sleep on the bus ride. 

As soon as we said our hellos and freshened up, we headed to the Galway Races.  Supposedly, this is a huge event held every year during the last week of July.  Most of us have never been to a horse race before, so this was a new experience for us.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with us.  We probably came at the most coldest and wettest summer they've had in years.

the last bits of brussels

Here are some pictures I captured from our last day in Brussels.  I promise, this is THE LAST post!

The proud, soon-to-be Lola (grandmother in Tagalog, the native language of the Philippines).

Moving on to Ireland!  Stay tuned!

ghent, belgium

On our last full day in Belgium, we took the train to the city of Ghent, which I believe is the second largest city in Belgium.  I don't think I mentioned this in my previous entries, but Belgium spoke two main languages.  The city of Louvain is the Dutch-speaking town, while Brussels and Ghent are French-speaking.  Just a little bit of information for ya!

Oh no!  Has anyone seen Harry Potter?  He seemed to have lost his glasses.