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Spending days aimlessly wandering around Galway is one of my favorite things to do. There’s enough to see and do and especially eat and drink, that the possibilities are endless, and even after so many trips to Ireland, I have a ton of ground to cover.

One not-to-miss restaurant is the beautiful, award-winning Kai Cafe + Restaurant, a bright, airy, cozy spot with a constantly changing menu of creative and inspired dishes. On this last trip to Ireland, we went for lunch on a chilly but bright day, no plans on the horizon, just able to spend time hanging out together. Take me back.

Kai Cafe Kai had quite the buzzing lunch time crowd, which just added to the atmosphere. With all of the Christmas decorations in Galway and the dry weather, people were in cheerful moods, and I love that people there tend to actually take a lunch break to relax and recharge.

Kai menu

The space that Kai is in was once a greenhouse, and the ceiling offers lots of sky views. It was hard to not look up to take in the pretty blue sky.

The menu is always changing and is kept up on a blackboard above the window to the kitchen, where the movement never stopped.

Kai Galway

While we pondered the menu options, we each had a glass of wine, because wine at lunch is a requirement while on vacation! I love cold, crisp white wine even in the winter and had a 2012  Picpoule de Pinet from the Languedoc while my lunch date had a big Malbec.

wine with lunch

To warm up, we each decided on one of the soups on the menu. I went for the Pumpkin, Chickpea, and Harissa Stew, which was topped with a delicious yogurt and tons of fresh herbs, really adding to the flavor. I need to add more fresh herbs to finish meals!

The stew was hearty and well spiced, and the bread that came along with it was heavenly.

pumpkin harissa stew 

turnip stew

  His Turnip, Carrot, Ginger Soup was equally as comforting and delicious, and the bread even better than mine! Luckily we always share. Just like the space that Kai is in, the food just pops, offering surprising little bursts of flavor and color and freshness, and welcoming you with warmth and love.

IMG_0197 We ended up being too full for dessert, but Kai is well worth a visit for dessert and coffee alone. Look at all of these sweets! I couldn’t stop staring at them and took about 20 different photos!

IMG_0198 

Kai GalwayKai is one of those places you could easily spend a whole afternoon over coffee and wine and delicious food.  I absolutely love it and hope that if you are planning a visit to Galway you add it to your list!

Kai Galway

Read more of my travel blog posts, including lots of Ireland posts, here.

http://traveleatlove.me/travel/

Tags: Dining out, Food, Galway, Ireland, Restaurants, Travel, travel blog posts, travel blogger, travel planning

I get cabin fever incredibly easily, and aside from a weekend day here or there where I really want to just hang around the house and cook, I often am itching on the weekends to hit the road (or the sea) for an adventure. We’ve spent enough time in Ireland that we’ve become of the mind that if you don’t go out in the rain, you’ll never go out at all. As such, we’ve started making sure we have all of the attire we need for bad weather. . . which for me means all the L.L. Bean!

It really does make a difference though, to have a good rain coat and boots and to be able to stay dry and warm.

A few weeks ago our New England wanderings took us down to Carver and Plymouth, Massachusetts, for some fun in the rain.

Carver, Massachusetts Our first stop was Carver for a quick walk amongst the evergreens. I crave nature, and the misty air and the smell of green just filled my soul with happiness, setting us up for a great afternoon.

Not long after, we made a visit to the lovely and historic Flax Pond Farms where we learned about the history of cranberry growing in the area and got to pretend we were workers back in the olden days, sorting out green and wrinkled cranberries on a conveyor belt.

Flax Pond Farms Flax Pond Farms Flax Pond Farms was a beautiful space surrounded by nature and reflecting its cranberry history, in addition to being full of delicious treats like a spicy cranberry spread and cranberry honey I got to go with some soft cheeses. One of my favorite parts about unplanned trips like this is the potential to come across little gems like Flax Pond Farms.

Flax Pond Farms After we left Carver, our rainy day travels took us to Plymouth, where we explored antiques and other secondhand items in some of the adorable downtown stores. There was plenty to see in town, but still wanting to be outdoors, we headed to the waterfront, where we discovered a charming little park with a beautiful stream running through it and foggy views of the sea beyond.

Plymouth, MA

I did some skipping and puddle jumping, because I simply can not resist jumping in puddles!

Plymouth, MA

Plymouth, MA

And of course, we spent plenty of time admiring boats in Plymouth Harbor.

Plymouth, MA  Ramble on Rose

This gorgeous sailboat brought together three loves: boats, the Grateful Dead, and San Francisco.

After some more walking around the waterfront and the town and a quick spin through the John Carver Inn, we made our way back to the waterfront to the Plymouth Yacht Club. With our own club membership in Boston, we’re usually welcomed into other clubs around the US, and Plymouth certainly made us feel at home.

Plymouth Yacht Club  Plymouth Yacht Club

A sprawling waterfront lawn and plenty of seating gave way to a grand building, which we soon explored, eventually making our way to the top floor members bar to soak up the coziness and a couple of Dark n Stormy cocktails as we chatted boating with some locals.

Plymouth Yacht Club It’s amazing what you can discover when you don’t have any plans! We had such a fun day together exploring a new-to-us place, and while I loved the harbor on a rainy fall day, I am even more looking forward to boating into it next summer.

Have you discovered any fun places by accident lately?

Tags: blogger, boating, Boston, clubs, cocktails, fall, New England, outdoors, Plymouth, sailing, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger

Since the Cubs are in the World Series, I thought it would only be appropriate to share a quick recap of my latest trip to Chicago for the Chicago Marathon.

I love Chicago. This was my fourth visit during my adult life (Travel recaps from last year can be found below.) and while the trip was marathon-centered, we definitely did some eating and sightseeing. I can’t wait to go back.

Scenes from Chicago

Goose Island Tour and Tasting

Architectural Boat Tour

This time around we stayed at the Thompson Chicago which we ended up absolutely loving. It was right in the center of the North Rush and Division restaurant scenes and easy walking distance to the lake, Magnificent Mile, and the Riverwalk. It was also a celebrity hangout where we met Eddie Vedder and saw Bill Murray, both in town for Cubs games. Meeting Eddie Vedder was definitely a highlight of the trip. . . and my life. Swoon.

Thompson Chicago

On our first full day we relaxed and roamed aimlessly around Chicago, just enjoying a beautiful fall day and the architecture before heading to the suburbs to visit with family.

Chica Fire

Chicago architecture

Chicago River

 

Chicago Marathon 

Chicago Marathon Day: I was injured going into this marathon and was definitely not feeling very confident about my ability to finish. Still, I tried to keep calm as I got ready to enter my corral in Grant Park. It was a gorgeous morning, clear and cool, and that nervous energy that fills the air before a marathon also filled me up, giving me the boost I needed as we counted down to the gun.

Grant Park

 Chicago Marathon Long story short; my first six miles were perfectly on pace, and I felt amazing, like I was barely working. Sometime after mile six, I felt a tearing in my injured calf muscle, followed by some pretty excruciating pain. That was it for me. I ran/limped the rest of the way,  giving up any hope of beating my PR or even running a time that I was happy with.

That finish line was the best sight. I just wanted it over with. And I want to do it again. Despite my struggles, it is an incredible race.

Chicago Marathon finish

If you’re a runner, I definitely recommend adding the Chicago Marathon to your running bucket list.

Other Chicago recommendations?

Hash House a Go Go

Hash House a Go Go for brunch – The Sage Fried Chicken and Waffles is a specialty and a spectacle. People came off of the street to gawk at this plate of food!

Navy Pier Spend a few hours wandering and relaxing at Navy Pier if the weather is nice. The views are gorgeous, and there’s plenty of people-watching to be done. 

Downtown Dog

Chicago hot dogs at Downtown Dogs

 

Chicago water taxi

Taking a water taxi AND an architectural boat tour – the water taxi is just a fun way to get around, while the architectural boat tours are super informative and a great way to spend 90 minutes.

 

Carmine's Chicago 

Classic Italian food at Carmine’s, perfect for pre-marathon carb loading!

 

Gibson's Steakhouse 

Dinner at Gibson’s, one of the best steakhouses in the US

 

Signature Lounge

Followed by drinks at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock building – the views are everything.

 

City Winery Chicago

Leisurely time on the Riverwalk, including a glass of wine at City Winery Chicago – the Riverwalk is one of my favorite parts of Chicago and a perfect place to log a few miles as a pre-or-post race wander.

I have so much of Chicago that I still need to see and a much faster Chicago Marathon left in me, and I hope to visit again soon. Go Cubs!

Tags: Chicago, Chicago Marathon, cities, Food, running, Travel, travel blogger

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