vacation

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Over the years and many return trips to Sonoma and Napa, we’ve stayed in a variety of fabulous places. From bed and breakfasts to chain hotels, we have found some incredible gems, and I have to say that we’ve been lucky; all of our Napa and Sonoma lodging experiences have been good ones.

On our last trip, as we always do, we went back and forth on which towns to stay in and what types of accommodations we were looking for. Timber Cove Inn was a must-have; it’s literally our little piece of heaven on earth. Healdsburg is also always really hard to pass up. It’s one of my favorite towns, so easy to wander around all evening long, and this time around we decided to splurge a little and stay right on the square at Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza. After a gorgeous drive from Timber Cove and Flowers Vineyard and a fantastic Two Shepherds wine tasting, we pulled up in front of the Inn, happy to be back in one of our favorite places again. Sunshine, 80 degree temperatures, and a growing stash of new wine meant we were in the best moods ever.

Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza

Check in was pleasant and easy, and we were given a quick tour of the inn so that we knew where wine hour and breakfast were. Then it was time to just spend a few minutes enjoying our room. Cozy, sweetly decorated, and overlooking the beautifully green Healdsburg Plaza, our room was a nice place to take a breather. Over the course of the weekend, we enjoyed wine and coffee in armchairs with the breeze blowing through the room, retiring at night for a soak in the giant tub and a fire in the fireplace.

Healdsburg Inn on the PlazaUp a short flight of stairs is the inn’s sun room where, in the evening wine and snacks are served and in the morning, a gourmet breakfast magically appears. Breakfasts are a signature of Four Sisters’ Inns, and they were definitely full of creative, delicious items each day.

Inn on the Plaza, HealdsburgWe only made it to the wine hour on our first night, but we appreciated the beautiful spread that was left out for us to enjoy before we headed for a walk around Healdsburg’s many tasting rooms and live music at Garagiste. Fruit and Cheese Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza

After a long day of appointments and being in the car, a glass of Healdsburg Ranches Chardonnay (unoaked and perfect for Chardonnay haters) was a perfectly refreshing pick-me-up and a segue fro the perfect day to a fabulous evening.

Healdsburg Ranches Chardonnay

We had an amazing time at Healdsburg Inn, and we would return again in a heartbeat. It was comfortable and luxurious, and the location in Healdsburg just can’t be beat.

Tags: California, Healdsburg, hotels, Sonoma, Sonoma County, Travel, vacation, wine, wine country

Ballyconneely

It’s a place in Ireland we visit on every single trip, the place we got engaged seven years ago, and one of my favorite spots in all of Connemara. Ballyconneely, just outside of Clifden, is one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches I have ever visited. The water, in places, is Caribbean-blue (but nowhere near as warm!), the sand, bleached-white in places and a golden yellow in others.

Ballyconneely Ireland

From every spot on Ballyconneely’s beaches, you can see green fields, the rocky 12 Pins or Bens, the mountains of Connemara, and endless sky.

Mannin Bay

When the sky is gray, as it often is in the West of Ireland, Mannin Bay and the surrounding landscape can match it; depending on your own mood, it can be soothing and serene or somber and a little bit too heavy. Being a lover of gray skies and rainy days, I am usually a big fan.

Ballyconneely

Ballyconneely goes back further than the seven years ago when we got engaged, even further back than the almost 10 years ago when my husband and I first visited there together. When my husband was a child, he and his family owned a caravan on the beach and spent weekends playing in the surf, wandering the surrounding hills to round up sheep, and falling asleep to the sounds of the waves lapping the shore. Does that not sound like a magical way to spend childhood summers?

Connemara

boat in Connemara

If you plan a trip to Ireland, I definitely recommend including Ballyconneely on your itinerary; it’s an easy day trip from Galway City and can be combined with a visit to Clifden, Kylemore Abbey, and Ballynahinch Castle. Many people are wooed away from the West by the metropolitan and better known sites of Dublin, but this is where the real Ireland shines through.

Tags: beaches, Connemara, Galway, Ireland, Travel, vacation

Galway Love

If I could choose a place to live besides Boston, it would be a very tough choice between Healdsburg, California and Galway, Ireland.  I spent a semester and part of a summer in college in Galway, and I fell in love with just about everything in the city and surrounding country. After I returned to the US for senior year of college, I set things in motion to move back to Galway for at least six months with a work visa and to see what would happen from there. In March of that year, my father died, and I ended up skipping the travel, moving to Boston instead. As luck would have it, about a year later I met my favorite Galwegian, my husband, and I have been lucky to call this place home a couple of weeks every year since.

Galway, Ireland

There’s something in the air, in addition to the mist and rain here, the smell of turf fires, and usually the sounds of an accordion, flute, or some other instrument playing. Galway is colorful in its storefronts and homes, these bright pops of color and lovely little details make just a simple walk down the street an experience.

colorful Galway

Galway is an old city, founded in the 12th century, and its history shows up all over, in bits of the old city walls and arches, cemeteries, and churches

Galway city walls

A fast river, the Corrib, flows through the town and into Galway Bay, which offers spectacular sunsets. When I studied abroad I loved running along the river and out to the sea, and in past years even on vacation, I have done some marathon training here.

River Corrib

Galway sunsets, there are no words.

Galway Bay sunset

The Galway Saturday market is one of my favorite things about the town. I lived right across the street from the market when I was a student. Every Saturday morning we were woken by the sounds of farmers setting up their stalls with produce brought in from the country. One of my all time favorite vendors is a Hare Krishna named Govinda, who makes incredible vegetarian food. Govinda was gone for a few years, so when I saw his bright yellow stall this time around, I literally jumped for joy.

The recent addition of a Continental Christmas Market makes the city even more special at the end of November and throughout December.

Govinda at the Galway Saturday market

Govinda at the Galway Saturday market

Steamy kitchiri with tomato and pineapple chutneys, a heavenly way to warm up on a chilly Galway day.

kitchiri and chutney

Even though the weather can be atrocious, getting out and about in Galway is just something you want to do, and the Salthill promenade is the perfect place for a walk with a view.

Salthill Prom, Galway

Galway is a city full of restaurants and pubs, gourmet shops, and wine bars, making it the ideal place for food and wine lovers.

Sheridan's Wine Bar, Galway

Galway has a ton of character, and people flock here from all over the world, making it a fun place to go out and to get chatting to perfect strangers who become new friends. There’s a warmth and character about the city that just needs to be experienced to be understood. It’s why we always recommend that anyone visiting Ireland spend at least a few days in Galway, using it as a jumping off point for visiting Connemara, the Burren, and even Westport.

I guess you can tell that I love it here; if the economy wasn’t so desperate and jobs almost impossible to find,  our many talks of moving back for a few years would likely become a reality. Until then, I hold this special place in my heart year-round until I get to visit again.

Have you thought about moving to a new city/country?

Tags: farmers market, Galway, Ireland, Travel, vacation

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