A Stroll Through Galway’s Farmer Market

A Stroll Through Galway’s Farmer Market

Joyanne is back, this time with a vlog! Take a stroll through Galway’s farmer market with Joyanne Njuguna! Watch here She shows us fresh bread, fresh vegetables, and all the wonderful produce available for students near Galway.

Joyanne studies a BSC in Computer Science And Information Technology at NUIG via Education in Ireland Kenya.

A Stroll Through Galway's Farmers Market
Cycling In Ireland

Cycling In Ireland

My name is Vikash Shrivastava and I am a Masters student at TU Dublin, studying data science. I am originally from a small town in India called Steel City, Jamshedpur. It is 7,869 km from Dublin so I am pretty far from home!

I am a blogger, a passionate cyclist, an athlete, and a watercolour artist. I love Ireland because it has the friendliest and most welcoming people in the world. I chose Ireland for my higher education as it is the most beautiful country in Europe and I wanted to cycle here. Ireland is an amazing place to bike around, with some spectacular trails. 

My first Cycle Ride to Wicklow

In December of 2020, I cycled from Dublin to the Wicklow mountains covering 100 kilometres in 4 hours. Wicklow is a town in County Wicklow, it is on the East Coast of Ireland. The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. The mountains are a 45 kilometre bike ride from Dublin’s city centre, I cycled to the Wicklow mountains to see the Guinness lake. 

A selfie I took after reaching 44 kilometres, near the Wicklow climb. 

My 2nd Cycle Ride from Dublin to Howth 

Howth is a village which is 15 kilometres from Dublin. After my first exam break, I went to Howth on bike, covering 65 kilometres. This ride is very special to me as the route to Howth is very scenic, especially around North Bull Island. During my ride to Howth, I met a few locals on my way and spoke with them about the weather in Howth and Irish culture. The ride to Howth was very challenging. I needed to trek for around 4 kilometres with my bicycle, as it was a very rainy day and it was difficult to ride on the tracks. I ended up trekking, hiking, and cycling!

 

My 3rd Cycle to the Dublin Mountains.

Before coming to Ireland, I had never seen snow! Early one January morning, I heard that Dublin will be facing heavy snow and I was incredibly excited – I wanted to go for my first cycle ride in the snow to the Dublin Mountains.

The Dublin Mountains, where I cycled 35 kilometres. This is my first bike ride in the snow!  

 As somebody who loves to travel, and who loves nature – I find studying in Ireland to be a massive gift and one of the best things I’ve ever done. I feel very grateful to have the chance to explore Europe and to meet locals on my bike.
I would like to thank Education in Ireland for giving me this opportunity to share some of my experiences of Ireland and why I love being in Ireland so much. 

Thanks, 

Vikash  

 

Are you a beach or a mountain person?

Are you a beach or a mountain person?

Bindhu Purushothaman, a Masters student originally from India, writes about the stunning natural landscape in Ireland and her experiences travelling the country to visit the numerous mountains, hills, cliffs and beaches.

Pandemic Travel Restrictions

My name is Bindhu Purushothaman, and I was born and raised in India. To me, travel is a unique way to relax. However, for many people like me who love to explore and tick places off of their travel bucket list – everything was put on halt in 2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Luckily, Ireland is full of natural beauty and places to visit. I’m generally an introverted individual who transforms into an extrovert when I have the opportunity to talk about my travelling experiences. When I was choosing what country to study in, I chose Ireland because of its travel links and access to surrounding countries. Did you know that you can reach Iceland by a two hour flight from Ireland? I haven’t made it to Iceland yet, but I have been exploring Ireland.

The Irish Landscape

In my opinion, Ireland would delight people who enjoy hiking and beaches. It’s a country that appeases independent souls, social butterflies, extroverts and introverts. Ireland is a land of variety which welcomes all. It has something for everyone, from small parks to luscious vast green lands. There’s a diversity of wildlife, from morning walks alongside swans in rivers to harmless foxes crossing the road at night.

Ireland has beautiful waterfalls. There are numerous waterfalls in Ireland, perhaps due to the substantial amounts of rain. During the summer months, the trees and plants are a lively green. Autumn presents us with orange and brown shades, creating a cosy environment. The waterfalls all differ in size and shape, but to me they offer soothing music which could almost put me to sleep!

 

The Sea

Ireland is an Island, and has a plentiful choice of beaches for swims, dives, and picnics. On most sunny days in Ireland, I’ve made it to the beach! To the west, there’s the Atlantic Ocean and to the east, there’s the Irish Sea. The wild Atlantic waves are a surfer’s paradise!

Ireland being an island surrounded by water bodies provides us with more choices of beaches to swim, dive and to picnic. A sunny day in Ireland can be considered to be the beach day. To the east, there’s the Irish Sea and to the west, the Atlantic Ocean. The wild Atlantic waves are a surfer’s paradise. Taking a freezing dip in one of the beaches is on my to-do list!

The sea also provides amazing views and cliff walks. When I’m on the cliffs, I see a mixture of green meadows, tides and waves crashing into huge rocks, and lighthouses. The wind wrestles with us, showing nature’s energy. These cliffs provide a glimpse of natural beauty in all directions. On these cliff walks, I realise how tiny we are in comparison to the sea.

Hiking

Last but not least, we must talk about the hills and mountains hikes in Ireland. It would be difficult to cover the numerous amounts of trekking and hiking spots within a year. There are a range of walks, some are easy and moderate, others are difficult. If you’d like to trek in a group, there are numerous trek and hiking organisations that meet at weekends. These organisations are a great way of making new friends to share these new experiences with!

Personally, I love the mountains. When I reach the top, I find peace because I’m so close to nature.

Bindhu, originally from India, studies a Masters in Cloud Computing at the National College of Ireland