Waterford: First impressions

We are house- and pet-sitting in the oldest city in Ireland–Waterford. Our home for a short time is about 8km out of the center of town, and comes complete with 2 dogs, a cat, chickens, and ducks. Though it sounds like a busy household, it is actually very serene.

We flew into Dublin from Scotland, and took a bus from the airport to the train station. The bus wound its way around the center of Dublin so we felt like we were on a tour bus. We’re looking forward to getting back there for about 10 days once our time in Waterford is up. The train from Dublin to Waterford took just over 2 hours.

Despite only having been here for four days, we have managed to see and enjoy quite a bit of this lovely area.

Our homeowners pointed us in the direction of two beaches where Bess (a 4-year-old border collie) and Millie (a 1-year-old lab cross) love to romp, and another walk in the woods with great views. We have been to one of the beaches three times (Woodstown beach) and up to Faithlegg Forest (also called The Minaun) to catch the views. On the beach, Bess and Millie need little encouragement to run as they gallop into the water and along the shore, though they’re also quite excited to chase after a ball.

We’ve been into the Waterford city center a couple of times. The first time we just wandered about to get our bearings and soak it up. The second time we visited the Medieval Museum and Bishop’s Palace (which, as a museum, takes over from where the Medieval Museum leaves off, showcasing more recent history). The compact Viking Triangle is the center of the historical attractions in this ancient city.

 We took a scenic trip along the South Coast Trail to check out what is known as the Copper Coast. What should have been a 30-minute drive, took us almost 2 hours because we stopped so many times to ogle the views.

---

TripBits

• Flight from Glasgow to Dublin: Ryanair, £65.46 total for 2, Plus tickets include a checked bag each. We were expecting a not-so-great experience for our first Ryanair attempt, but found the whole trip (check-in and flight) quite pleasant.
• Bus from airport to train station: Picked up at airport, paid at the bus stop, €7 per person.
• Train from Dublin to Waterford: Booked 5 weeks ahead, €31.98 total for 2.
• Taxi from train station to house (we met up with our hosts at the airport as they were leaving, so they weren’t home to meet us): €15.
• Museum tickets: €10 per person, combined ticket for both museums.