I got sunburn in Northern Ireland.

The UK’s penchant for rain and clouds and general dreariness is well known. But you wouldn’t know it if you had been in Northern Ireland with me. Somehow we managed to get not one but two (in a row!) beautiful blue sky days with sunshine and perfect temperatures.

Cue hiking and beaches and late sunsets.

I’ve put together some of my favorite photos from our jam-packed driving loops around Northern Ireland. We hit a few Game of Thrones filming locations, four beaches, two mountain tops, Finn MacCool’s building project, and the most beautiful flowering bushes I’ve ever seen. Not included: the scrumptious honeycomb ice cream consumed on Newcastle’s rocky shore while watching a horse and rider in the waves–it was too delicious!

Enjoy!