Jess Glynn

Jess Glynn Irish Travel Blogger/Vlogger, Spreading Travel Inspiration & Positive Vibes! Hello travel lovers! Join in the fun and become a member of the GYG Community

I'm Jess, and this is my travel blog - The Gap Year Guru :) Here you will find little pieces of joy that will inspire you to liver happier, and motivate you to travel the world!

🇫🇷 France Roadtrip Itinerary 🇫🇷 It has been 3 weeks since we arrived into Cherbourg with , where we hit the ground runni...
26/04/2023

🇫🇷 France Roadtrip Itinerary 🇫🇷
It has been 3 weeks since we arrived into Cherbourg with , where we hit the ground running, ready to explore the best of Normandy 🚐 ⛴ These were some of our favourite stops so far!

📍ÉTRETAT
The gorgeous seaside town of Étretat is home to epic cliff walks, beachfront sunsets and beautiful gardens. Must see attractions include the remarkable wooden covered market and 19th-century villa Le Clos Lupin 🙌

📍 LE HAVRE
Situated where the River Seine meets the English Channel, the port city of Le Havre was almost completely rebuilt after World War II. The unusual concrete architecture of Le Havre, designed by Auguste Perret, has resulted in the city centre becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 🏢

📍 MÉMORIAL DE CAEN
If you are a lover of history, the Mémorial de Caen visitor centre is among the must-see sites focusing on the Battle of Normandy! From the origins of World War II to the end of the Cold War, the museum tells the dark stories of 20th century history.

📍 ARROMANCHES-LES-BAINS
The seaside town of Arromanches-les-Bains is the home of the harrowing D-Day landings. At the top of the cliffs you will find the Arromanches 360, which showcases archive footage of the 100 day battle, within a circular cinema. The town is also famous for its stunning beaches and cliffside walks 🌊

📍 MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
This magical island topped with an ancient abbe is one of the most beautiful sights in all of France. The island of Mont-Saint-Michel along with its breathtaking bay are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site 🙌

This is just the beginning of what Normandy has to offer & a fantastic starting point for your next France adventure 🇫🇷

We sailed from Rosslare to Cherbourg in comfort and style with . It was such a smooth and stress free journey for us, the spacious cabins, delicious food and drink and the shopping made sailing a dream! We spent most of our time relaxing in the lounge and cabin but if you are travelling with children, there’s free movies, free Wi-Fi and Happy World to keep them entertained.

Still have no idea how to celebrate   in  ? Hopefully this post can provide some inspiration 😉👊 1 -  are always encourag...
16/03/2023

Still have no idea how to celebrate in ? Hopefully this post can provide some inspiration 😉👊

1 - are always encouraging tourists and locals alike to dig a little bit deeper and discover what it truly means to be Irish and how that meaning is forever tied to the people who have left these shores.
Whether you’re planning a visit to Ireland or a local looking for a great way to spend Patrick’s Day, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is a unique and innovative way to discover what Irishness is really all about.

2 - Returning for 2023 after an incredibly successful debut last year is the Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks which will be home to a magical day-to-night urban Festival for all, from March 16th to 18th!

3 - The Stadium Tour, Skyline and GAA Museum are the perfect way to truly immerse yourself in Irish culture! Get a behind the scenes look at the history of Gaelic Games 🇮🇪

4 - Brought to you by the people behind the , brings the best of Ireland together under one roof with a modern take on Irish food & drink culture 🍽 🍻

5 - have been Dublin's No.1 tour for over 30 years. Their Tour Guides know the city like the back of their hands and they're all great entertainers with many insights about Dublin you won't hear anywhere else. (Kids go free) 👶👧🧒

6 - From March 16th to 19th, the will welcome visitors from near and far to sample a complimentary pint of Guinness 0.0, enjoy top Irish musical talent at The Fáilte Inn and The Liberties Stage and much more. Truly the best time of year to visit 🙌

More fun things to add to the list? Comment down below 👊

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This photo cost me €450 🫠🤣 A gust of wind hit my tripod & WHOOSH - my phone came crashing down onto the rocks 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️...
30/01/2023

This photo cost me €450 🫠🤣 A gust of wind hit my tripod & WHOOSH - my phone came crashing down onto the rocks 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Was it worth it?? 😂 This is the insane view from ‘Little Sugar Loaf’ in Wicklow 🙌 It’s not half as popular as the famous ‘Sugar Loaf’ - but that’s probably only because there is no real carpark here 😬 There is a small space for roughly 3 or 4 cars on the side of the road so I would recommend visiting during the down season / weekdays if you want to be guaranteed to get a space 👊 🚗 The 2km route is moderately challenging with steep inclines, but only takes 50 minutes to complete! 😊 Have you been before? ⛰

Wearing:
fleece
‘Gary’ Joggers
hiking shoes

🍀 🍀

Interested in hiking, but not sure where to start? Here’s 3 of my favourite Dublin Mountain hikes to get you going! 👊1. ...
17/01/2023

Interested in hiking, but not sure where to start? Here’s 3 of my favourite Dublin Mountain hikes to get you going! 👊

1. Ticknock has something for everyone with trails of all shapes & sizes! The Fairy Castle loop is a 5.8km moderately challenging route that takes roughly 1 hr 50 mins to complete. You’ll be treated to spectacular views over Dublin on your way to the top ☝️

2. The Hell Fire Club is a favourite among many Dubliners - with a spooky backstory and epic views, this 5.2km loop trail takes roughly 1 hr 10 mins and is considered ‘moderate’. If you’re looking for a longer trail, you can add on Massey Wood which is just across the road 👊

3. Cruagh Wood is ideal for first timers! Coming in at 4km, this family & dog friendly route takes just 1 hr 10 mins to complete. This is really popular among locals so be prepared for the car park to be full if you plan on visiting during the weekend or the summer months 🚗 There is also a longer route which will take you to the top of the mountain if you are looking for something more challenging 👍

Let me know if you decide to try any of these routes 😊👊

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Making ‘The Holiday’ a reality in The Cotswolds 🇬🇧🥹 One of my favourite Christmas movies! 🍿
07/12/2022

Making ‘The Holiday’ a reality in The Cotswolds 🇬🇧🥹 One of my favourite Christmas movies! 🍿

Glaslough - the sweetest tiny town in Monaghan 🙌 The name itself is derived from the Irish translation for ‘calm’ or ‘gr...
30/11/2022

Glaslough - the sweetest tiny town in Monaghan 🙌 The name itself is derived from the Irish translation for ‘calm’ or ‘green lake’ 💚 Home to the famous estate, Glaslough is the perfect place to stop for a delicious meal at Cottage, a pint at The Coach House & Olde Bar, or a creamy hot chocolate at 🤤

We got our wedding photos back 😍 & out of the THOUSANDS of shots taken, I think these might be my favourite 🤣 Completely...
21/11/2022

We got our wedding photos back 😍 & out of the THOUSANDS of shots taken, I think these might be my favourite 🤣

Completely obsessed with .photo, they captured our wedding perfectly 🥹 Dying to share them all ❤️

2 months since we arrived at   🔥 2 months since we left the real world behind and entered into an alternate reality ✨🪩 2...
27/10/2022

2 months since we arrived at 🔥 2 months since we left the real world behind and entered into an alternate reality ✨🪩 2 months since my mind was blown right open 🤪 10 months until round 2 😛 I apologise, but Burning Man is my entire personality now 😂

Date night with my love  in .space Wexford 🙌 DYING to show you guys inside the pod we’re staying in tonight - stay tuned...
18/10/2022

Date night with my love in .space Wexford 🙌 DYING to show you guys inside the pod we’re staying in tonight - stay tuned for the tour coming soon! 🍀

Fun fact 🫢 Not only is there no money, no Wi-Fi, no electricity at Burning Man - there’s also no brands allowed! Here’s ...
15/09/2022

Fun fact 🫢 Not only is there no money, no Wi-Fi, no electricity at Burning Man - there’s also no brands allowed! Here’s why… “As a citizen of Black Rock City, you help create a decommodified zone for one week a year. The playa is free from advertising and transactional relationships, not beholden to corporate influence. It’s one of the most important ways the Burning Man experience is different from other events, and that the event is different from the other 51 weeks of the year. We all play a part in keeping our city unique.”

This means you can’t have obvious branding on your clothing, such as famous logos, slogans, political references etc etc ❌ We opted to cover ours with stickers to keep Burning Man decommodified zone 👊

(Art installation by the incredible )

The day I got my Playa Name! 🥹 ‘Playa Names’ are just one of the many rituals or traditions that take place at Burning M...
13/09/2022

The day I got my Playa Name! 🥹 ‘Playa Names’ are just one of the many rituals or traditions that take place at Burning Man - “it is a way Burners experiment with new identities or ways of being” ❤️ Some burners believe that you must be named by someone else, while others are happy to create their own alter ego that represents their personal experiences and desires.

Our neighbouring campers had been coming to BM for 10 years so when they heard that I was a ‘Virgin Burner’ they asked if they could give me my first Playa Name…

Introducing ‘Little Wings’ 💓

I COME IN PEACE ✌️👽🛸 Burning Man 2022 - What a wild ride that was! Nothing could have prepared me for the madness of the...
12/09/2022

I COME IN PEACE ✌️👽🛸 Burning Man 2022 - What a wild ride that was! Nothing could have prepared me for the madness of the Playa or the 8 hour dust storms 🤯 But it was definitely worth the trek from Dublin, Ireland to Nevada, USA 🇺🇸 I thought it would be a once in a lifetime experience… but now that we are officially Burners, we have no choice but to make that commute every year if we can 😜

I’m sharing the whole experience over on my stories right now, so if you’ve got any questions,eave them below and I’ll answer them 💚 Who wants to join us next year??

One of my favourite art pieces by ☮️ It was right at the end of our street, so it was the first piece of art I saw every evening as we headed out onto the Playa ❤️

The Hen Party of my dreams - nature, mindfulness & my favourite humans ❤️I had the pleasure of experiencing Forest Bathi...
24/07/2022

The Hen Party of my dreams - nature, mindfulness & my favourite humans ❤️

I had the pleasure of experiencing Forest Bathing with recently and it left me feeling so energised and connected to myself & to the earth, that I immediately knew I wanted my nearest & dearest to experience it too 🤗 Not your typical hen party experience 😄 I basically threw my friends & family into a group therapy session and they completely got on board with it 🧡

Forest Bathing is all about moving slowly through the Forest, listening to the wind in the trees, or the bees buzzing past, feeling the textures of the trees and grass beneath you, and tuning into nature to nurture your soul 🌲💚

It is one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had, so getting to share it with such an incredible group of women surrounding me was a special memory I will never forget 🙏

We ended the Forest Bathing session with a tea ceremony and closing circle, where our guide Sarah gave me a little box filled with intentions & words of wisdom that my friends & family had written for me 🥹 I will open it and read them all the night before my wedding ❤️

These gorgeous photos were taken by my incredibly talented friend 😍

Dublin Pride 2022, bigger & better than ever! It feels good to see these streets full of colour again 🙏🌈❤️
26/06/2022

Dublin Pride 2022, bigger & better than ever! It feels good to see these streets full of colour again 🙏🌈❤️

40 days until the biggest party of our lives 💍👰🏻‍♀️🤵🏻🎉 Me? Panicking? No way 🙄🤥🫣😂❤️📷:
23/06/2022

40 days until the biggest party of our lives 💍👰🏻‍♀️🤵🏻🎉 Me? Panicking? No way 🙄🤥🫣😂❤️

📷:

1 more day until our beautiful bestie gets married!! 🎉💍 What an incredible place to be celebrating  & .Gary’s love 🥹❤️ 4...
18/06/2022

1 more day until our beautiful bestie gets married!! 🎉💍 What an incredible place to be celebrating & .Gary’s love 🥹❤️ 4 days of delicious food, far too much lemon spritz and the best company on the Amalfi Coast 🙌

Hosted my first hike thanks to  🥹💛 I was so honoured to be joined by an incredible group of women this past weekend! We ...
31/05/2022

Hosted my first hike thanks to 🥹💛 I was so honoured to be joined by an incredible group of women this past weekend! We got the most glorious evening along the Howth Cliff Walk, where we tested out some phone photography tips and tricks 🙌 Seeing everyone’s photos in the WhatsApp group made my heart so happy ❤️

The hike booked out in 2 minutes, but if you want to try it for yourself, here’s everything you need to know thanks to 👊

📍Where we started & ended: Howth Summit Car Park
💪 Difficulty: Easy to Moderate - suitable for most fitness levels, minimal elevation.
🗺 Route: 6 -7km out and back, approx 2 hours (3 hours if you’re stopping to take photos like we did!)
🌲Terrain: Cliff path
👀 Views: Islands, cliffs, lighthouse
🥾 Gear: Hiking boots or shoes with good grip, waterproof jacket, hat, gloves, warm layers, water & snacks.

If you don’t have a car this route (and some of the larger loop trails) is near to the DART station in Howth, but bear in mind that it is a considerable distance to get to the beginning of the hike. You may wish to get a bus from Howth village to Howth Summit Pub to start from the top of the hill.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 😉

Foodie recommendation in Amsterdam 🤤🍳 Don’t know how we got so lucky to stumble upon  on Aruã’s birthday! Oeuf is a gorg...
10/05/2022

Foodie recommendation in Amsterdam 🤤🍳 Don’t know how we got so lucky to stumble upon on Aruã’s birthday! Oeuf is a gorgeous little local hotspot (there was a queue to get in!) created around the endless possibilities of eggs, where you can find egg inspired dishes from all over the world 🌎🥚

I ordered their Shashuka (two poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce, chickpeas, za’atar, labneh, harissa & feta) and their French fries with truffle cheese 🤤 Cannot recommend it enough! Already have my eye on their French Toast and Le Boeuf Classique for my next visit to Amsterdam 🇳🇱❤️

Soaking up the sunshine on our final day in Amsterdam, but I have some great recommendations to share with you from this...
19/04/2022

Soaking up the sunshine on our final day in Amsterdam, but I have some great recommendations to share with you from this trip 👊🥰 I will write them all out on the plane home tonight so stay tuned ✈️

🏔 HOW TO HIKE SLIEVE DONARD 🏔 As part of the  4 Peaks Challenge this year, we took on Northern Ireland’s highest peak, l...
04/04/2022

🏔 HOW TO HIKE SLIEVE DONARD 🏔
As part of the 4 Peaks Challenge this year, we took on Northern Ireland’s highest peak, located in Newcastle, County Down 🙌

This 850 meter high peak towers above the Mourne Mountains and the Irish Sea 🤩 If you are travelling from Dublin, it takes roughly 2 hours to drive (with a couple of tolls along the way) 🚙💰

We did the 9.5km out and back trail (apparently there is a ‘loop’ trail as well but it is harder!) which started at the Donard Park car park 🚗 The car park is huge and free to use so hopefully you shouldn’t have any issues finding a space. They also have toilets and bars and restaurants nearby ✅👍

As I am sure you can guess by the fact that it is the highest peak in Northern Ireland, this is a difficult hike 🏔 The weather conditions can change rapidly when you are up there! We started the hike with sunshine beaming down and ended it in the middle of a snow cloud ❄️ Keep an eye on the weather forecast and trust your gut if it’s telling you to hold off for another day 👊❤️

Most websites suggest it takes 4 - 5 hours to complete, but we took plenty of breaks and photo stops along the way, so we took 6 hours in total 🥾

One of the highlights of the hike is when you make it up to the Mourne Wall - made from granite dry stone, this 1.5m high wall extends 35km across the Mourne Mountain range! Some people try to walk the entire length of the wall 😳 Don’t think I’ll be trying that one any time soon 😂

The queen of hikes herself, recommends using the app for keeping on track and making sure you don’t wander off the trail 👊 We also use for recording all of our hikes 🙌

Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below! 👊

Have you ever been to Dublin’s ? 🤩 It’s the Irish Emigration Museum, where you will find stories of Irish emigrants who ...
30/03/2022

Have you ever been to Dublin’s ? 🤩 It’s the Irish Emigration Museum, where you will find stories of Irish emigrants who became scientists, politicians, poets, artists and ever outlaws all over the world 🤭🤫

It has always been one of my favourite museums to visit and now they’ve added more stories and installations thanks to investment from 💚

It looks like the rain is set to return to Dublin next week so I highly recommend checking out the new “Ireland Never Leaves You” gallery installation 😊

Let me know what you think of it!

WIN 🥃 I asked the  team if I could giveaway a bottle of their famous whiskey and 2 tickets to their Distillery Experienc...
17/03/2022

WIN 🥃 I asked the team if I could giveaway a bottle of their famous whiskey and 2 tickets to their Distillery Experience to celebrate St Patrick’s Day 🎉☘️🇮🇪 They said Hell Yes!! 😍🎉 So let’s keep this nice and simple - Comment down below & tag the person you would bring to the distillery 👊 I’ll pick a winner on Monday 💚 Happy St Patrick’s day one and all! **You must be over 18 and based in Ireland to enter this competition 👍 🍀

🤤 TAPAS TOUR IN BARCELONA 🤤If you’re open to making new friends, trying flavours you’ve never experienced before and sip...
04/03/2022

🤤 TAPAS TOUR IN BARCELONA 🤤
If you’re open to making new friends, trying flavours you’ve never experienced before and sipping on a variety of wine all night long - you’ve got to try the Gastrotour with 🙌

This 2 hour tour will take you to 4 stops, including 4 different tapas and 4 glasses of traditional Spanish wine from different regions🍷(My personal favourite was the Cava Sangria) 🤤

I don’t know how I managed to get so lucky with my group! Moisés was such a fantastic tour guide and really took the time to get to know everyone on the tour, our stories and our taste in food 👍 What really struck me about our group is that we were all women, all taking on this experience as solo travelers! My kind of people!!

You can probably tell from the photos that I had the time of my life 😂 Walked away with a full tummy, wine fuelled memories and new friends - what more could you want? ❤️

Make sure to save this post for your next trip to 👊

🇪🇸 🇪🇸

20/02/2022

THE NEWS IS OUT! 😍🤩🥳 Look who’s in the brand new ad! 🙌 and I have waited so long to share the news! Last October, we flew to Cambridge for a full day of photos, videos and voice recording at 😱

Getting to watch the production team in action and see the time, the creativity and team work that goes into creating an ad like this was unbelievable! 🙌

It was an experience I will never forget and I feel so lucky to have been asked to be a part of it by and the team at 🙏

I’m sharing some of the behind the scenes over on my story today and it’s bringing back so many great memories! Not every day you get to be in an ad with one of your best friends ❤️

I have to give a shout-out to one of my new favourite hotels 🇬🇧 This is not sponsored, I was just lucky enough to join ....
15/02/2022

I have to give a shout-out to one of my new favourite hotels 🇬🇧 This is not sponsored, I was just lucky enough to join .tupi on a work trip and ended up getting to call this place home for 2 weeks!

I’ve been working remotely for 5 years now (long before the word ‘covid’ was around) 😂💻 As a content creator and video editor, one of the biggest struggles has always been finding somewhere to stay with strong enough Wi-Fi to deal with my never ending downloads and uploads! 😬

I’ve worked in hotels, airbnbs, cafes and airports all over the world, but I have to give major kudos for the environment they have created in their Bankside location (can’t speak for their other locations just yet, but I’m excited to try them out in the future!) 👍

Free Wi-Fi always. Large working spaces and full sized desks. Plenty of plugs (both UK & European). Meeting rooms if you need somewhere extra quite to work from. Desks in the bedroom. Kind and always helpful staff (shout out to Dolly, who brought nothing but positivity to our stay) 🙏

The place was buzzing with people working remotely and teams brainstorming for their next big pitch 🙌 The environment made you excited to get sh*t done 👊

We were supposed to stay there for a week while Aruã went to some work meetings in the city, but ended up staying for 2 weeks - and I certainly wasn’t complaining 😋

I great hotel for any of my fellow remote workers in London 🇬🇧

🇬🇧 How did I not know about this place before? 😍 We spontaneously bought tickets to watch a jazz band play on Sunday aft...
07/02/2022

🇬🇧 How did I not know about this place before? 😍 We spontaneously bought tickets to watch a jazz band play on Sunday afternoon, but little did we know the venue would be a gorgeous old renovated church turned market 🙌

is a ‘cultural hub and sustainable community market’ hidden just a minutes walk from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street 👌

The food stalls span 2 floors and cover every taste from Italian pasta and pizza, to Malaysian street food, Japanese Ramen and more 🤤

Mercato Mayfair has officially been added to my long list of favourites in London 🤗

🇪🇸 Toledo, Spain 🇪🇸 A must visit if you traveling to Madrid 😍 Here's what you need to know: 🔴 Toledo is an ancient walle...
03/02/2022

🇪🇸 Toledo, Spain 🇪🇸 A must visit if you traveling to Madrid 😍 Here's what you need to know:

🔴 Toledo is an ancient walled city, located on a hill overlooking the Rio Tajo 🙌 It was known as 'the city of 3 cultures' thanks to its medieval Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities.

🔴 How to get there: We traveled by train from Madrid to Toledo for €22 each for return tickets 🚂 The journey took roughly 30 minutes and trains traveled once every hour 👍

🔴 What to do: Some of the highlights of the city include the Cathedral de Toledo, Monasterio San Juan de Los Reyes and Sinagoga del Transito. But our favourite part of the day trip was watching the sunset over the city at the end of the day at Mirador del Valle 😍🌞 You can get their by taxi, or by walking 40 mins (steady incline) to the top of the hill - it was a workout, but the views were stunning the whole way up 🙌

🔴 Where we ate: First of all, don't forget that most restaurants in Toledo close between lunch and dinner for their Siesta! 😴😄

We found a gorgeous spot just in time before their kitchen closed! 🙏 It was a little on the pricier side in comparison to other restaurants in the area but it was a real treat! It was called 'La Orza' and everything about it was perfect 😍 The staff, the service, the food, the outside courtyard 👌

Let us know if you've been or you plan to visit! 😊

Discovering the reinterpretations of Diego Velázquez's masterpiece, Las Meninas 🙌 A very futuristic installation in Madr...
25/01/2022

Discovering the reinterpretations of Diego Velázquez's masterpiece, Las Meninas 🙌 A very futuristic installation in Madrid, but in my opinion, too short for the cost of entry💰 (€12 per person).

Diego Velázquez is a fascinating character though 🎨 Born in 1599, he was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal.

His iconic artwork has been re-interpreted by Picasso, Salvador Dali and Francis Bacon to name a few! 🖌️

🇪🇸 🇪🇸

Reminder: We are so much more than the photos we post online. We are more emotional, we are more complex, we are more hu...
19/01/2022

Reminder: We are so much more than the photos we post online. We are more emotional, we are more complex, we are more human 🧡

I just posted a new vlog on my YouTube channel and half way through I made the decision not to hide what I was really going through. I've said it before and I'll say it again, life isn't all sunshine and rainbows 🌈⛈️☔

I'm not saying I want to have a moan fest 24/7 on Instagram, but we are all humans at the end of the day, feeling every emotion under the sun every single day. We all smile, we all grieve, we all hurt.

Don't be afraid to be human x

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