Ireland: Baby Cliffs near Ballyreen

The Cliffs of Moher were a unique experience mixed with disappointment: thick fog created that surreal feeling of being away from everything, but knowing that only 200 meters away there is an ocean and real puffins left us feeling betrayed by nature, which decided to hide a real gem from us. However, our next stop compensated for unfortunate experience at the Cliffs - we got to the Baby Cliffs, which have a bit of a different structure and are much lower. Over there we finally saw the Atlantic ocean on the east side.

Ireland: Cliffs of Moher

If someone would ask me to describe our trip in one word, I'd definitely choose the word "hectic".
To be honest, four weeks ago no one was planning to travel; more than that, Ireland wouldn't be my #1 choice as a travel destination. Nevertheless, four weeks ago I was paying my monthly bills, sitting in PJ's with a cup of coffee in front of a laptop. Once I finished transferring money to my internet provider, credit cards, and insurance, I realized that the situation didn't look too pessimistic. So to treat myself with something positive, I opened a website with air tickets. What a surprise! Tickets to Dublin were cheap and pretty attractive. So here it started. The next two weeks were extremely busy with work and home, but time after time I was checking the options as to what to do and where to stay in Ireland.

Other side of the planet: cars in UK

After visiting UK I realized that Smart is not a small car. It is a European car. Actually, it could be bigger (at least taller) than some fellows that we met on streets of London
Should I mention that I almost twisted my neck looking around? I like compact cars and North American fashion for a bulky transport with 3+ L engines makes me sad. Therefore walking on the streets of London was like visiting a gallery with real art. 

Housewife's Car Review: 2018 KIA Forte

Do you remember my review of the Hyundai Elantra? So this is the same car. I mean, the insides of it are built from the Elantra's parts - same engine, gear, so on. The difference is in the exterior - the body of KIA has visual differences; and in the interior -  cheaper materials, simpler design, and less features.

So let's start. I drove 1800 km on this car. I really appreciated the switch from Chevy Cruze to KIA (provided by Enterprise Thornhill).

2018 Compact Sedans review

All of a sudden I tried a bunch of sedans in the past two months.
So let's go through the 2018 compact sedan market:
- If you are choosing between Chevy Cruze and KIA Forte, take KIA! Design and performance is much better for KIA. Chevy has a few interesting details, but after almost 3 000 kilometers in it, would never recommend this car.
- If you are looking at KIA Forte, take Elantra. For the same price you'll get much more in a  basic Elantra compared to a basic Forte (the automatic ones). Elantra's interior has less plastic. Kia has a bit more space. Driven both, I got a feeling that those two cars have the same parts under the hood.
- If you have a bit more budget for the car, check Honda Civic EX and Touring. Civic improved a lot. The new technology used in engine makes a big difference in car's performance. Interior design got improved as well.
- Toyota Corolla is increased in price, but decreased in everything else. 2018 Corolla reminds of 2015 Honda Civic; basic model doesn't have most of the features, provided by Hyundai for the same trim.
They managed to make a Corolla boring even for me.
 - VW Jetta has a very attractive interior!   Sports trim is just awesome! I must  take this car to the drive-test =)
Mazda 3 looks the same as its previous years.
Details are coming soon...

Father's Day in Toronto

How would you celebrate The Father's Day to make it pleasant to your spouse and to enjoy the day at the same time?
Toronto invited everyone to Yorkville Exotic Carshow. Yorkville is a luxury neighborhood in downtown Toronto. It has boutiques, Italian cafes, restaurants, etc. By the way, in one of the restaurants we've met Blue Jays - Toronto's baseball team. Also we met Julianne Moore and Lady Gaga there.
So it is the best location to bring fancy cars and let dads enjoy the day.
Part of Bloor Street was closed, road was covered with a red carpet, entire block was a luxury parking lot. Most of the cars got sponsors to join this event. For example, Brack Driving School sponsored participation of the beautiful blue Maserati!
Though, enough words. Time to look at the cars.

London Calling

When I was a student of the elementary school, every school year from grade 4 was starting from the words:”London is…” We knew that London is a capital of the Great Britain, as well as a cultural, educational and economical centre of the country. We were learning about The City and other areas of this great megapolis year after year until our graduation. It felt like we could walk the tours around London based on our textbooks.