This will be my last entry in our Ireland blog and the thought makes me very sad. Our last two days in Ireland have been good ones. Yesterday we left the city of Galway and headed back to our first love, Dublin. We stopped on our way at Clonmacnoise which is an ancient monastic site. What was most interesting to me was just how gorgeous the still standing buildings were. There were several structures, all made of stone, that have stood there for hundreds of years. What we found most interesting was the archway of amaryst nonsense. I'm not entirely sure of it's significance but the title alone amused us. After that we headed to the John Locke Distillery. We were given a tour of what is claimed as the oldest distillery in the world, dating back to 1757!! We were shown all the ins and outs of how whiskey is distilled and at the end we were given a taste. I barely touched it to my lips and...YUCK! I felt like I had poured a bottle of rubbing alcohol in my mouth! Everyone kept saying, "It's an acquired taste" but I just can't fathom why anyone would want to acquire a taste for that. No thanks! It was amazing to go through a building that was as old as that one though. It was very cool to see the old machinery and watch whiskey being made.
Once in Dublin the girls and I hit the city for some quick shopping before the shops closed. We found out at the beginning of our trip that after 7 there are very few stores still open. We found that odd.
This morning we went to Kilmainhum Gaol (Jail). We were given a tour of this jail that dates back to the 1700s. The experience was a hair raising one. No, ghosts didn't jump out from the cells at us. It was just a crazy thought to think that I was standing where several people had spent their final days. We were told the conditions were poor ones, and they sometimes shoved 6-8 people in an 8X6 jail cell. The eeriest part (even more eerie than the gallows that our guide showed us) was when we were taken out into the courtyard. The lady explained to us that we were standing in the very spot that 16 people had been executed by a firing squad made up of very young teenage boys. It was just an incredible thing to believe. I stood on the very ground that those people had breathed their last breath. *shiver, shiver*
We spent the day today shopping in Dublin. I really like this city. It reminds me of New York City. The streets are lined with shops and crowded with people rushing in and out. We all marveled at how fashionable everyone seems to be here. You can hardly find a guy without spiked hair and skinny jeans. I was able to buy lots of souvenirs for a pretty good price today. I'm left with only four euros to my name which is just enough to buy myself something to eat tonight.
It's hard to believe this is our last night here. It's been a blast exploring all that Ireland has to offer. I like the diversity of all the places we've been. We've seen so much that Ireland has to offer in only 9 days. We've been able to see island, city, and country life. This trip has been an experience of a lifetime and I will always remember the fun I've had here.
Goodbye Ireland! I hope to see you again.
Once in Dublin the girls and I hit the city for some quick shopping before the shops closed. We found out at the beginning of our trip that after 7 there are very few stores still open. We found that odd.
This morning we went to Kilmainhum Gaol (Jail). We were given a tour of this jail that dates back to the 1700s. The experience was a hair raising one. No, ghosts didn't jump out from the cells at us. It was just a crazy thought to think that I was standing where several people had spent their final days. We were told the conditions were poor ones, and they sometimes shoved 6-8 people in an 8X6 jail cell. The eeriest part (even more eerie than the gallows that our guide showed us) was when we were taken out into the courtyard. The lady explained to us that we were standing in the very spot that 16 people had been executed by a firing squad made up of very young teenage boys. It was just an incredible thing to believe. I stood on the very ground that those people had breathed their last breath. *shiver, shiver*
We spent the day today shopping in Dublin. I really like this city. It reminds me of New York City. The streets are lined with shops and crowded with people rushing in and out. We all marveled at how fashionable everyone seems to be here. You can hardly find a guy without spiked hair and skinny jeans. I was able to buy lots of souvenirs for a pretty good price today. I'm left with only four euros to my name which is just enough to buy myself something to eat tonight.
It's hard to believe this is our last night here. It's been a blast exploring all that Ireland has to offer. I like the diversity of all the places we've been. We've seen so much that Ireland has to offer in only 9 days. We've been able to see island, city, and country life. This trip has been an experience of a lifetime and I will always remember the fun I've had here.
Goodbye Ireland! I hope to see you again.
-LG
My favorite things about Ireland:
*The accents
*The castles (or cashels ;))
***Dun Aengus Fort
*The food (especially fish n chips and sticky toffee pudding)
*The sheep
*Irish wit
*The music
*The way the trees align to make little boxes to hold sheep on all the rolling hills
*How GREEN everything is
and the list goes on and on...
*The accents
*The castles (or cashels ;))
***Dun Aengus Fort
*The food (especially fish n chips and sticky toffee pudding)
*The sheep
*Irish wit
*The music
*The way the trees align to make little boxes to hold sheep on all the rolling hills
*How GREEN everything is
and the list goes on and on...
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