These past few days I was lucky enough to return to the land that has so much meaning in my life. For starters it's where two of the greatest grandparents a girl could ask for came from. It's the place where the color green comes in many different shades, Galway Girl is a song that never gets old, and Guinness is a plenty.
Wednesday afternoon my friends and I left for our first stop on our European adventure - Ireland. After a bus, a train, a plane, another bus, and some walking we had finally arrived at our hostel. After checking in we walked to a nearby pub and grabbed some dinner. All of us were shocked when our food arrived and the plate was actually full! Their portion sizes reminded us of home and our stomachs left happy.
Thursday began our first full day in the country. We woke up and started exploring Dublin. What was first on our stop? The Guinness Factory. I had already been with my family the last time I came to Ireland but my friends were dying to go and it's definitely something everyone needs to experience. The factory teaches you all about the process of making Guinness all the way down to the packaging. For most people their favorite part of the tour would probably be the free pint at the end of the tour, mine on the other hand was the view. The top of the factory is a circular bar that has windows all around it giving you the best view of Dublin. Off in the distance you could see the Wicklow Mountains and every picture I took didn't even come close to doing the view justice. After our tour we met up with my family. Kiera came to Dublin and brought us back to her house where Martina cooked us the BEST dinner. I mean she went over the top with the food. Salad, bread, sandwiches, chicken & rice, etc. Then there wasn't one but TWO desserts. Pavlova- basically a fruit pie which was heaven, and an apple crisp. She was incredibly sweet to do all of that for my friends and I. We were so thankful for her! It was nice to be in a homey environment just sitting on the couch hanging out and watching tv. We had all missed those simple luxuries!
Friday was our long day. We had to be up at 6:45am to catch our day tour bus that was going to drive us all around the Irish countryside. It took us to Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, the Burren, and along Galway. Little did I know this tour drove right through the town my Grandpa grew up in. We actually drove down the street his old house was on. I can't explain this feeling. There we were entering Ennistimon and I'm sitting there pointing out the graveyard my great grandparents are buried in and the house my grandpa grew up in. It was surreal and made me realize not a lot of people have that. My whole life having family from Ireland seemed so normal, I mean I didn't know any difference. Listening to Irish music, watching riverdancing, hearing common Irish sayings, generally talking about Ireland was an everyday thing growing up. Then here I am in the actual country explaining all of those things to my friends. Being able to talk about your heritage to someone is cool and interesting but actually being able to point out specific landmarks where your family came from was incredibly special. I felt so proud that I had such a deep connection to this place. It made me even more appreciative of the fact that I was able to travel here with my grandparents two years ago and see everything from their eyes.
To continue with my family ties I was able to meet up with my great aunt and uncle for lunch. Sadly the lunch was too short since our bus had to get onto the next stop but I was glad I got to visit with the cutest Irishman! (Besides you Fefawn!) After lunch we drove through the Burren which is this land absolutely covered in rocks. It was right along the ocean and our bus driver was kind enough to stop and let us get out. The waves crashing against the rocks and the sun shining bright made for multiple photo opportunities. Once our tour ended we ate dinner at a pub and again our stomachs were pleased. The Irish had fed us well. We ate our dinner and listened to live Irish music and I was finally able to hear Galway girl! Needless to say that song was stuck in our heads the rest of the trip.
On Saturday our trip came to an end. We spent the afternoon purchasing our souvenirs before making our way to the airport. None of us were too upset about saying goodbye to our hostel. After listening to a chorus of snores the past three nights and seeing people changing just about anywhere (including a guy changing right by my bed - ew.) I was ready to be back in my London home. I had an incredible time in Ireland and cannot wait until I go back.
As the Irish would say, Slainte! (Cheers)
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