This was our first long weekend at Harlaxton, and it was the Ireland trip! It was so much fun, though we did spend a WHOLE lot of time on the bus. Let's add up the time spend on the bus together, shall we? We left Harlaxton at 6:30 pm on Wednesday and drove. We stopped for 45 minutes at a rest stop and drove some more, finally arriving at the dock at about 1 am. ( 5 hours and 45 minutes on the bus) Our ferry left at 2:45 am, and most of us slept on the ferry until it docked in Ireland at 6:45 am. When we got off the ferry, we got back on the coach (because the coach came with us… on a boat… weird) and we drove to Blarney. We got to Blarney at 11:30 (so now we're up to 10 hours and 30 minutes on the bus). We stayed at Blarney until 2:30 then left and drove to Killarney, where we arrived at 4:30 (12 hours and 30 minutes). Friday morning we got up and left to go on the Ring of Kerry, a circuit around southwestern Ireland. We left at 9, and were off and on the bus until arriving back in Killarney at 4:45 (so let's say of the 7 hours and 45 minutes on the ring, we were on the bus probably 5 1/2 hours- we're now up to18 hours). Saturday morning we left Killarney for Dublin at 8:30, stopped for lunch for an hour, and arrived at 2:30 in Dublin (5 more hours… we're up to 23 hours). Sunday morning we left Dublin at 6:45, caught the ferry at 8:30, arrived in Wales at 11:30, had lunch for an hour and then kept driving until we got back to Grantham at 5:30 (6 more hours). So, we spent 29 hours on the bus. Way too much time on a bus if you ask me. But anyway, now I'll fill you in on what we actually did on my trip to the Emerald Isle!
So, back to the beginning. Um… that was Wednesday, right? Right. So Wednesday night we left the manor (after a 2 hour grueling British studies exam, which I think I beasted, p.s.) and drove to the coast to catch our ferry. We drove our bus onto the ferry (which was bizarre) and then got off the bus and went in search of a place to lay down. After settling in on couches and chairs, we all pretty much fell asleep (I mean, it was 3 am…) The ferry docked in Rosslare at about 6:45 and we got back on the coach and drove for approximately 5 minutes before stopping at a hotel for a traditional Irish breakfast (ham, eggs, baked beans, toast, and a blanched tomato). I was really excited about that tomato until I bit into it and realized it was hot. Then, I was not ok with it. But everything else was delicious. We all then took over the bathrooms to change out of our nasty travel clothes and into more socially acceptable outfits. We left the hotel and drove west towards Killarney, but stopped in Blarney before we got there.
Me settling in on the ferry to Ireland
While in Blarney, we explored the castle, kissed the Blarney stone, and just walked around on the grounds. This is where my roommate fell in a bog. It was kind of hysterical. We were walking around the lake, and we wanted to get closer to it so we could actually see it, because it was surrounded by trees and bushes and stuff. So, we went exploring. For whatever reason, Sam decided to forge her own path and not follow the rest of us, and the next thing we knew she was sunk knee deep in mud, and it took Chelsea and Amber both to pull her out of it. It was truly funny. I almost fell off the log I was standing on because I was laughing so hard. We then continued walking around the lake, and her bog fall became even more funny when we rounded the corner and saw 4 or 5 different places where there were no trees and we could walk right up to the lake to take pictures and stuff… if we had only walked around it the other way. So, while at one of these places where you could walk right up to the lake, Sam got in and tried to rinse off her pants. Again, REALLY funny. So that's the bog experience.
Me kissing the Blarney stone!
Sam's leg covered in mud after falling in the bog.
After leaving the castle we headed to Killarney, checked into our hotel, dropped off our stuff, and hit the streets. Chelsea and I walked around and did a little bit of shopping, then ran into some people and went to dinner. It was a task trying to find somewhere that was open, because most of the restaurants (we found out later) closed at 6! We finally found a place that was relatively inexpensive, and it also turned out to be delicious. After dinner we all went back to our hotel and got a little cleaned up to go to a pub that night. While we were at the pub, we heard a little bit of traditional Irish music, and also heard a live band. The band was pretty good too. Our pub was also connected to a club, so we wandered back and forth, but there were only like, 10 people in the club, so it was a little awkward.
Friday morning we got up and left for the Ring of Kerry, a circuit around the southern bit of Ireland. It was beautiful. We stopped occasionally for photo-ops and stuff like that. Chelsea and I decided we were tired of being in our coats in every single picture we took, so we left our coats on the bus every time we got off. We froze, but it was worth it. I'm so glad to see pictures of myself in a different outfit (on that note, I also can't wait for it to get warm. I'm tired of being cold ALL THE TIME.) Anyway, after the Ring of Kerry, we headed back into Killarney for a little more shopping and just hanging out. We had dinner at a pub (I got Shepherd's pie- delicious!) and then we went back to the same pub/club that night, and had a great time again. There were more people there this time, so dancing was a little less awkward.
Stop 1. Bog Village- an old peat mining town.
Stop 2: Dingle Bay
Stop 3: The Atlantic Ocean!
Stop 4: No idea what it was called, but that's the ocean again. :)
Stop 4: Same place, view of the other side.
Stop 5: Ladies View- Queen Elizabeth I and her ladies in waiting stopped here once upon a time to admire the view.
Stop 6: Sneem- this is a town in Ireland where no house is painted the same color.
Stop 7: Killarney National Park
Stop 7: Killarney National Park- what a cute family portrait! :) I love these girls.
Saturday morning we left Killarney for Dublin. We got to Dublin at 2:30ish, and set out to do some shopping before the stores closed, because we only had 1 day there. Dublin was a really cool city. The Temple Bar district was fascinating. There were all kinds of restaurants, pubs, and shops all over the place. Also, (and I hate Valentines day, so it's really saying something that I thought this was cool enough to note it in my blog) there were people in the streets selling bouquets of roses and also Valentines day cards. It was precious. We walked all over Dublin, and met up for dinner at an Italian place because all the pubs were absolutely packed since everyone was inside watching the France vs. Ireland rugby match. After dinner we went and cleaned up before going out to the Temple Bar district again to explore the night life. Shaylin, Kymber, Kelsey and I ended up at a pub together, and we had a good time just hanging out and talking to some locals (also, Shaylin had a lengthy conversation with some Swiss boys) and watching people be ridiculous. We headed back to the hotel after that and got ready for a long, uneventful bus ride the next day. We did, however, stop for lunch on Sunday at Wales at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiligogogoch, which is a town name. It's the longest place name in the world. It is actually a word and I have heard someone pronounce it, though it's in Welsh and I can't do it. Welsh is a funny language, p.s.
Temple Bar district during the day
Temple Bar district at night
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiligogogoch- I told you it existed.
Anyway, all in all it was a fabulous weekend (as all of my weekends have been). I think this weekend I'm just going to stay in England and head to Oxford. Until next time!
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