The most beautiful place I've ever been

Over last weekend, while the rest of you were rocking out on mopeds, I was busing around Ireland. I would have to say it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and would recommend to everyone to travel there at some point.

So I was on a bus tour with a telltale selection of Florida State University (twelve of them who graced us with there Fight song along the way), a handful of Aussies and Kiwis, a few South Africans, a couple from Quebec, some honeymooners (already pregnant) and an odd handful of other Americans, all of whom (the entire bus load minus the Irish guide) live and work (or study) in London. I think I am lucky because it was a good group with only one jackass (who got a healthy piece of my mind, thank you). I flew into Dublin on Friday. We boarded the bus on Saturday morning. The first stop was the The Locke Distillery (pic above). What other way to start the day than with a couple shots of whiskey before 10am?



Next we headed to a Monastery, Clonmacnoise, on the shore of the Shannon River. This was a little castle right outside the settlement. The wind here was unbelieveable, think "like-a-cartoon".


Inside the monastery




Next we traveled to the Burrens, strange land much like a stone jigsaw puzzle. Under this landscape there are miles and miles of tunnels where the faery folk, with their leprechauns and banshee are rumoured to live.






The cliffs of Moher, a breathless sight, definitely the most beautiful of the trip. The wind here was so strong it brought the sea spray all the way up the cliff and rained down on everyone there. Apparently the winds can become so strong and average of 12 people are picked up and carried off into the sea every year.



Up at the top of this cliff there is a summer home for a once-upon duke.




That night we stayed in a tiny town called Doolin. The main street consisted of two hostels and two pubs. In all the Irish pubs throughout Ireland, musicians come to play on a nightly basis. The atmosphere was amazing. And I had my first Guinness.



Irish Road Block


The next morning we took a ferry across the Shannon River en route to Dingle. The weather was fine and we all looked for dolphins of the coast. Dingle was another quaint little fishing town. I bought a scarf here though because it was pretty chilly.


End of the known World (pre-America). Our guide took us out to the very edge of Ireland to see the end of the world.

Vertical Farming

Blarney


Leaving a part of my soul.

(I will finish up soon, so check back)