Our last day in Dublin

Jill says...Yesterday was our last day in Dublin, and it was definitely my favorite day. We went on an all day excursion to the Wicklow Mountains, just outside of Dublin. It was absolutely gorgeous, and we had an awesome guide as well. There were about 50 of us on a bus, winding through the narrow mountain roads (for those of you who know me, you will be surprised to know I did not freak out). We stopped at a pretty cafe/market/shop called Avoca for coffee and scones on the way there. We drove through Enniskerry, where P.S. I Love You was filmed (my favorite movie). Then we stopped at the top of a few cliffs for some picture opportunities (I wish I could post them, but this computer does not have a USB port). Then we took an hour-long walk through a 6th century Monastic settlement and through Glendalough. I cannot wait to show you all the pictures!

The tour ended around 5:30, and we rushed to the Brazen Head, Dublin's oldest pub for a night of Food, Folk, and Fairies (www.irishfolktours.com) The dinner was excellent, but the storytelling was superb. We sat at a candlelit table with seven other Americans (there was one other table of guests, too), and listened to Johnny Daly tell the story of how the Irish lived off their land so long ago, and the repercussions their dependency on the potato had on their lives and the Irish as a whole. I know I learned this stuff in school, but it's funny how it's so much more fascinating when you are hearing it from a storyteller. He also told of how the Irish believed in the fairies (think leprechauns), and they would often account for the unexplainable by believing that it must have been the fairies. Johnny did a wonderful job of telling a few of the fairy stories to us, and when the dinner was over, I wished we could hear a few more. It was the perfect ending to our Dublin trip.

Now it's back to London...

Bethany says:

Hands down my favorite part of our trip has been Ireland. I really enjoyed the trip to the Wicklow Mountains. Our guide was excellent! The scenery was breathtaking. I have never seen so many shades green in my life. I am amazed at the bogs on the top of the mountains. The heather and bog cotton was blooming everywhere. I was able to collect some heather for luck. The sheep dot the mountain. It really is an amazing view and exactly what I was hoping to see when I was in Ireland.

I was also able to purchase a coloring book of Celtic work and a children's fairytale book at the gift shop in Glendalough. The children will enjoy them I am sure of it! I cannot wait to show them the pictures of the countryside and the treasures I am bringing for them to see. I have been taking pictures of some of our food while we are here, so that the children can compare how the food is different and like ours in the states. (It is rather embarrassing and I am sure people think we are nuts!) Oh,well!