One word to sum up Ireland: “An amazingly beautiful and lush environment rich in history and culture”. So much for one word, but Ireland was seriously breathe taking. Laura and I ventured away from Dublin and embarked on a journey across the country to the west coast of Ireland.
We passed through quaint little towns rich with history and houses and pubs with thatched roofs crafted by only the truly skilled. The country side started in the flat marshy farm lands outside of Dublin, slowly turning into rolling hills and finally mountainous terrain that parallels the western side of the country. The one consistent characteristic of the terrain was the vibrant green colors that protrude from every blade of grass and brush, to the pines and deciduous growth.
Spontaneous stone walls that seems to make no sense run in every direction and divide the country side. We found out from our tour guide that in the late 1840s, the English Landlords would make the Irish poor build these walls for no real reason other than making them work for the sake of working. The landlords didn’t want to feed the poor food without getting anything in return, so copious stone walls were the remedy.
Our journey took us all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, which was the first time Laura and I both saw it looking from due west. We kind of got a feeling of what the early people who knew nothing of the distant land that lie to the west. The best part about it was that we were viewing this incredible site from atop of The Moher Cliffs, some 800 plus feet of sheer cliff walls that run for five miles along the coast. These magnificent cliffs were vintage Ireland and completely sealed my previous idea of what Ireland looked like.
After touring the country side viewing the many castles and villages, we arrived back in Dublin to enjoy the local fare, which wasn’t all that local, considering we ate crepes from this amazing little shop that was down some random back ally that had cobble stone walk ways and narrow passages. One other note that can be said about the local eateries and pubs is that they serve the absolutely best Guinness beer you can imagine. The quality was more than I could have ever anticipated.
Ireland came and went and will forever be engrained in our minds. We enjoyed ourselves to the fullest and appreciated the kindness and friendliness that the people of that country exude to all of their guests. There was always someone to help, smile and point us in the right direction. We will miss you dearly Ireland, but never forget the wonderful memories you provided, no matter how swift our stay was.
Off to London town we go. Cheers mate!
