After we got back from Italy, I headed over to Dublin on my own. It was pretty different after traveling with 7 people for 11 days, but I had a really nice time. I wandered around and took a free tour to see as much as I could since I was only spending a day there before heading down to Cork to stay with Sarah, Lee, Lee's parents and baby Kaitlyn. Here's one of the bridges going over the River Liffey.
This is my tour guide showing us Dublin Castle. It's not a castle castle, but more of a government complex sort of thing.
Then we walked over to these stairs, where Jonathan Swift was born. Who knew he was born on some stairs?
Then we walked over to Christ Church and some Norman ruins. It was pretty dreary and cold out, but we took a break in the Temple Bar area and our tour guide played a penny whistle for us.
Here's the Ha'penny Bridge, named so because you used to have to pay a ha'penny to cross over it.
This is a plaque on one of the bridges in honor of Fr. Pat Noise. He drowned in the River Liffey when his carriage fell into the water. The only thing is, that really never happened and it's just a legend. People fought to have the plaque there anyway.
Here's the Spire of Dublin.
And here's Trinity College. After the tour, I came back here to go in the College Library and see the Book of Kells.
Our tour ended in St. Stephen's Green, the main park in the city.
I walked around and wandered through the National Gallery for a little bit to keep warm. Then I walked over to Grafton Street, which is one of the main shopping areas. That's where I found the statue of good old Molly Malone. It started getting dark and I figured I probably shouldn't wander around Dublin by myself at night, so I got some fish and chips and headed back to my hostel. I had to get up super early to catch a train to Cork anyway.
In the morning, I walked all along the River Liffey to the train station and had a lovely train ride through the Irish countryside. Here's a blurry view of some cows.
When I arrived in Cork, I got right on a bus that took me to Bantry, which is on the west coast. The bus was an even more beautiful ride than the train and the sun finally came out. Here's a view by the water, right before we arrived in Bantry, where I met Sarah, Lee, and Lee's father.
We walked around the town a bit (picture Northport, but older and more Irish) and then watched some rugby in a pub.
The house they rented wasn't actually in Bantry, but half hour even further west in Sheepshead.
There's the house! It was perfect. I met Lee's mother and got to see Kaitlyn who is SO big, cute as ever, and walking all over the place.
Here's the amazing view from the living room.
And from the kitchen.
And from my room! After living in hostels all the time, this was just incredible to me. I was completely spoiled.
The next day, we went all the way to the end of the peninsula to walk through the hills and find a tiny lighthouse. There's Sarah and Lee with Kaitlyn.
After a bit of a hike through the hills and mud, we found it! The view was absolutely beautiful from up here, as you'll see.
Gorgeous.
I want to go back!
So here was the closest town area. It had a little market and one pub aaand that was about it, but we had a lovely traditional Sunday roast. Later that night, we went to another pub to listen to some live music.
And Kaitlyn loved her dad's ice cream.
Here's Sarah and I on a walk in the hills by the house. We went on lots of walks because it was too beautiful not to.
Hey, cow.
Before Lee took me to Cork to catch my flight back, we went on one last walk along the coast.
There are these huge gaps that the sea flows into right in the middle of the land. Luckily, they fence them in.
A pretty perfect Ireland picture.
I absolutely loved Ireland and had the nicest time, which I owe completely to Sarah and Lee. Looking at all of these pictures makes me want to go back there right now, but instead, I'm coming home! I finally finished all of my papers and now we're free in London until Saturday. Our flight's around 9 am which means we have to leave here around 5:30 am (bleh) and then we'll get into JFK around 11:30 am. But, before any of that happens, I'll do one last post to catch you up on the stuff we've been up to in London. That will be up soon since it's something to make me put off packing even more.
After we got back from Italy, I headed over to Dublin on my own. It was pretty different after traveling with 7 people for 11 days, but I had a really nice time. I wandered around and took a free tour to see as much as I could since I was only spending a day there before heading down to Cork to stay with Sarah, Lee, Lee's parents and baby Kaitlyn. Here's one of the bridges going over the River Liffey.
This is my tour guide showing us Dublin Castle. It's not a castle castle, but more of a government complex sort of thing.
Then we walked over to these stairs, where Jonathan Swift was born. Who knew he was born on some stairs?
Then we walked over to Christ Church and some Norman ruins. It was pretty dreary and cold out, but we took a break in the Temple Bar area and our tour guide played a penny whistle for us.
Here's the Ha'penny Bridge, named so because you used to have to pay a ha'penny to cross over it.
This is a plaque on one of the bridges in honor of Fr. Pat Noise. He drowned in the River Liffey when his carriage fell into the water. The only thing is, that really never happened and it's just a legend. People fought to have the plaque there anyway.
Here's the Spire of Dublin.
And here's Trinity College. After the tour, I came back here to go in the College Library and see the Book of Kells.
Our tour ended in St. Stephen's Green, the main park in the city.
I walked around and wandered through the National Gallery for a little bit to keep warm. Then I walked over to Grafton Street, which is one of the main shopping areas. That's where I found the statue of good old Molly Malone. It started getting dark and I figured I probably shouldn't wander around Dublin by myself at night, so I got some fish and chips and headed back to my hostel. I had to get up super early to catch a train to Cork anyway.
In the morning, I walked all along the River Liffey to the train station and had a lovely train ride through the Irish countryside. Here's a blurry view of some cows.
When I arrived in Cork, I got right on a bus that took me to Bantry, which is on the west coast. The bus was an even more beautiful ride than the train and the sun finally came out. Here's a view by the water, right before we arrived in Bantry, where I met Sarah, Lee, and Lee's father.
We walked around the town a bit (picture Northport, but older and more Irish) and then watched some rugby in a pub.
The house they rented wasn't actually in Bantry, but half hour even further west in Sheepshead.
There's the house! It was perfect. I met Lee's mother and got to see Kaitlyn who is SO big, cute as ever, and walking all over the place.
Here's the amazing view from the living room.
And from the kitchen.
And from my room! After living in hostels all the time, this was just incredible to me. I was completely spoiled.
The next day, we went all the way to the end of the peninsula to walk through the hills and find a tiny lighthouse. There's Sarah and Lee with Kaitlyn.
After a bit of a hike through the hills and mud, we found it! The view was absolutely beautiful from up here, as you'll see.
Gorgeous.
I want to go back!
So here was the closest town area. It had a little market and one pub aaand that was about it, but we had a lovely traditional Sunday roast. Later that night, we went to another pub to listen to some live music.
And Kaitlyn loved her dad's ice cream.
Here's Sarah and I on a walk in the hills by the house. We went on lots of walks because it was too beautiful not to.
Hey, cow.
Before Lee took me to Cork to catch my flight back, we went on one last walk along the coast.
There are these huge gaps that the sea flows into right in the middle of the land. Luckily, they fence them in.
A pretty perfect Ireland picture.
I absolutely loved Ireland and had the nicest time, which I owe completely to Sarah and Lee. Looking at all of these pictures makes me want to go back there right now, but instead, I'm coming home! I finally finished all of my papers and now we're free in London until Saturday. Our flight's around 9 am which means we have to leave here around 5:30 am (bleh) and then we'll get into JFK around 11:30 am. But, before any of that happens, I'll do one last post to catch you up on the stuff we've been up to in London. That will be up soon since it's something to make me put off packing even more.
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