Good morning. Today marks our 2nd and last day in Ireland. It's also our only full day. We decided to take advantage of this and rented a car. We wanted the crew to experience the beautiful Irish countryside. On our list was the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle. This was a long and sometimes treacherous drive, but the views of both landmarks made the trip worthwhile.
Cliffs of Moher
Located in County Clare Ireland, western Ireland, are the beautiful Cliffs of Moher. They are 390 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and stand 702 feet tall. They are magnificent. This was our third time seeing the Cliffs and what is most interesting is that they didn't build the visitor center until 2007,so the first time Jeff and I visited, we saw it raw and un-touched. No rails, not viewing cameras, no visitor center. There something to be said about how it stands now vs 2005, but what remains true is it's natural beauty.
(picture here)
Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle,built in the 15th century, is the most complete authentic medieval fortress in Ireland. The location of the castle dates back to 977. The castle that stands today is the 4th castle, built in 1425, the others were either destroyed or rebuilt. Among the castle, the homes within the old town still remain in-tact including a school, post office, doctor, blacksmith, and family homes. Zander liked the big cannons!
(picture here)
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Day 1 - Dublin
We are celebrating Joseph's High School graduation, one year later. We are so proud of him and are excited to share our love of travel with him. We are travelling in a much bigger group - myself, Jeff, Joseph, Zander, and Allison. Hopefully the time change isn't too much for Z!
We landed around 10 AM, a few hours delayed. We checked into the hotel and then hit the city to see the sights. We are staying at The Conrad Hotel, just a few blocks from the famous Gramercy Street.
First meal: fish and chips...and a Guinness of course.
Since we only have a few days in Ireland, we decided to buy tickets for the Hop on and Hop Off Double Decker bus, which took us all over the city. Some of the major sights:
St Patrick's Cathedral
Trinity College
Guinness Store House
Temple Bar
St Stephens Green (picture here)
We got off at the Guinness stop to tour the brewery. Jeff and I have been a few times before, but it was still cool to read about the history and process of Arthur Guinness. Did you know his wife had TWENTY ONE kids? Unfortunately only 11 of them survived, but they are the ones that passed the family business down generation after generation. Guinness started after Arthur's Godfather died, granting him 100 pounds from his will. Arthur invested that money and started the brewery in 1755 with a 9000 year lease and 45 pound rent in the very same spot the brewery is at today.
We enjoyed the history and the beer! (picture here)
We landed around 10 AM, a few hours delayed. We checked into the hotel and then hit the city to see the sights. We are staying at The Conrad Hotel, just a few blocks from the famous Gramercy Street.
First meal: fish and chips...and a Guinness of course.
Since we only have a few days in Ireland, we decided to buy tickets for the Hop on and Hop Off Double Decker bus, which took us all over the city. Some of the major sights:
St Patrick's Cathedral
Trinity College
Guinness Store House
Temple Bar
St Stephens Green (picture here)
We got off at the Guinness stop to tour the brewery. Jeff and I have been a few times before, but it was still cool to read about the history and process of Arthur Guinness. Did you know his wife had TWENTY ONE kids? Unfortunately only 11 of them survived, but they are the ones that passed the family business down generation after generation. Guinness started after Arthur's Godfather died, granting him 100 pounds from his will. Arthur invested that money and started the brewery in 1755 with a 9000 year lease and 45 pound rent in the very same spot the brewery is at today.
We enjoyed the history and the beer! (picture here)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)