Dublin, Ireland…A whale of a time
Our guest blogger, McKenzie, is back for her European version of spring break!
Spring Break in the US or Europe, it’s basically the same… university students get a week break! Two of my best friends from home, Chandler and Jackie, came to visit me for their spring break. We spent the week exploring Florence – hiking up to Piazza Michelangelo and climbing all 463 steps to the top of the Duomo. When I finally made it to step #463 and took in the view of all of Florence, the burning in my legs melted away. Wow, it was so breathtaking! However, Sojourn #6 began on Thursday when we set out for Dublin, Ireland where we would spend the weekend celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
I have to be sentimental for a minute, because every day I’m reminded how lucky I am to have this opportunity of studying abroad. It gives me chills thinking about my experiences and adventures, and I could not be more thankful for the life I have been given. Thank you a million times mom and dad!
We arrived in Dublin late Thursday night and headed straight for the Harcourt Hotel (super cute and great location) as we were scheduled to leave early Friday morning – by early I mean 7 AM early – for our tour of the Cliffs of Moher. The bus ride was about 3-4 hours, and we arrived to the cliffs just before lunchtime.
Oh. My. Goodness. The Cliffs of Moher were easily one of the most beautiful sights I have ever laid my eyes on. I was in absolute awe – I could not stop smiling. We spent the remainder of the morning and early afternoon exploring the cliffs, and then headed to a cute restaurant in the middle of nowhere for a late lunch. It was adorable and I was very satisfied with my clam chowder (I’d been craving clam chowder for weeks). On the ride back to Dublin, we drove along the coast and stopped at a few places to see the views. And wow those views were breathtaking.
Saturday was when the real St. Paddy’s excitement happened! Everywhere I turned there were people dressed in green. We began the day touring the Guinness Brewery. Now I am not the biggest fan of drinking beer, but I have to say the factory was pretty cool – did you know when you tour the Brewery, you get to learn how to pour the perfect pint of beer? Following the Brewery tour, we headed to a beer and whiskey festival (which is still a lot of fun for those who don’t like beer!). And in the spirit of the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Olivia and I spray painted our hair green. Yes, our hair was green and it was awesome! Later that evening, the entire town of Dublin was lit up green and it was incredible. If you ever have the occasion to plan a trip to Dublin, I strongly suggest you take in Dublin during St. Patrick’s Day.
Ireland has become one of my favorite places I’ve visited thus far. The countryside was absolutely gorgeous and had such a romantic ambiance about it (heads up to my future husband wherever you might be – we’ll be traveling back to Ireland sometime). The city of Dublin was so alive and filled with excitement, I can’t wait to return!
Keep following my posts to see what #KenzInFirenze is up to in Europe!
Ciao,
McKenzie xx
