It’s hard to believe that it is already the middle of November. While I feel as though I have been here a long time, I can’t believe my time in Dublin is quickly coming to a close. Despite that fact I still want to make the most of my remaining time. This week I did that by visiting two places which had been on my list prior to coming to Dublin, Glendalough and Blarney Castle. Each of these places were mentioned to me by pretty much every person I spoke to before coming to Dublin. Each is so well known I was really excited to finally experience them for myself.
My first stop was Glendalough, a place which I did not have much knowledge of other than it was a lake that everyone who comes to Ireland spends time at. I was so impressed by what I found. The beautiful trailed paths and the lake views were breathtaking. Myself and my fellow students walked on a couple different trails, one which took us to the top of a waterfall, and another which was a much more leisurely walk around the lake. Each was filled with great views and photo opportunities. The waterfront area was both beautiful and very comforting as it reminded me of lake days back home.
The following day I made the trip to Cork and Blarney Castle, a place which I knew all about prior to my trip. Every single one of my aunts told me I had to kiss the Blarney stone or they would not let me back in the family. So naturally, I kissed the stone. While the stone experience was one to remember, the grounds of Blarney castle were even more spectacular. The seemingly endless grounds were filmed with rivers, animals, and intricately carved shrubbery. Anyone who is looking for an entertaining walk would find endless amounts of joy walking around the beautiful grounds.
All in all this week was in my eyes a success. I checked many of the boxes I had planned to before coming to Ireland, and am happy to report both places lived up to their names.
