Apologies for continuously having long overdue posts.
Two weeks ago, my dreams came true and I finally visited Ireland. While I was only in Dublin for most of my trip, I’d still count my trip as a major success. For as long as I can remember now, I’ve wanted to visit Ireland, and I even considered studying abroad there. Going on this trip was truly something I never thought I would be able to do, and after just getting a small taste of the Island and its culture, history and landscape, going back someday to see more of the countryside is one of the top items of my adult life to-do list.
Travelling to Ireland was very easy, logistically. Travelling with a suitcase that only had 3 of its 4 wheels over cobblestone streets and with five other girls in tow was slightly more difficult. We left Chester via train to Holyhead, Wales around 10:00 am on Friday. Holyhead is on the tip of Holy Island, a smaller island off a larger island on the northeast coast of Wales, just northwest of Snowdonia and Bangor. The train ride through Wales was absolutely beautiful and I hope I get the chance to see more of Wales before I leave. I think of people, especially Americans, write-off Wales (or even forget about it), but if you do visit the United Kingdom, make time to get out into the Welsh countryside because it is magnificent. It is like something out of a picturesque storybook, you won’t see a landscape like it anywhere else.
From Holyhead, we took a “ferry” directly into the port of Dublin. The transition from train to ferry is so easy on this trip. You can’t get lost because once you get off the train at the Holyhead station, you walk straight and you get to the waiting area for the ferry. From the train station, you’re boarded onto a bus that shuttles you further out to the docks and drives right onto the car decks of the ferry and you get off the bus and walk right up the stairs. Its absolutely foolproof.
When I booked my ticket on the ferry, I was not expected the boat I walked on to. I was expecting something like the Lake Champlain ferry with some seating room in an enclosed area. Kind of like the ferry that takes you to the Statue of Liberty, or one of those ocean science boat trips you can go on in Boston or Connecticut. I hope you understand what I am talking about when I say that (I know anyone who went on the SG 8th Grade Science Club trip knows what I’m talking about). When I walked up to the passenger decks, what I saw was a miniature cruise ship. There was a movie theatre, a restaurant, a cafe, a bar, sleeping cabins. Large expansive seating areas and a gift store. Jess and I grabbed coffee and some lunch and found a relatively quiet area with super comfy chairs, like the ones in the really nice movie theaters, and I let the boat rock me to sleep.
We finally arrived in Dublin around 6:30, disembarked from the ferry and took a taxi to our hostel. Our taxi driver was very nice and gave us a ton of tips about the city and pointed out major landmarks and told us cool little facts and tidbits you would otherwise not know about.
A great way to start my time in Dublin.
No One Knows What's Happening 