Some days I feel like a broken record, but I couldn't think of a better phrase to capture my feelings than "wow, I can't believe how the time has flown!" It seems like only yesterday that I stepped into Dublin and now its nearly over. This trip has been almost perfect - beautiful weather (I actually got a little sunburnt), spectacular scenery and a funny and knowlegable guide (seriously, Sean could waffle on about paint and it'd be interesting). For the trip, he shared with us his two big travel tips to have a good time:
1) Don't travel broke. Seriously, there is nothing worse than being stuck in a country with no money. Sure you've already pre-paid for the sights and accomodations, but there are still optional extras and, I don't know, FOOD!
2) Don't complain about the weather. This seems to be the number one complaint for tourists and really, what can be done about it? Personally, I would amend this to say simply "Don't complain". You are on a tour in a brand new country - just relax and enjoy the experience. If anything bad happens, you'll at least get a story to tell your friends and family back home.
Getting back to my sight-seeing... ya, there's no way I'll actually fit the whole five day tour into this blog (and really, words alone wouldn't capture it properly). So I'll speak in generalities and add longer captions onto my pictures whenever I get them up next week (boy I'm rather dreading that... I figure I have over 400 pictures on my camera)! From the Michelstown Caves where mellenia of erosion has created cool organic rock formations to the stark beauty of the seaside cliffs towering over the water; from the stark beauty of the wind swept Burren to the rolling emerald hills criss-crossed by stone walls and corkscrewing roads the beauty of the country is captivating.
Like many other places I've seen in Europe there is a delightful mix of ancient and modern, but moreso if that makes any sense. There's something about standing at a prehistoric area (such as the ruins of a fort) that is simultaneously awe-inspiring and humbling. On one hand, despite the best efforts of man and nature, it is still standing after thousands of years. On the other hand, you realize that this is all that's left of a once proud people... dispite their best efforts everything they once had has fading till only a shell is left. You realize that everything you hold dear is ultimately finite.
Anyways, that's all for now... I'll probably add another blog to expand on some points but I think that's long enough for now. Right now, I'm due to fly out tomorrow. However, there's been a volcanic eruption in Iceland and the ash in the atmosphere has played havoc with air transport (all planes have been grounded till 1 pm tomorrow at the earliest). Many are opting to take the ferry and bus to get back to London, but I think those will be waaaay too crowded for my taste so I'll wait it out here. So (fingers crossed) my plane will still be on schedule.
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