Ireland Top Ten!

Alright...so before I start with Spain, GOTTA do some Top Ten action...

1) PARENTAL UNITS! I was so excited to travel with the parents...we had a great time too! Lots of good chats, good food, and good beer was shared. It was fun too to share my knowledge about Europe, as we would encounter different things on our trip. And, as I walked up to the hostel and saw them waving out front, it felt like I hadn't even be gone...in a GOOD way. :)

2) GREEN! Not only is Ireland known for the color green, but Spring had FINALLY hit. It was the perfect setting to see flowers starting to bloom, have grass that wasn't dead-looking or covered in snow etc. Everything just seems so much prettier with the flowers in bloom, especially the gorgeous churches. I think too, having worked at Hilltop Florist in Mankato gave me a profound appreciation for flowers and gardening in general. :)

3) Cheers to the movies! If it weren't for "P.S. I Love You", Dad wouldn't have thought of what a COOL place Ireland would be to take Mom...and I wouldn't have gone either. Also, "Leap Year" which came out recently was one I watched to get excited for the Ireland. Mom and I watched parts of both of these movies as we fell asleep both nights. :)

4) Ian. OH MAN, probably not funny at ALL to you reading this, but man, Ian the goldfinch was one of funniest, if not THEE funniest moment of the entire trip. "Was that Ian???" (If you are confused...go and read the previous blog post...then you'll understand!) Dad - that was hysterical!

5) Street musicians! These were also a highlight...just walking down Grafton Street, and listening to some VERY talented musicians, for free! They were pretty young as well, and you could tell they do the street performing thing quite a bit. If there were more places to sit, I would have chilled and listened for awhile. I was able to take some video on my camera, which is on Facebook for those of you that are on there!

6) Guinness! I was surprised that I liked the beer, having heard so many negative things before arriving. We realized, after Mom and Dad got back home, that the Guinness they sell in the US - in BOTTLES - is the thicker stuff. If you purchase the cans in the US, it tastes like what we had in Ireland. There's still the typical white head on the beer once poured, and a much lighter taste. We had quite a few during our trip, and I will always associate Guinness fondly with our trip!

7) Food - United Kingdom food is FANTASTIC! I'm ALL about the bangers and mash, the fish and chips...LOVE IT! I like all food, let's be honest here, but we had some great meals while in Dublin. Not to mention the desserts! I won't rehash them out, as I already described them in detail in the previous post, but Dublin's food was awesome in my book. Especially the rhubarb/raspberry crumble...definitely going to attempt to make that once I'm back in the states and can use an oven again. (How I miss ovens right now!)

8) The Book of Kells....we weren't really sure what it was going into the tour...and we weren't fully understanding what it was even after the tour. Hmm...all we know, it's OLD and it's an illuminated manuscript. Ha...don't ask the three of us what more than that...we couldn't tell you! Cool to see it though...whatever 'it' really is! :)

9) The Friendly Irish - I mentioned this before, but the locals were by FAR the most helpful, the most genuine, and most fun to talk to of all the places I've been so far! They would ask if you needed help finding somewhere, weren't bothered when asked questions, and were genuinely interested in where you came from and what you were up to in their 'fair city'. In Europe, tip is rarely given in restaurants, so it's rare to get a waiter/waitress that is chatty and friendly...but all of our wait staff were AWESOME! I want to go back for so many reasons, and one of the main reasons is the people.

10) History - I learned so much about the founding of Ireland while we toured Dublin Castle...and the history of the involvement of England, and how the UK was formed, and my favorite - the royalty! I love learning about the English royalty, and all the different stories that are involved with it. Our tour guide told us so many interesting tidbits, and it made me want to research more about the UK. I've always loved learning about history...perhaps my Historical Perspective class I have to take senior year will be on European History! :)

GREAT trip! GREAT memories! Definitely want to go back, and wish I had more time there to explore the rest of the country! No worries Ireland...I'll be back!