One of the best parts about staying in London is how easy it is to travel to other countries in Europe. Traveling from country to country in Europe feels the same as traveling state to state in the US. Luckily, our first weekend in London was a three day weekend, so we had the opportunity to travel if we wanted to. One group of girls from our study abroad trip had the amazing opportunity of spending the weekend in Dublin, Ireland! Marianna Faiello, Emily Harrell, and Rachel West all spent our first free weekend there.
No trip to Dublin, Ireland is complete without a trip to the world famous Guinness Beer Factory! The Guinness Factory is located in St. James Gate Brewery. Located here is both the actual brewery and the Guinness Storehouse tour. During this tour, you will learn all about the history of Guinness beer, or "the black stuff" as the Irish call it. Arthur Guinness started this company in 1759, and it is still going strong. Guinness beer is one of the most popular beers worldwide. Not only is the building awesome because it houses a beer factory, but it is also the worlds largest pint glass! Once you finish the tour, you are given the opportunity to learn how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness beer. You can then bring your pint up to the Gravity Bar, where you get a beautiful 360 degree view of the city of Dublin. This where Marianna Faiello, Emily Harrell, and Rachel West sit and drink their pint of Guinness.
The next stop on their trip to Ireland was a tour of the Wicklow Mountains. There are tours that are offered for day trips to this beautiful Wicklow mountain range. Many stops along this tour include: Glencree Valley, Guinness Lake, PS I Love You Bridge, and the bog lands. This picture was taken at the PS I Love You Bridge. This bridge is famous because of its appearance in PS I Love You.
This picture was taken at the Guinness Lake on the Wicklow Mountain Tour. Marianna Faiello said, "The Guinness family owns the lake and the seven homes that come with the property, but you can purchase it for only 28 million euros. They imported sand for their own personal beach on the lake, representing the white foam on the top of a Guinness beer."
You can't drive through the Irish countryside and not want to hold a baby sheep! As you drive through the beautiful green landscapes you can see these little white animals dotted all along the countryside. Marianna Faiello was able to hold Patty the sheep while on the Wicklow Mountain Tour. Marianna Faiello said "two boys were selling time with the sheep for only two euros and it was definitely worth it."
"Some of the graves from the Glendalough monastic settlement on the Wicklow Mountain tour. These graves are apart of the “Monastic City” from the 6th century. Many of the graves feature St. Kevin’s cross, which has a legend that if someone can wrap their arms around the cross with their fingers touching or interlocked, they are granted a wish for someone else." - Marianna Faiello
"Upper Lake, which is located near the Glendalough monastic settlement on the Wicklow Mountain tour. A breathtaking view with a calmness like nothing else."- Marianna Faiello
If you look closely, you can see the onset of the rain clouds in the distance. Upper Lake is actually considered a ribbon lake. This is because the Upper and Lower lakes were united at one point. However, there was a large amount of sediment brought in, which created a barrier between the two lakes.
"Sugarloaf mountain surrounded by a plentiful amount of gorse bushes. These golden-yellow flowers are edible and smell just like coconut!" - Marianna Faiello
This mountain is located in Wicklow Ireland as well, yet another beautiful site to see on the Wicklow Mountain Tour. Next time you are in Ireland, make sure to check out some of the great places Marianna Faiello, Emily Harrell, and Rachel West visited!
