Friday May 27

We stared off our day in Dublin. We had to be up and packed, checked out of our hotel and finished with breakfast by 7:45 to get on the bus. Breakfast was really good they like beans and mushrooms at all of their breakfasts, It took a long time to get through the buffet line and Michelle and I were the last ones on the bus due to running late waking up. Last ones on the bus means we got the bad seats which sucked because we spent a majority of our day driving on the bus to all of our locations.

On the way out of Dublin we passed the fields where Braveheart was filmed. They filmed some of battle scenes at this location. The Irish Army was featured in the movie as well. Also we passed through the little town where President Obama clams he has ancestors who lived there. It was all cleaned up and freshly painted since Obama just was there this past week visiting.

Our first stop of the day was at Limerick Castle and the Shannon River. It was a pretty castle right in the city. We were not at the Limerick Castle very long, we got some pictures and continued on. A few miles past that we stopped at a gas station so we could pick up food for the bus and some lunch for later and then we headed out into the country. The country parts of Ireland are so pretty. Even when its raining everything just looks so pretty. Rolling hills, super green everything, all the sheep and the cool rocks that line the roads give everything here so much character.

We arrived at the Burren which was our first stop at the coast. This was my (Michelle) first time seeing the ocean and it was spectacular! It was really windy and chilly but absolutely beautiful. Pictures do not do this place any justice. Lindsey, Michelle, Kailee and I had to pee so bad and with a bathroom over an hour away we had to hike through all the rocks on the coast to find a place to what the bus driver referred to as "marking our territory on the Irish cost". We walked down on the cliffs closer to the ocean, the waves were up crashing and spraying water everywhere so you could feel the mist. After exploring around that area we hoped on the bus again and drove along the cost to our next destination.

The Cliffs of Moher was the third stop of the day. We spent two hours exploring more of the cliffs and coast. There was an exhibit that showcased pictures of the cliffs and had a café and a place with a view to sit. We walked along the path of the cliffs and up the stairs on the edge to go see the castle. We met everyone back at the café. It was soo cold and rainy and windy up their but we got some great pictures still. At this point we were all tired and excited to head to our hotel in Killarney.

After a long drive we took a ferry across the Shannon River to continue our drive to Killarney. It was the craziest thing ever. The bus just drove onto the barge and we got out of the bus while we floated across. We were floating on a river, on a boat, on a bus. I went to the top of the Ferry and it was so cold and the waves were blowing water up on top so we got wet and did not last long before we got back on the bus to finish of Ferry ride. Michelle thinks that she caught a glimpse of a dolphin and is sad that we didn't get to see to many.

Killarney is a small town that is full of cute shops and stone paved streets. It has lots of old pubs and restaurants that line the main streets. We stayed at the Scotts Hotel Killarney (www.ScottsHotelKillarney.com ) which was a very nice hotel. We arrived a little after 6pm and had to be at dinner at 7. A few of us went and looked at some of the shops before we met up with everyone to talk to dinner. We had dinner at a place called the The Lough Room. It was an authentic Irish restaurant and bar. The food was amazing. I had the Irish stew and coleslaw. The Irish stew had vegetables, potatoes and lamb in a dark broth. I was unsure if I would like it but it ended up being awesome. They also had very good red wine there :) We spent a long time at dinner just hanging out and having a few glasses of wine. We left around 9:30 to head back to the hotel.

Most of us decided to go check out a pub called the Grande Pub on Main Street. They had a live band and dancing. It was packed with a lot of people but it was a blast. We stayed there the rest of the night drinking and dancing. Most of us trickled in by 2am with the exception of a few that usually stay out until the sun comes up. Breakfast at 6:45 am came much to early today. Needless to say there were about 20 of us that had seen better days. Coffee and a super good breakfast this morning gave us some energy at least get this far into today. It is 1:00. I am laying up against the window stretched out on the bus. Most people are sleeping or just hanging out looking at more of the scenery. We have another two hour ride now to get to the Rock of Dunamase this afternoon and then another long ride back to Dublin tonight to check back into the hotel we were in two nights ago. We just left Cork and spent a lot of time at Blarney Castle and the gardens. We will fill you in on today's adventures tonight or tomorrow depending on when we get time.