Mar 2007

I've had a great time in Ireland, but I'm really ready to go home. I miss all my friends and family-- and I'm a little tired of walking 10 zillion miles a day!

Day 10

Went back to Dublin by taxi, the driver came from Dublin to pick me up in Waterford. We agreed on a flat rate of €45.

I went to Guiness... uugghhh....... enough said.......... I think I spent around €60 there....

How rude of this girl to get in my picture.......

I'm staying at the Holiday Inn again! €90 a night...

Spent Euro Summary: €195

Day 11
Time to shop for souvieners with my leftover money!!

In Dublin, it isn't hard to spend over €3,500. I bought all kinda of silly shirts for my friends, coffee mugs for my mom and dad, a wicked Guiness hat for my brother, and some other very random, very impulsive buys that I have nooo idea about. For instance: why do I need a leperchaun statue holding a Guiness?
I don't know either.
Anyhoo, I've spent over €5948.63. Yes, I did end up having to convert some of my american money into euros to cover the costs... but I know it'll be worth it to see everyone's faces when I give them gifts from Ireland!
I'm ready to go home.

Day 9

Breakfast at the hotel first: €30, thennn.....

I went scuba diving at Ardmore Diving. It was pretty fun! I took the beginer's course and saw tons of tiny fishes everywhere.
It cost me €50.

Lunch!! Delicious burgers at a ridiculous pub for €35.

Tonight I'm staying at the Arlington Lodge for €126!

Euro summary: €241

Day 7 and 8

Take ferry out of Inish Mor back to mainland (€25)

Went on 2 day garden tour! Beautiful.

Here are my directions:

Day One: County WicklowDistance: 27 km, 17 mls
1 Start things off with one of the most glorious gardens in Ireland at the beautiful Powerscourt Gardens in County Wicklow. Seated at the foot of the Great Sugar Loaf Mountain, Powerscourt contains one of the greatest collections of ornamental trees and flowers in Europe. Giant Sequoias, dwarf copper chestnuts and a bewildering array of shrubs jostle for space amongst azaleas, magnolia and rhododendrons. The “big house,” where Princess Grace famously danced the night away, overlooks the delightfully manicured lawns.
2 The nearby Mount Usher Gardens at Ashford boasts exotic flowers, trees and shrubs from all parts of the globe, planted alongside and amongst wild woodland.

I took a break from that and ate at a tiny pub I saw along the street. my lunch cost €35.

I'm staying at the Ashford Castle in the Master Suite!! It's more then amazing-- it had better be, for €908!

Day Two: County Wicklow-County Carlow Distance: 140 km, 88 mls
1 Continue your tour in the second smallest county in Ireland, Carlow, with its huge variety of flowers. To experience this array of color first hand head to Altamont Gardens, near the village of Ballon. This horticultural spectacle is the product of 250 years of work and is a fascinating collection of ornamental gardens and lakeside walks.
2 Next head south towards the village of Clonegal and the splendor of Huntington Castle. Huntington is packed full of peculiarities. Just look the palm trees that appear at the end of a long yew tree avenue, flanking a baroque statue, which give off an ambience of a Moorish palace rather than an Irish fortress.

In the middle of the day I ate at a quiet country club. My lunch cost €30.

http://www.discoverireland.com/us/ireland-places-to-go/itineries/themed-itineraries/gardenssoutheasttour2/#

I'm staying at the castle again! This time in a much cheeper room for €232.

Spent Euro summary: €1,205