Ireland
Our trip to Ireland was invigorating the beauty and the fresh air can't even be described. I felt like I was in a fairy tale land during a road trip between Dublin and Cork. The rainbow you see in my photo album was spectacular, I half expected a Leprechaun to come walking up to me. We rented a Renault which was actually a pretty cool little car it was strange driving on the 'wrong' side of the road and took a little getting used to. The roads there are TINY I kept thinking that we were going to run into things, no wonder they drive small cars. Ireland is filled with beautiful places and tons of old world buildings. Do to the age of the towns and the gray cloudy skies there is definitely something spooky about Dublin. They also have a 'Haunted Tour' where you can explore the creepy side of the island and possibly run into a few Ghosts. All of the buildings and houses are tiny and jammed on top of the other. In parts of Downtown Dublin all you see are rows and rows of buildings. Stores in Ireland close early around 6:00p that includes fast food restaurants and malls. Their shops are filled with the latest fashions from Europe (along with the price). Everything in Ireland is more expensive than in America. In restaurants you have to pay for ketchup and there are no free refills. In the grocery stores you have to buy the plastic bags for your groceries. You pay for parking almost everywhere, grocery stores, malls, along side the street and etc. While I was there I heard on the radio that in some cases it is cheaper for Irish residents to fly over to New York to buy items and fly back they save a lot even with the added cost of the plane tickets. Now they were probably talking about knock-offs and outlet mall goods but that was still the topic on the radio in Ireland. To stay in a bed and breakfast (two people) prices start at 70 euros a night in Dublin hotels start at around 100 euros a night. Even though there are added expenses and a few inconveniences the astounding splendor of the land and the benefit of living in a European country out weigh all the negatives. The air there was sweet with a certain chill to it. The grass was the greenest, green I've ever seen. When it is foggy the magnificent rolling hills become enclosed in mystery. Ireland felt like home, I could imagine owning a little house by the cliffs of the ocean and waking up to the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks every morning. I found out that since my Grandfather came directly over from Ireland I am eligible for my Irish Citizenship and since America and Ireland both allow Dual Citizenship I'm good to go. If I get my Irish Citizenship I will also be a part of EU and can live and work (with out a visa) in any EU country. For more information on Ireland visit my Links page.