Ireland-Day 1


Today was arrival day! 
We arrived in Shannon ahead of schedule with sleep gunk still drying in our eyes and our complimentary blankets in tow. It was 6 am here, about midnight at home. This means that by lunch today, we were up for a total of 24 hours. However, our eyes wide with adrenaline, we trekked on to a really fun start to our trip.
We started with Bunratty Castle, which was so amazing. Lots of ornate rooms, restored to it's former glory along with a folk park of restored period houses, cafes, and shops. Despite the spiral staircases that made us question our life choices, the castle was beautifully done and fun to explore.
Of course, if mom and I are involved, we just might try to throw cattle in there... And we did! I found a fair... What they call an agricultural show with a cattle show and the kicker was they had a shorthorn show! This might be the biggest culture shock for me yet. Showing, cattle, and agricultural shows/fairs are so different than at home. It was pretty interesting being in my element without being in my element. But it was fun, we laughed a lot, and of course had to have ice cream.
Tomorrow is Limerick and Adare. Part of me still cannot believe I'm finally here. It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen, and the lady at Bunatty Castle told us most Irish people don't get around very early. This is shaping up to be my kind of place already.
-KW


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