So here goes...
On Saturday Michelle, Aisling and I met up to go to the Powerscourt Gardens in Wicklow. I feel like I have said beautiful way too much in my posts, so let's just say it was stunning! Like many places in Ireland, the estate has been around for centuries. I always think it's kind of fun to imagine what life would have been like way back when people were actually living in the castles or estates here.. so I thought about how neat it would be to walk around the beautiful gardens in old Victorian dresses and have fancy tea parties...except in reality I'm pretty sure it was much more comfortable to walk around in my jeans and a t-shirt...and I had hot cocoa there that morning...
Anyway, the gardens has a bunch of different "sections" I guess you could call them. I honestly could have spent all day there if I were by myself. I would have brought a book and explored even more and soaked it all in...but I still had a wonderful time walking through with the girls! Really all I have left to say about the estate is this is definitely a place I could live...waking up to this every morning wouldn't be too bad.
Japanese Gardens
As Michelle said, it kind of felt like we were in Lord of the Rings or something
The Pet Cemetery...that's right. Everything from dogs to Shetland ponies...
...and even cows
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| Michelle and me |
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| Aisling and me |
Not too far from the gardens there is a waterfall that we drove up to. I love the sound of waterfalls...so peaceful!
After our long day out, Aisling, Michelle and I went out for some drinks and then Aisling and Matt had prepared a delicious lasagna dinner for us! We decided that I would stay the night because on Sunday they were going to Carlow, a good ole country town, where Aisling grew up. I met Aisling's parents and one of her brothers (who is going to marry me, move me to the country and have 6 kids with me...I pinky promised so we're pretty much engaged...haha!)
I loved the country town though. There is one thing that being here in the big city has made me realize....I need my nature! Also, I have really become more aware of how much I love cemeteries...only in the daytime...but especially all of the really old ones here. We went to a 12th century monastery, Aghowle, where some of Aisling's family is actually buried. Imagine this...walking through a cemetery where there are graves from the 2000's and then all of a sudden you come up to one from the 1700's and then these ones that date back to who knows how long ago...it's pretty cool!
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| Supposedly if you can reach all around this cross you get good luck for life...I couldn't reach all the way...and the well in front never dries up...it's magical! |
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| In a field across from the monastery is this stone where they would grind the berries for wine...you can still see the stains in the stone.
After a nice walk around the monastery we went to the local pub. All I have to say is that the Guinness there is really, really good...so is the Smithwick's...and the Bulmer's. Thanks again, Aisling and Matt for taking such good care of me and contributing to my great memories from this trip! You two are awesome!
It's starting to set in that I leave in 11 days, I think. Last week I was really homesick, but this week I am feeling really sad about leaving. I cannot believe the time went so fast...I feel like I have so much left to do in the short time I have left here. I know I won't get it all done, so I guess that just means I will have to come back!
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