During my third week in Dublin, we explored several things in Ireland including the National Museum of Ireland-Archeology and took a weekend trip to the West Coast where we explored Galway, the Cliff of Moher, Aran Island, Kylemore Abbey, and a sheep farm in Connemara. This week was jam packed with amazing Irish culture and beautiful views. Along with that, I was able to spend a lot of time with all of the other Bucknell students on this trip. Our group has become extremely connected which has made this trip so enjoyable and makes me eager to wake up everyday and see this beautiful country with my friends.
One of my favorite parts of this week was the bike tour we did at Aran Island. I was really looking forward to this before we got there as I would be able to be outside moving all day while still exploring Ireland. What I didn’t realize was how different this island was from the other parts of Ireland we have visited. It was extremely quiet with a lot of nature and not that much modern life. There were some shops, restaurants, and houses but most of the island consisted of nature. When biking around the island, I felt so calm and at ease. There was a perfect amount of wind and the water was a beautiful blue which was gorgeous to bike along. After lunch, a bunch of students and I biked around 10 miles to a ice cream shop at a different part of the island. We were able to get a long bike ride in and then get a reward after getting halfway. During the bike ride we passed several beaches, cows, and horse carriages. Something I observed was that there were very few cars driving around aside from the bus tours. I really liked that as it felt very in tune with the fact that this island was clearly focused on preserving nature. Going to the islands felt like an escape from the world. It was quiet and scenic which is something I definitely am not around often. Seeing the west coast, allowed me to explore a more nature based part of the country. When I did some research after, I noticed that Ireland is extremely focused on sustainability which you could really tell on the West coast given the amount of preserved nature. I truly enjoyed this experience and really enjoyed seeing a different part of Ireland with the amazing people in this program.
