Our Ireland/England Experience
by Tara Hathaway, Senior Troop 258

Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed about visiting Ireland. My grandmother emigrated from Ireland and I have been interested in the place that she came from. So when my sister and I heard that the Girl Scouts were running a trip to Ireland, England and Wales, we jumped at the chance to go.

If one word could possibly sum up Ireland that word would have to be green. It was truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. From the cities, to the castles, to the hillsides, everything had this magical beauty that just draws you in. The people were extremely friendly and nice. They were good drivers too except for the fact that they drove on the other side of the road!

Kissing the Blarney stone

The view from Blarney Castle

The trip was not only fun but we learned about Irish customs. Our tour guide told us the history of Ireland and the United Kingdom. We saw Connemara Marble Factory, The Book of Kells, sheep dogs and their sheep, Kylemore Abbey, the Cliffs of Moher, the Rock of Cashel, and the Ring of Kerry. We went to Blarney Castle and I even got to kiss the Blarney Stone. We also learned that the food in pubs is really good.

We sadly waved good-bye to Ireland and took the ferry to Wales. In Wales we went to the town with the longest name in the world (57 letters). Try to say it: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. They had to have a townperson come and say it for us. We also saw Beaumaris Castle, which was big and very peaceful.

In front of Anne Hathaway's cottage

We drove up to Stratford-On-Avon, England next. We saw where William Shakespeare was born and grew up. We also saw Ann Hathaway's cottage, which had the most beautiful garden I've ever seen.

Outside Windsor Castle

We saw Oxford college and learned that in England, college is free as long as a student is accepted. We traveled the city seeing the the London Eye, Big Ben, and so much more. The city was a little like New York, but there was a lot more going on in the streets. We went to Trafalgar's Square and the London Art Museum, which was free.

We went Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards. While we were there, the Queen drove by to go to Westminster Abbey. We couldn't get a picture of her because it was too fast, but we can say we saw her car go by! We had our pictures taken with a guard. Our group took the extra trip to Windsor Castle. I wish that we could have had more time there, but even though we were there for a short while it was still a wonderful place to visit for all ages. We were amazed by the beauty and hope to one day return.

After eleven days across the sea, away from home, we sadly had to return. We learned so many new things and had the time of our lives. We thank everyone who made this opportunity possible. Hopefully one day we can go back to visit this magical land.

Our whole group

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