The Goszewski’s take on Ireland: Kim, John, Krista, Ben, and little Payton. They all flew over to Europe to spend, one could call it, all of the holidays that I will be missing this year while on the road. I got to spend ten days with the fam eating, drinking, driving, and sight seeing our way through sunny Ireland. Yes, I said sunny Ireland. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. We only encountered rain on one evening of the whole trip. We started out at the Shannon airport. Marge and I slept in the airport and greeted my family as they walked through the gates at 6am! We then traveled to Galway for a quick rest up before heading to dinner at a local Irish pub. This was the first of many meals we had with the Fam. Maggie and I use to think we had a good day if we ate two full meals. For the 10 days we were all together we ate 3 FULL meals a day, that also consisted of Guinness and/or Jamison! It was incredible. My entire family around a table joking and eating our way across the entire country.
One of the biggest highlights of the trip was the Cliffs of Moher. Rising nearly 700 feet over the crashing waves below, the cliffs were a view I will never forget. Following the path along the top, I ventured out onto every sketchy edge I could find. The adrenaline rush of the 90 degree, straight down drop was exhilarating. We were incredibly lucky to have such a sunny viewing of the cliffs and we witnessed a stunning sunset.
On the third day of Ireland we stayed in Limmerick and visited the Bunratty Castle. It was much more than castle tour, depicting what life was like for many Irish back in the day. The grounds held replicated school houses, single bedroom houses, and even an entire downtown area. The castle itself was filled with replicas that made the ambiance of the castle seem as if you were loyalty back in the day. Everything from the beds, to thrones, to kitchens reside in the castle.
Moving onto Killarny we strolled through the streets and negotiated a horse and buggy carriage through the national park for a scenic viewing of the lake and close standing castle. The weather was still incredible, cool, comfortable, and always sun shining through the minimal cloud cover.
One of the other highlights of Ireand was the Balarny Castle. We drove through some rain to get there, but just as we arrived, the sun greeted us yet again, right as we entered the park. The blarney castle was a sight to see. Sitting adjacent to a flowing creek and surrounded by fall colored trees, the castle seemed as if it came straight from a fairytale. Entering the castle we climbed a tight, spiraling staircase taking us to the top. The roof itself is no longer intact as the castle sits unfurnished nor renovated giving it a true historic feel. When we reached the top, we all got a chance to lay on our backs, grabbing the iron bars and dipping our heads back to kiss the most famous (and promiscuous) stone in the world.
The next stop on our Ireland tour was the town of Waterford, know for its famous crystal-making factory. On the tour we learned all about how the crystal is blown, polished, carved, and engraved before sales. Everything from chandeliers, vases, glasses, Heisman Trophies, and the People’s Choice Awards which we were lucky to hold both! We entered without crystal, and we left without crystal, because Ireland had already taken all of the Goszewski’s money.
On our way to Dublin, we made a pit stop in Kilkenny for another castle tour. Dublin was a wonderful stop. One activity we did was another adventure room. The 7 of us were locked in a room and had to use clues and teamwork to unlock a series of combination locks before retrieving a key and escaping. We had one hour to do so, and we succeeded!
Finally, the whole fam headed to the Guinness factory. To be honest, I have never liked Guinness before I came to Ireland. After 10 days around the heart of Guinnessland, I was converted. I found myself enjoying a glass or two with each meal, to the point where once I left Irealand I was still ordering it when we went to the bars!
Our last morning, Marge and I had to split paths with the fam. They had to go back to the real world and their big kid jobs, and Marge and I had to figure out what alcohol we wanted to drink on the boat ride to England. I couldn’t have asked for more from our trip to Ireland. I was so lucky to have spent it with the people that have made me who I am. Without such a supporting and loving family, this trip would have been much more difficult. Thanks Mom, Dad, Krista, Ben, and little Payton. I love you all and I will never forget our 10 days in Ireland we had together. With one last teary-eyed goodbye, we parted ways. With that, Marge and I were back to eating one meal a day and drinking street beers.