Another day, another adventure. This time our adventure was to Howth, which is a small town off the coast of Dublin. Once again, the views of the hills and ocean were spectacular.
We started off in the town of Howth, where we went to a small market with a a few shops and eateries inside of it. It was evident that tourism was a major industry there, because I heard a vast majority of foreign languages while walking around. In addition, the amount of money that they received just from our group is an indicator of how much money they bring in each day just from tourists who stop through on their way to the hills, harbor, etc.
After leaving the market, we went to hike on a trail up the hillside, and the views were astonishing. Before even reaching the summit, you could see the islands off the coast of Ireland, as well as all the boats cruising around the ocean. What was most amazing to me was the turquoise blue of the ocean that you would think of when going to a country known for it’s beaches rather than a country like Ireland. The hike gave us a much different view of Ireland than we’ve been used to seeing the past week in the city center of Dublin. It allowed us to see all the amazing natural aspects of Dublin in contrast to the architectural aspects that are so clear in Dublin. When we got to the summit of the hike, we were able to see the cityscape of Dublin and the Docklands across the ocean, allowing us to see just how vast the business hub has become through the progressive development over the past couple decades.
Today was another great trek around Ireland, giving us yet another glimpse of what this country has to offer, both physically and economically. I can’t wait to see what other wondrous sites we will get to visit during our excursions over the next couple days.