I finally felt awake this morning…maybe the jet lag wore off or maybe it was the long, restful sleep I fortunately had last night. Wide awake, I started the day with a delicious breakfast at Arthur’s Cafe on Griffith’s campus. I am trying to eat as many croissants as I can with the time I have left here. Only 2 more full days before the Woodcocks head back home.
Through the entirety of the trip, the class traveled to several different cities of Ireland and thoroughly explored Dublin. Today, we continued the exploration of the capital by visiting the National Botanical Gardens of Ireland. So far, we have already thrown ourselves into nature, such as at the Cliffs of Moher, the seaside trails at Howth, and the Wicklow Mountains. However, today’s nature walk was more relaxed; instead of hiking, it was more like strolling. We entered all the hot greenhouses and appreciated the greenery surrounding us. My favorite greenhouse was the sanctuary of the cacti and succulents; I achieved my goal of touching every cactus without actually harming myself. Outside of the greenhouses, the girls took a long stroll on the paved paths. The area had the feel of a park, with all the trees and benches, and it reminded me of home where there is a similar area that I visit often. All the beautiful flowers brought so much color to the garden; unfortunately, we could not find the rose garden though. Considering the history and culture of Ireland, the gardens do not speak much on that, but they do, in fact, show that the preservation of nature is important to the country, as I believe it should be. Even in a city, the Botanical Gardens provide an amazing and peaceful escape from all the busyness.