On June 18, 2017 - it was a sombre Sunday morning- all sleepy students and teachers arrived at our home station in time, so that our trip could start prompt at 04:30 am.      

After a four-hour drive we arrived at the airport of Berlin Tegel, without sticking in any traffic jam. It is important to say that the airport of Berlin is overcrowded probably twenty four-seven and you need a lot of time if you are depended on searching a perfect parking area. Fortunately, our bus driver took us there safely, but we noticed that it is always challenging and exciting arriving at such a huge airport, especially when you live in a little town as we do. Inside the airport terminal we arranged our meeting point directly in front of such a giant scoreboard listing all flights successively. Dublin, our designation, was also a part on it.

In joyful anticipation, we walked around there and just waited that the time went by. But after all, the longest time we had to wait in front of the check-in. For roughly 45 minutes we queded up with our whole luggage. In the end there were no complications and till point of time everything went well. After a short stay in the boarding area, where we kept an eye on all the starting planes behind a glass pane, we finally could step on the "magical flying object".        

In fact we felt that we were in good hands and above all: very safe inside of the plane. Now, our flight could start with a little delay.   

The weather was fantastic with a few clouds, even so we had a wonderful view over the cities, rivers and seas we traversed. Really breathtaking if you suddenly notice how small we human beings actually are.           Approximately two hours later we finally saw the Dublin runway (for now just from a long distance).         However, the wind or other technical conditions thwarted our plans of landing. So the pilot needed a second chance for bringing us back to the ground. The airport of Dublin was definitely new, very modern and almost everywhere was something made of glass. Instead of smelling Irish air for the first time we needed to keep our eyes on the luggage and on did not get lost from the group. The only thing to observe outside was the heat. Usually, the city is famous for rain, because of its location on the waterfront, but it seemed that we were lucky. We enjoyed this quick weather change! Later we were so glad sitting in the bus hoping for an air conditioner there inside.... Now the journey could really begin - first lasting memories could get collect. 

Dublin is the capital of Ireland and this means firstly: a lot of traffic jam ( the time of a day is really immaterial there). 

After numberless red traffic lights and some delays later, we reached our B'n'B.                                                                                              (Click here to find our more about our accommodation)

After our arrival at the Anchor Guest House we enjoyed the sunny wheater at Howth where we went by train. As we entered the railway station of Howth we got some freetime to explore the small town. Our first path led us to the harbor where we had an amazing view across the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to a street musician who gave the wonderful atmosphere a magnificant touch. Subsequently we had a delicious portion of  fish and chips which we took to the beach. After our meal some of us went swimming. Fortunately the water was not as warm as we thought so it was a pleasent cooling. We savoured some last moments at the beach before we had to leave and go back to Dublin. The afternoon we spent discovering the neighborhood of our Guesthouse.

could feel that the day is  gonna be good ? So, this morning we woke up but not as usual at our home and in our familiar enviroment but in our sweet and charming rooms of the Anchor Guesthouse. The bed and breakfast which will be our accommodation for the next four days. Ready to explore the city everyone jumped out of his bed. Already the view out of the window on the busy,lively and bustling streets of Dublin was enough to increase the personal anticipation in the immense. After a good breakfast our group met in front of our little hotel. Well-strengthenedwe headed off. The aim was the " Do Dublin" bus stop in the O`Connell Street the city`s main thoroughfare. On the way to this there was plenty to see....

Huge, imperssive,modern, first thick than thin, contemporary, architecturally interesting and at first glance a bit strange. These thoughts were flying through our minds when we saw the shiny and reflective spire for the first time. Already from a distance the monument was unmissable. At the foot of the artwork we stopped to learn something about it and the nearly located James Joyce statue ( James Joyce - a famous Irish author).

Info spot: " The Spire" is only the nickname officially the 121 meter high sculpture is named "Monument of Light".

Afterwards, you only have to cross the street as we and our teachers did and you will reach the next sightseeing spot - The General Post Office shortly GPO ( By the way traffic lights seem to be only decoration in Dublin, because people cross the streets no matter of green or red).

Historical, extraordinary, soaring ceilings, ancient and therefore beautiful was the GPO - a neoclassical building- in which we had a short look. Immediately after this we reached our sightseeing tour bus stop. Because of the nice and dry weather it was possible for us to take a seat on the free deck of the green double-decker bus. Our well guided overview ride started and during the next one and half hours Guinness Storehouse, St. Stephans Green and St. Patricks Cathedral flew over the lenses of everyones camera. After one round we had freetime. Luckily the "Hop on Hop off" tickets were for 24 hours that's why everyone was able to discover the city on his or her own and drive to one's favourite spot. 

We ourselves decided to check out the shopping conditions of Dublin. But first went back to the Post Office where we wrote some post cards for our family members. Considering the historical building with the ancient establishment it felt like the time was turned back.

Later on we had a shopping spree in Mary Street and Henry Street where we also bought some food for our trip tomorrow. Visiting a supermarket we found some short bread. Nobody of us ever ate short bread that´s why we where very excited of its taste. In the end it was very appetizing and absolutely recommendable. After our little shopping trip we looked for the Ha´Penny Bridge which is one of Dublins most famous sights.

Info spot: The pedestrian bridge leads accross the river Liffey and connects the southern part of Dublin with the northern part. In former times pedestrians had to pay half a penny to cross the bridge which ist the reason for the name “Half Penny Bridge“.

An interesting and eventful first day in the capital of Ireland.

Our today's tour started pretty early and even the day before we had to plan what we wanted to take to eat with us.

For our one-day excursion the teachers organised a bus and the coolest and craziest busdriver we have ever met. He was not only a busdriver, more over a tour guide, speaking non-stop about Ireland, himself and other worth knowing stuff. He brought us safely to the other side of Ireland and sang songs of Backstreet-Boys together with us. The journey went up from the east coast of Ireland, where Dublin is located, to the south-west coast of the country. It took almost four hours with a little break. While we were driven through the country we noticed that there are living more sheep than people - definitely really striking. Before midday, we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher full of expectations - or even we could see it from a long distance. Trust us - it was the most wonderful, the most beautiful and the most breathtaking landscape we have ever seen in our entire lives. It is so fascinating coming the cliffs closer and closer....and when we finally achieved our aim, we only saw thousands of buses, cars and caravans and people. People, walking around there with their cameras, maps and booklets, and a big smile on their faces, because they were at least as happy as we were visiting the Cliffs of Moher and the surrounding area. And by the way - the weather was soooo fantastic: sunny and  no clouds at all.           Admittedly there were no holidays in Ireland at this time, but there are always tourists from all around the world exploring such a popular location like the cliffs and consequentely it does not matter what day it is. Nevertheless we got freetime for our own: walking around, taking photos and just enjoying the gorgeous nature there. At the parking area we could notice little hills everywhere, covered with grass and inside you could even find smallish gift shops. One was a restaurant and a museum as well. It almost looked like in the movie "Lord Of The Rings" ( just for imagining the situation of our first impression there ☺). If you live in a city and you need time for yourself, for relaxing or for adventure, the Cliffs of Moher lend itself to do this. We got the chance to get out of the city for one day and we suppose this day was absolutely well chosen. There we divided into some smaller groups, talking to each other, laughing and above all: taking lots of photos in every thinkable position at the edge of the cliff coast. The pictures are looking so amazing and besides all - the background makes it much more exciting. All in all a visit by the Cliffs of Moher is absolutely worth to do. It is such an unbelievable feeling stepping on the edge of those rugged rocks and looking down in depth where the wild waves of the turbulent Atlantic Ocean crushing into the cliffs under your feet, smelling the salty air and feeling the strong wind in your face. We loved it getting the chance to experience such moments on the unique cliffs, although we were hundred kilometres away from our proper stay, the Irish capital. In addition, we can positively recommend the museum, where you get a lot of information about the whole process of developing, thus how the cliffs formed over the years. Of course, you need much more time to explore all sights there - this is one aspect we unfortunately did not have.

After a comparatively short stay we sat in the bus again and enjoyed the famous landscape. 

We really could not get enough of it......

During our return from the Cliffs of Moher we stopped at a beautiful little fishermans village - Doolin. Especially the small and tightly pressed colourful houses looked delightful. Our bus driver held there to offer us the possibility to get some lunch. The parking lot was located near a little housing complex including the hotel of Doolin , souvenier and art shops and restaurants as for instance Fitzpatrick's Bar. But most of us weren't that hungry so they only had some refreshing ice cream.

Doolin- a lovely place to take a break.

Later we stopped even much northerly: at the Burren, which is an impressive karst region of Ireland and furthermore a great place for walking. The Burren is like a giant plateau of many rectangular limestone platforms - everything seems to be grey, but around there grows an amazing and unique flora and fauna. Maybe you can find the wonderful and extremely rarely orchids growing in large variety there, which highlighted the otherwise barren landscape. 

Our last stop was the quaint village of Kinvara. We started a walk through the streets which were surrounded by colourful houses and little shops and lovely floral decorations. Furthermore we had a fascinating view onto the harbour. Afar we also saw the Dunguaire Castle which was built 1520. After about half an hour in Kinvara we left the village, going back to Dublin.

Back in the capital of Ireland we enjoyed dinner at “Papa Jones“. Later we visited the Samuel Beckett Bridge which looks a little bit like a harp.

After this eventful and adventurous day we slept like stones.

On the penultimate day we woke up for another fantastic day in Dublin. Like the days before we had a delicious breakfast in the morning. Our group got free for this morning till about 1 pm. In this time we could decide what we take action. But because nobody of us could imagine staying in the hostel doing nothing we began to search the way to the James Joyce Centre in Dublin. (Others also used this time for buying some last souvenirs or gifts for their family members.) James Joyce was a popular, famous Irish writer and was primarily living in Dublin. Basically nobody needs to wonder that there are many other museums and historical centres about him besides this one we visited.

Info spot: In Sanycove, approximately 14 kilometres away from Dublin City centre, there is the James Joyce Tower and Museum ( in this Tower James Joyce even spent six nights there in 1904).

If we can give you a little piece of advice: With the aid of Google Maps you can easily find the way to there, because it is located a little apart and hidden - from our hostel you definitely do not need more than half an hour. Along the way we experienced some culture of Dublin, like modern paintings at exterior walls or places created with huge sculptures and abstracts as well, actually they looked like playgrounds. We stopped at one - and in our opinion this was a really nice place taking some spectacular-looking photos. Even the superordinary street's style impressed us, because that differs from ours in Germany.

About noon we met at the train station whence we reached the Google Headquaters. The huge glass skyskrapers looked impressive and very modern.

After entering the main building we had to wait in a lounge till our guides came to meet us. Alredy there we got the impression that Google might be a different place of work in comparison with working places we had seen before. Everything was created very colourful and imaginative. As the guides came we were devided into three groups. Every guide showed different parts of the Google Office but all of us had the chance to enjoy the gorgeous view from the rooftop terrace. We also saw some rooms to work where each one is created diverse. There was also space that offered the possibility to relax for example in an area equipped with a billiard table or a terrace with swings.

Afterward finishing the tour through the Google Offices we got the chance to learn more about working for Google and how a normal day of work at Google looks like. It was also the opportunity to ask questions.

The following hours of freetime we spent exploring some other parts of Dubin. Today we discovered the area around Grafton and Nassau Street. However, our attention was not caught by numerous shops, but rather by many talanted street musicans creating an incredible atmosphere.

In the evening it was planned to attend a greyhound race. Unfortunately we were told at the stadium that there is no race taking place today. So everybody got the chance to create the evening for themselves.

because today our last day in the Republic of Ireland started. Nevertheless, this one began - as the other ones- with a good and tasty breakfast in our guesthouse. We had already packed our bags with souveniers, clothing, flyers and new experiences on Wednesday evening. For the last time we closed the heavy wooden door of our room behind us and dragged our luggage down to the baggage store room. After that, we headed to our last trip with the purpose to visit Dublin's Trinity College which is recognised for its academic exellence. Despite that, we stopped at the Famine Monument which is located between Sean O`Casey and Talbot Memorial Bridge and thus on the banks of the river "Liffey". The artwork consits of a group of magnificent and detailed bronze figures. In addition, this installation should remember us to the famine in Ireland from 1845 up to 1852 as we got explained from our teachers.

Info spot: The "answer" to this memorial is created by Rowan Gillespie and can be found in the Ireland Park of Toronto, there the arrival of the starving people after a long journey is shown - that's why some statues are missing.

Subsequently, we crossed the "Butt Bridge" and reached after a short walk the college complex. So, we went through the majestical main gate and entered the historical campus. Thereupon, an authentic tour of the grounds from the school and boarding school started. Unsophisticated because a student showed us all buildings as for instance the dining or exam hall. Moreover, we learned something about their use and origin about traditions and the life of her and her other fellows.

In front of the library our little tour ended. At last we visited this one. Therefore,we saw the famous "Book of Kells" from the 9th century. But even more breathtaking was the so called "Long Room" the actual old and dusty library. All were impressed from this huge 64 meters long room with its crunchy floor and over 200.000 (!) books. Hardly nobody was not amazed from this collection of knowledge of centuries and a special athmosphere filled the endless high hall. As we arrived the souvenier shop at the end of the building our visit of the university was over. After our short but interesting visit in Trinity College, we got about three hours of freetime before our bus started in the direction of the Dublin Airport. By the way we asked ourselves what to do all the time.... The answer was found really quickly: We decided to go to Starbucks to slowly realize it is the end of our journey - as a kind of completion so to speak. Actually we used every chance we get going to Starbucks and we did it on our last day too. In the end we surely spent more than two hours there just talking, laughing and reflecting our whole tour together again. It was so relaxed and cool sitting there with our good smelling coffees and fresh made cakes or muffins that we almost forgot the time. For the last time we were on our way to the hostel and there we got our bags and suitcases ready for the bus.

The check-in and stuff worked flawlessly. Nevertheless we panicked, because our flight was almost cancelled concerning the bad weather conditions in Germany, especially in Berlin. Luckily they let us embark the plane and we could start forwards home.

After an adventurous and rather fatally and long flight, because we were not allowed to land scheduled, we finally reached the rainy and grey airport of Berlin Tegel. It seemed like a horror scenario; for others it was apparently big adventure having lightnings and clear-air turbulences permanently around you...We temporarily spent the night at the airport waiting for our bags and suitcases and in the bus as well. 

We were all glad reaching our hometown, being received warmly by our families and going to bed at least for two hours for being halaway fit for our last school day on Friday. 

Thank you for such an amazing & unforgettable trip!

We  ♥ Dublin!