Today was one of the busiest days we’ve had so far. We were up and at em early in the morning, and off to our first stop, the town of Kilkenny in southeast Ireland. The weather was beautiful, and we were greeted by a castle, wonderful streets to explore, and lots of shops to visit. There was a small farmers market with a little lavender stand (my favorite!). Although exciting, it seemed clear that in town Kilkenny is a bit of a tourist area, and the locals seem to have adjusted to this and appreciate the business that comes in through this channel.

After seeing Kilkenny we returned to the bus to visit an overlook with amazing views of the landscape, and then travelled to Glendalough. The town is named for the two lakes in the area, and is home to an old cemetary and church, an area known as the monastic city. In town we spent some time laying in the grass and listening to the birds, walking along the path by the lake, and generally taking in the Irish landscape. Since it was warm and sunny out we decided to stop at a little ice cream stand and cool off.

Our final stop of the day was to visit a working sheep farm. The farm itself was stunning, but of course the highlight was having the opportunity to hold a little lamb! Having the opportunity to explore rural Ireland really highlighted the contrast between Dublin and the rest of the country. Where Dublin is a true city, with houses and businesses stacked on top of each other, rural Ireland has roads with nothing on them for ages, and time moves slower than in the bustling city. The businesses highglighted in these areas differs as well. For example, in order to capitalize on his opportunity, the farmer at the sheep farm has purchased a microphone and begun wecoming tours almost daily. This is an opportunity that would clearly not exist in the city, and shows creative entrepreneurship.