I'm now back in England - and I'll tell you about my week in Ireland!
Saturday
When we got to Ireland, it was about 1pm. We drove off the boat and immediately set off for our relatives - Brenda & Eugene; and their daughters Gráinne & Molly. We got to their house for about 3pm and came inside. Gráinne & Molly were at first shy towards me and Maia, but after some playing around, they warmed up to us. We ended the day watching television, and then I went through to the room I would be sleeping in for the next week and wrote this paragraph.
Sunday
Sunday was Gráinne & Molly's joint birthday party. It started at 3pm, but slightly before that, we went to Supermac's, a fast-food chain that's only in Ireland. I went for the ice-cream. Theirs tastes a lot like the vanilla ice-cream you get at Costco, a wholesale store. (Just to confirm, Costco does have stores in the UK.) When we got back, the party was in full swing! Tons of children and adults had arrived, so I just took it easy and stayed in my room. ...A bit of advice, as I wrote this in bed: whenever you go away anywhere, it's always really hard to sleep.
Monday
On Monday, we went up to Newbridge. We first went into Newbridge Silverware and bought some stuff - like nice little presents. Me and my mum found a clock in there with 'Buckingham Palace' on it! Then we went to the Whitewater shopping centre, where we had lunch. I had lunch at Burger King. It's been ages since I had their ice cream (mostly because the Burger King back where I live has its ice cream machine somehow always broken when we go), but it is delicious. Then we popped into Tiger, where I got some water and then went back. We played on the bouncy castle a bit (for Gráinne & Molly) and then went back inside.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, I finally got The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes! Despite me being a fan of Zelda and it being the newest Zelda game, I never actually got around to getting it when it released last October. But I got it - well, it was more my mum. Brenda gave me €20 towards anything, but the game was almost €50 - so Mum put forward €30 for me. (Thanks, Mum!) I had lunch at a café I like at the top of the shopping centre called Teddy's Café. I had sausages and chips for lunch - delicious! We also popped into Tesco and Dunnes (described by Maia as being like the Irish version of Marks & Spencer's.)
Wednesday
On Wednesday, we went to Dunmore Cave. I felt like I could barely stand! (Heights absolutely terrify me.) So instead I went up with my dad and went to the café while everyone else followed the guide. Then we went to Kilkenny, where we got lunch. We saw the castle (but we didn't go in because of the prices - €17 per family!) Then we went back.
Thursday
Thursday was more of a personal visits day. First, we got money. Then we went and visited my grandparents' grave (Mum's side). We put some flowers on the grave - well, I say 'we', but I mean my mum. She also put some teardrop-shaped memorials in with the flowers. Then we went to see some extended family at Bolton Hill, which used to be part of the main road to Dublin. (You know that kind of thing where children have tons of different pets that all die and are named the same? My mum had eight cats, all named Fluffy.) Then we went back home. I am also happy to announce that Maia passed all of her A-levels!! She is now cleared to attend university to become a midwife next September. We're all so proud of her!
Friday
Friday was the panic shopping day, getting things we can't get at home and just doing general shopping to take back to England with us. We went all over Carlow to get things - the panic shop, I call it! We then spent the rest of the day back at Brenda & Eugene's.
Saturday
Yesterday, we were up at 5am to leave at 6. We got to Dublin Port at about 8 - and then I had two hot sausage rolls... they were amazing! Then the boat happened... I can confirm that I now suffer from seasickness. At first, I was okay. Then I started to feel ill... And after nearly killing the batteries in my portable fan, I... ended up being sick. At least I started to feel better afterwards. Anyway, we landed at Holyhead and had lunch at Morrison's - I had fish and chips! Then, after refuelling, we set off on the four-and-a-half hour, three hundred mile journey back home. We stopped off at the M6 Toll services and got some McDonald's and then set off again. Then we got home! And I must say, being back in my own bed is luxurious. I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Anyway, I'll see everyone tomorrow for another Upcoming Games News! See you then!