(WBEN) - When we heard our amazing Collette Travel tour manager Jackie Heron read this quote toward the end of our Journey across Ireland, it truly hit home.
"There are no strangers, only friends you have not met."
The late Irish poet William Butler Yeats' words couldn't be truer as we look back on our nine day journey from Dublin, and then along the coast of Ireland, and think about the group of WBEN listeners we traveled with. Mere days before the trip, we had barely met them, yet we parted from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport with a bond of friendship formed as we discovered the wonder of welcoming Ireland, together.
Our journey was a busy one and began with two days in Dublin touring the city, the Guinness Storehouse and the culture of the eastern Ireland population center.
We then began our coastal meandering, moving southward and stopping in Waterford and a visit to Blarney Castle and the infamous Blarney Stone.
It was on to Kilkenny and Killarney where we completed the Ring of Kerry tour in all its splendor.
Moving northward along the western coastline, the Cliffs of Moher did not disappoint as stiff coastal winds kept rain showers at bay and provided for amazing photo opportunities of the jagged shoreline.
It was on to Limerick and Galway before we ended our journey on the mesmerizing grounds of Cabra Castle, spending a night like Kings and Queens.
There is truly a simple feel to life in Ireland and constant reminders of the medieval history baked into the country's landscape.
It was a pleasure to share the experience with a group of hearty WBEN listeners who now all share a bond of friendship and look forward to the next destination, wherever and whenever that may be.
'May the road rise up to meet you.'
Susan Rose and Tim Wenger
Dublin, IrelandWBEN Photo
Book of Kells ExhibitWBEN Photo
Tim Wenger and Susan Rose on the top floor of the Guinness StorehouseWBEN Photo
Dublin, IrelandWBEN Photo
Irish beef dinnerWBEN Photo
Kilkenny, IrelandWBEN Photo
Kilkenny, IrelandWBEN Photo
Blarney StoneWBEN Photo
Blarney CastleWBEN Photo
Ring of KerryWBEN Photo
WBEN listeners at Cliffs of MoherWBEN Photo
Cliffs of MoherWBEN Photo
Kilbeggan DistilleryWBEN Photo
Cabra CastleWBEN Photo
A rainbow terminates on the roof of a home along the grounds of Cabra CastleWBEN Photo
