Along the tracks, Dublin and its busy streets fade into countryside. At first the train moves slowly, a reluctant beast, but as we slide further away from the noise of the city it finds its wings. We race to clear skies and lush green fields. Houses dot the landscape and soon there are barns as well. Cows are grazing, their velvet brown coats have a sheen that makes them look as if they have just been added to the scene with a brush, still wet with paint. Rolls of hay stand like shadows through the low foggy mist, only adding dimension to the scenes that pass by my window in the early morning light. Ruins of some sort, a castle maybe, or a stone building, blend in seamlessly to fields. They are the ancient ones who oversee the land.

The train itself is quiet, almost gliding along. Inside the conversations are subdued. There are multiple languages spoken around me. Some passengers sleep, others read, or stare at their phones. We pass through stone tunnels and my eyes are drawn back outside to the low shrubs blanketed with white fog. The sheep have appeared and there are multitudes. They are waking as the sun climbs into the sky. Still lying curled up on the dewy grass, the young ones braving the lifting mist to play. The sleepy mothers wishing for a few more moments in the stillness of the morning, like all mothers everywhere.

There are fences and cow paths in squares like a quilt. Hedge rows, though not as prevalent, add fuzzy lines to the straight ones. The trees look similar to the ones at home. Reaching up to the sky and waving as we pass. There are pines and hardwoods, mixed along the edges of pastures to put emphasis on the borders of each parcel of land. A few stalwart ones stand in the center, providing shade for the animals, but most are along the edge lands. The houses are painted white or yellow and they stand out in a welcoming fashion to all who pass by. The train station buildings are stacked stone, with intricate detailed trim work, which also appears to be carved in stone. Ivy climbs both buildings and bridges creating a camouflage so the buildings are part of nature and not the other way around.

Coming into another station, the birds fly above the row houses in flocks. The slate of the roofs a backdrop for the birds to fly over. They are black specs moving together against the ever lightning blue of the sky. There are cranes and apartment buildings, in a growing town, the historic next door to the modern. A patchwork of housing of diverse styles and colors. The train empties and fills again, before moving back into the countryside. Galloping again, headed towards the coast. The further we go, the greener it gets outside my window.

A good night’s sleep has created less jet lag and more anticipation. Even though my computer tells me it is 3:00 am at home, I feel more like it is 8:00 am, which is an improvement from yesterday. Today there will be sightseeing all day in one of the most beautiful places in the world…a bucket list item for me to check off.  If this train ride is any indication, it is going to be a stunning day. An adventure waiting to happen…