Venice was incredible! I knew as soon as I got there I would never believe the photos afterwards, and it's hard. Stepping out of real life and into a photograph for three days is a weird sensation and the beauty of the city felt surreal the entire time.
I arrived Friday morning and headed directly into the city. The first thing on my list was 'to get lost' which was easier to do than expected. I was lost all of Friday and most of Sunday (but not Saturday). While I was lost, I stumbled upon the Peggy Guggenheim museum and that was fantastic! It's incredible how much art she owned and the relationship she had with many artists. She also married an artist (or two) and her daughter was an artist (before she died). Afterwards, I walked around some more, found St. Mark's square, ate two gelatos and a weird vegetable wrap (YES I AM STILL A VEGETARIAN, successfully) and around five I took a bus to my hostel, seeing as I had been awake since 3AM. Around eight, the two girls I was sharing a room with arrived! Surprise! They were two lovely Americans studying in Canterbury, England for the semester. Even better--we were all planning on travelling to the islands of Burano and Murano the next day, so we decided to go together!
Saturday morning we headed into Venice and got tickets for the waterbus. We went to Murano first, home of the glass-blowing trade. We went in a couple of shops and looks at all the different glass-blown furnishings while looking for somewhere to see live glass-blowing. We finally found a place that was having a demonstration and watched the man blow a vase and a glass horse! It was incredible! Afterwards, we had some lunch and then went to Burano. Burano is famous for the brightly colored houses. I have never seen such bright shades of pink and purple; it was wonderful! We walked around the island, admiring the beauty. We went back to Venice for dinner and I had seafood pasta, which was delicious, but not quite filling enough, so we got dessert at another resaturant, I had some ice cream dish with Bailey's that was really great.
Sunday, I saw the girls to the train station and went to the Old Jewish Quarter. I walked around there, looking at the signs and shops, then went to the Accademia. The number of paintings housed there is astounding, it was much bigger than I expected, and the paintings are ginormous! Well worth the trip. I did some writing in a cafe and bought tiramisu from a street vendor. I went back to the hostel fairly early, exhausted from walking around the island several times.
Venice was surreal and I am really happy for the opportunity I had to speak Italian and see such a beautiful place. It's crazy how much of a tourist city Venice is, especially compared to Dublin. It was nice to come back to a place I was familiar with.
Since then, I have been back to work and class. The program ends in less than two weeks, which blows my mind! Last weekend, our program organized a field trip to the National Stud Farm where we saw a horse worth 60 MILLION euro and some miniature horses, as well. There was a Japanese Garden and we all completed the 'path of life'. After that, we went to the town of Kilkenny and toured the castle! Finally, I went inside of a castle. They are currently restoring it to what it looked like in the early 19th century, and it made me want to watch Pride and Prejudice again, the castle truly resembled Darcy's estate inside. I promise to update again after going to the Aran Islands this weekend!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
It's been a while (oops)
Hello again, faithful readers... (More like: Are you there God? It's me, Margaret)
The last few weeks have been pretty busy, though not busy enough to justify my lack of writing. Maybe dull enough.
So I started my internship Monday after Spring Break ended. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better placement. So far, I have spent my time between the two companies, Brookside and New Island Publishing, which are owned by the same person. Brookside is like the Dunder Mifflin of publishing. They sell books from publishing companies to bookstores. So for brookside, most of what I do is research people who might be interested in specific books, like a text about Embryology. It sounds boring, making excel sheets, but I actually the tasks and research. I even created a flyer by myself! My bosses are the loveliest people to work for, as well!
For New Island, I get to read submissions, create Press Releases, contact Media people to review books, go to Book Launches, and then just do busy-work like send review copies, etc.
The best part of the job, I would say, is the environment. I love being around books and everyone that I work with is hilarious and fun to be around.
Now I'll tell you about my commute: It's an hour and a half bus ride each way with speed bumps...but I don't even care! The length is the perfect amount of time for me to write, in the mornings, and read, on the way home. Not to mention some great quiet, people-watching time. The worst part is getting home at seven and being tired enough to sleep, but I have to eat dinner, cook my lunch for the next day, and do everything else, like school work and errands.
Last weekend, I left on Friday for London to visit my 'best' friend, Joanna. I arrived around six and we met up in the coolest cafe, Troubadour's. After eating dinner back at her apartment, (which happens to be in the most expensive area of London) we took a night tour of the famous sights, like Big Ben, the London Eye, etc. I was thrilled to be reunited with my friend and enjoy conversation in a new city. Saturday morning, we woke up and went to Portobello Market to meet up with my penpal, Joe. He was exactly like what I expected, but taller. He speaks as he writes and we had a great time at the market! Afterwards, we met up with his girlfriend to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the Tate Modern, which was incredible.
After we said our goodbyes, Joanna and I met Masha and Eric to have dinner. We went to a great Italian restaurant where Princess Diana allegedly ate. I picked up some postcards and Joanna and I topped off an extremely filling meal with meringue and ice cream.
We called it quits early because I had to get on the bus at 7am for my flight back to Dublin. Though my time in London was short, I am satisfied with the experience and that I, most importantly, got to spend it with someone I really cherish.
Besides that, I haven't been up to much, but I've been going for some lovely runs after work. The weather has been fabulous, in the high fifties and low sixties, sunny everyday.
C'e toda per ahora. (Practicing my Italian...)
The last few weeks have been pretty busy, though not busy enough to justify my lack of writing. Maybe dull enough.
So I started my internship Monday after Spring Break ended. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better placement. So far, I have spent my time between the two companies, Brookside and New Island Publishing, which are owned by the same person. Brookside is like the Dunder Mifflin of publishing. They sell books from publishing companies to bookstores. So for brookside, most of what I do is research people who might be interested in specific books, like a text about Embryology. It sounds boring, making excel sheets, but I actually the tasks and research. I even created a flyer by myself! My bosses are the loveliest people to work for, as well!
For New Island, I get to read submissions, create Press Releases, contact Media people to review books, go to Book Launches, and then just do busy-work like send review copies, etc.
The best part of the job, I would say, is the environment. I love being around books and everyone that I work with is hilarious and fun to be around.
Now I'll tell you about my commute: It's an hour and a half bus ride each way with speed bumps...but I don't even care! The length is the perfect amount of time for me to write, in the mornings, and read, on the way home. Not to mention some great quiet, people-watching time. The worst part is getting home at seven and being tired enough to sleep, but I have to eat dinner, cook my lunch for the next day, and do everything else, like school work and errands.
Last weekend, I left on Friday for London to visit my 'best' friend, Joanna. I arrived around six and we met up in the coolest cafe, Troubadour's. After eating dinner back at her apartment, (which happens to be in the most expensive area of London) we took a night tour of the famous sights, like Big Ben, the London Eye, etc. I was thrilled to be reunited with my friend and enjoy conversation in a new city. Saturday morning, we woke up and went to Portobello Market to meet up with my penpal, Joe. He was exactly like what I expected, but taller. He speaks as he writes and we had a great time at the market! Afterwards, we met up with his girlfriend to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the Tate Modern, which was incredible.
After we said our goodbyes, Joanna and I met Masha and Eric to have dinner. We went to a great Italian restaurant where Princess Diana allegedly ate. I picked up some postcards and Joanna and I topped off an extremely filling meal with meringue and ice cream.
We called it quits early because I had to get on the bus at 7am for my flight back to Dublin. Though my time in London was short, I am satisfied with the experience and that I, most importantly, got to spend it with someone I really cherish.
Besides that, I haven't been up to much, but I've been going for some lovely runs after work. The weather has been fabulous, in the high fifties and low sixties, sunny everyday.
C'e toda per ahora. (Practicing my Italian...)
Friday, March 9, 2012
Spring Break 2012-- Got a little out of control
Just Kidding.
Now, most students (read: All students except me) use Spring Break to flee the country and see more of Europe for about 10 days. I decided for a number of reasons, to stay in Dublin for the time. How can I travel to a new country when I feel like I hardly know the place where I am? (Plus I am going to Venice for Easter and London in 2 weeks.) I did so many activities this week, but the most importantly, I had an opportunity to spend some time with my favorite person (me) and do a lot of writing, which I had been neglecting. It was a lovely time to unwind, linger at cafes, and catch up on my leisure-life.
Thursday at 12pm I finished my last (second) exam and the official beginning of Spring Break. I had a coffee date at 3 in the city, and we went to this crazy cool cafe called Foam. I had a delicious Chai latte (Chai is hard to find in Dublin!) and the decorations were like an indoor luau. There was a hawaiian style tent, couches, and random art on the walls. From the ceiling, hung paper party decorations. Foam was crazy, but I loved it. That evening, I finished watching Annie Hall after having a pizza party from Domino's with a couple of friends.
Friday was the true beginning of break, though. I headed into the city quite early, around noon and sought out the Roasted Brown Coffee Shop, which is on the second floor of FilmBase, which has classes and workshops, and screenings of movies. It's the filmmaker's haven, but also a place for delicious coffee. Their prices aren't the best, but the drinks are worth it, and they have baskets of oranges and clementines which are free for the taking and a wonderful surprise! The environment is perfect for writing, and I got a lot of creative work accomplished. I hung out around the city afterwards, and stopped at a couple more cafes, but neither compared. At 8pm, I went to see "Purple," a play about a group of high school students who form a rock band and the relationship the guitarist has with "girl." It was interesting and the acting was really impressive.
Saturday morning I made blueberry muffins (which were delicious) and went to a creative writing hour at the Irish Writer's Centre. Afterwards, I met a girl from the program who was celebrating her birthday, for lunch, bought hiking shoes, and then hung out at my apartment, cooking, reading, and watching When Harry Met Sally (great film!)
Side note: I know this is too detailed, but I don't care.
Sunday morning, I went down the road and enjoyed an Irish Mass. However, the mass was in Irish (Gaelic) and I couldn't really understand anything (despite my Irish lesson.) After that, I met up with my friend Alanna's brother, Daniel, who I hosted for the night. We went to the Irish Museum of Modern Art and saw the photography exhibit, which was mostly foreign (American and European) photographers, but I really enjoyed it because I had seen lots of the names before in my "History of Photography" class Sophomore year. We picked up felafel afterwards, and hung around.
Monday, I got crochet supplies (which I still can't figure out), went to a couple thrift stores, (I highly recommend Lucy's Lounge), bought "Rebel Without a Cause" (How had I never seen it before?!) and met a cool Canadian girl, who was the cashier, and got more coffee and writing at Roasted Brown (I couldn't help myself!)
Tuesday, I changed things up and went to Twisted Pepper for coffee/writing and then went to a reading at The Irish Writer's Centre, where the only perk was free wine. The poet I was looking forward to hearing was sick, and the two others weren't terribly interesting...
Wednesday I went to a Lunchtime film screening at the Irish Film Institute for free! The film was really awesome too, Bosanova, I think it was called. I hung out in Dublin for awhile afterwards, and saw an exhibit at the Temple Bar Gallery. It's hard to explain, but there was a video of a boy and girl having a discussion, but it was largely repetitive, saying the same phrase with emphasis on different words and different intonations. It made me think a lot about what is said during arguments. When I came home, I listened to the slam poetry stylings of Andrea Gibson (look her up, right now!!)
Yesterday, I headed into the city for a free lunch at Skinflint, this pretty cool pizza-ish place. I arrived early and found The Gutter Bookshop and an Art Co-op that I need to investigate further.
Today, I tried to go on a hike into the Dublin Mountains with my friend Brian. We took the bus to Grange Road, like the directions said, but Marlay Park was nowhere to be found! We walked down some random roads and through some interesting, nature-filled areas, but didn't make it to the mountains. However, the day was wonderful and I'm glad we tried (Don't worry, I'm going to try again!)
Anyways, the moral of my Spring Break was that I enjoyed immersing myself into Dublin for a week. I have a much better understanding of the geography of the city now, and after going into Dublin for a few days, I felt like staying in, but I said to myself, "Leanne, you need to go out there again" and it was really worth it. As you might know, people-watching and walking are some of my favorite activities, and while traveling might have been nice, I had an incredible time learning more about where I'm living.
That's all for now!
Now, most students (read: All students except me) use Spring Break to flee the country and see more of Europe for about 10 days. I decided for a number of reasons, to stay in Dublin for the time. How can I travel to a new country when I feel like I hardly know the place where I am? (Plus I am going to Venice for Easter and London in 2 weeks.) I did so many activities this week, but the most importantly, I had an opportunity to spend some time with my favorite person (me) and do a lot of writing, which I had been neglecting. It was a lovely time to unwind, linger at cafes, and catch up on my leisure-life.
Thursday at 12pm I finished my last (second) exam and the official beginning of Spring Break. I had a coffee date at 3 in the city, and we went to this crazy cool cafe called Foam. I had a delicious Chai latte (Chai is hard to find in Dublin!) and the decorations were like an indoor luau. There was a hawaiian style tent, couches, and random art on the walls. From the ceiling, hung paper party decorations. Foam was crazy, but I loved it. That evening, I finished watching Annie Hall after having a pizza party from Domino's with a couple of friends.
Friday was the true beginning of break, though. I headed into the city quite early, around noon and sought out the Roasted Brown Coffee Shop, which is on the second floor of FilmBase, which has classes and workshops, and screenings of movies. It's the filmmaker's haven, but also a place for delicious coffee. Their prices aren't the best, but the drinks are worth it, and they have baskets of oranges and clementines which are free for the taking and a wonderful surprise! The environment is perfect for writing, and I got a lot of creative work accomplished. I hung out around the city afterwards, and stopped at a couple more cafes, but neither compared. At 8pm, I went to see "Purple," a play about a group of high school students who form a rock band and the relationship the guitarist has with "girl." It was interesting and the acting was really impressive.
Saturday morning I made blueberry muffins (which were delicious) and went to a creative writing hour at the Irish Writer's Centre. Afterwards, I met a girl from the program who was celebrating her birthday, for lunch, bought hiking shoes, and then hung out at my apartment, cooking, reading, and watching When Harry Met Sally (great film!)
Side note: I know this is too detailed, but I don't care.
Sunday morning, I went down the road and enjoyed an Irish Mass. However, the mass was in Irish (Gaelic) and I couldn't really understand anything (despite my Irish lesson.) After that, I met up with my friend Alanna's brother, Daniel, who I hosted for the night. We went to the Irish Museum of Modern Art and saw the photography exhibit, which was mostly foreign (American and European) photographers, but I really enjoyed it because I had seen lots of the names before in my "History of Photography" class Sophomore year. We picked up felafel afterwards, and hung around.
Monday, I got crochet supplies (which I still can't figure out), went to a couple thrift stores, (I highly recommend Lucy's Lounge), bought "Rebel Without a Cause" (How had I never seen it before?!) and met a cool Canadian girl, who was the cashier, and got more coffee and writing at Roasted Brown (I couldn't help myself!)
Tuesday, I changed things up and went to Twisted Pepper for coffee/writing and then went to a reading at The Irish Writer's Centre, where the only perk was free wine. The poet I was looking forward to hearing was sick, and the two others weren't terribly interesting...
Wednesday I went to a Lunchtime film screening at the Irish Film Institute for free! The film was really awesome too, Bosanova, I think it was called. I hung out in Dublin for awhile afterwards, and saw an exhibit at the Temple Bar Gallery. It's hard to explain, but there was a video of a boy and girl having a discussion, but it was largely repetitive, saying the same phrase with emphasis on different words and different intonations. It made me think a lot about what is said during arguments. When I came home, I listened to the slam poetry stylings of Andrea Gibson (look her up, right now!!)
Yesterday, I headed into the city for a free lunch at Skinflint, this pretty cool pizza-ish place. I arrived early and found The Gutter Bookshop and an Art Co-op that I need to investigate further.
Today, I tried to go on a hike into the Dublin Mountains with my friend Brian. We took the bus to Grange Road, like the directions said, but Marlay Park was nowhere to be found! We walked down some random roads and through some interesting, nature-filled areas, but didn't make it to the mountains. However, the day was wonderful and I'm glad we tried (Don't worry, I'm going to try again!)
Anyways, the moral of my Spring Break was that I enjoyed immersing myself into Dublin for a week. I have a much better understanding of the geography of the city now, and after going into Dublin for a few days, I felt like staying in, but I said to myself, "Leanne, you need to go out there again" and it was really worth it. As you might know, people-watching and walking are some of my favorite activities, and while traveling might have been nice, I had an incredible time learning more about where I'm living.
That's all for now!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Dublin from the back of a bike
Not too much has been happening since Northern Ireland. Two of my really good friends visited this past weekend and I had a really great time showing them around Dublin. Friday afternoon, we headed to the Guinness Factory for a self-guided tour and free pint of Guinness in the top of the factory where there's an incredible panoramic view of the city. After picking up some fantastic falafel for dinner, we headed into the city to get a taste of Dublin Friday nightlife (apparently it's the best in the world!) We met up with my friend Alanna and her two brothers who were visiting from America and talked and danced to some American top 40 for a while, but then headed home somewhat early because the craic wasn't very good! (Craic means fun in Irish. For example, "What's the craic?" means What's up or What's good?)
Saturday was amazing, all twenty-four hours! We woke up, had sesame bagels with luxury cream cheese (not really) and headed into the city around lunch time. We walked to this really great restaurant, Cornucopia, which is vegetarian, organic, and changes its menu everyday! After lunch, we walked to the Twisted Pepper, my current favourite coffee bar and got lattes. We sat around talking for a few hours about ghosts and life, spiritual experiences and memories and then took a peek around the bookshop that's upstairs from the cafe.
That evening, we made pancakes with a really delicious apple topping that my brilliant friend Kelsey concocted with fried eggs and then prepared for another night exploring the popular areas of Dublin. We went to a couple of different pubs **Note: Avoid Andrew's Lane Theatre, it smells like sweat** and surprisingly, both of my friends from Paris met French boys (impossible to do in Paris!). At one of the bars, I met a lovely man who offered to take me for a motorcycle ride, which brings me to this evening. When we got home at 4AM, we finished watching Wedding Crashers because the girls had to leave at 5AM for the airport. It was so nice seeing my friends and getting a refreshing weekend with the girls I love. Even more, I got to do touristy things and show someone else around the city!
Kenny picked me up around eight and we headed to see an abandoned fort in Phoenix Park on his motorcycle. The air was cool, but not too cold and I felt really comfortable on the bike--there wasn't a moment I feared falling off or anything. Anyways, the fort was abandoned after the IRA took it over from the army but the moat, now empty, still surrounds the building and apparently they left ammunition inside. From where we were in the park, we could hear and kind of see some deer bucking antlers against each other. After that, we went down to a shipyard-like area and walked along the shore of the Liffy. There was a lighthouse down the path but we didn't walk all the way down there. Now comes the exciting part: I learned to drive a motorcycle! And it wasn't a little guy, either!! I drove it down the road all by myself and turned around and came back!
After that, we headed back to campus because I have a final to study for tomorrow.
Overall, I'm really glad I had the opportunity to cruise around Dublin with a local. It's interesting to ride with someone who knows different routes from what I see on the bus and to be able to just feel like I'm getting a special tour of the city. I loved the view from the motorcycle and seeing areas I might have never gotten to without being shown. This is exactly what I was looking for in my Irish experiences--an interesting view of the city and interacting with people who know Dublin best!
Tomorrow and Thursday I have finals, so my life will be boring, but then begins my spring break, so I'll be sure to update of all my adventures, beginning with a coffee date on Thursday!
Saturday was amazing, all twenty-four hours! We woke up, had sesame bagels with luxury cream cheese (not really) and headed into the city around lunch time. We walked to this really great restaurant, Cornucopia, which is vegetarian, organic, and changes its menu everyday! After lunch, we walked to the Twisted Pepper, my current favourite coffee bar and got lattes. We sat around talking for a few hours about ghosts and life, spiritual experiences and memories and then took a peek around the bookshop that's upstairs from the cafe.
That evening, we made pancakes with a really delicious apple topping that my brilliant friend Kelsey concocted with fried eggs and then prepared for another night exploring the popular areas of Dublin. We went to a couple of different pubs **Note: Avoid Andrew's Lane Theatre, it smells like sweat** and surprisingly, both of my friends from Paris met French boys (impossible to do in Paris!). At one of the bars, I met a lovely man who offered to take me for a motorcycle ride, which brings me to this evening. When we got home at 4AM, we finished watching Wedding Crashers because the girls had to leave at 5AM for the airport. It was so nice seeing my friends and getting a refreshing weekend with the girls I love. Even more, I got to do touristy things and show someone else around the city!
Kenny picked me up around eight and we headed to see an abandoned fort in Phoenix Park on his motorcycle. The air was cool, but not too cold and I felt really comfortable on the bike--there wasn't a moment I feared falling off or anything. Anyways, the fort was abandoned after the IRA took it over from the army but the moat, now empty, still surrounds the building and apparently they left ammunition inside. From where we were in the park, we could hear and kind of see some deer bucking antlers against each other. After that, we went down to a shipyard-like area and walked along the shore of the Liffy. There was a lighthouse down the path but we didn't walk all the way down there. Now comes the exciting part: I learned to drive a motorcycle! And it wasn't a little guy, either!! I drove it down the road all by myself and turned around and came back!
After that, we headed back to campus because I have a final to study for tomorrow.
Overall, I'm really glad I had the opportunity to cruise around Dublin with a local. It's interesting to ride with someone who knows different routes from what I see on the bus and to be able to just feel like I'm getting a special tour of the city. I loved the view from the motorcycle and seeing areas I might have never gotten to without being shown. This is exactly what I was looking for in my Irish experiences--an interesting view of the city and interacting with people who know Dublin best!
Tomorrow and Thursday I have finals, so my life will be boring, but then begins my spring break, so I'll be sure to update of all my adventures, beginning with a coffee date on Thursday!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Northern Ireland Troubles
Last week, we left early Thursday morning for Northern Ireland. Before the trip, we were told not to talk about politics outside of the field trip setting. We first went to Parliament and heard a member from each of the four political parties talk about their views. One of the women had been arrested during the political unrest and imprisoned for ten years. I found myself agreeing most with the Unionist speaker, but I knew it was only because he was a suave talker.
After that, we went on a tour of the murals in Belfast. The violent images are shocking to see so publicly. I couldn't imagine growing up around such turmoil. Even though the violence has ended, people still have very strong opinions and reactions to the events, because they are still so recent. There are still "peace walls" throughout the city that are closed every night, keeping the Catholic and Protestant communities separate.
That night, we stayed at the least-nice hostel I've been to so far. 18 girls in one room. You can imagine how I only got 4 hours of sleep. There was also a group of 52 students from England, they were all Australian, New Zealand, and South Africans, and it was interesting to meet them, but they partied too hard for us.
The next day, we headed to Giant's Causeway along the coast. A volcano erupted and the way the ash and lava cooled, allowed the stones to form vertically, resulting in hills that have stepping-stone like rocks all along them. The water comes right up and crashes over the rocks--the view was spectacular (stalk my facebook).
Afterwards, we went to Derry and embarked on a similar walking tour. Again, the images were disturbing.
I'm glad for the opportunity to go to Northern Ireland and talk to some people from the area. The shame is that we couldn't talk about politics at the pub to get a feel for how people really felt, but I broke the rules and brought it up to one man, but still, people are reluctant to say how they feel-- they change the subject or avoid the question.
After that, we went on a tour of the murals in Belfast. The violent images are shocking to see so publicly. I couldn't imagine growing up around such turmoil. Even though the violence has ended, people still have very strong opinions and reactions to the events, because they are still so recent. There are still "peace walls" throughout the city that are closed every night, keeping the Catholic and Protestant communities separate.
That night, we stayed at the least-nice hostel I've been to so far. 18 girls in one room. You can imagine how I only got 4 hours of sleep. There was also a group of 52 students from England, they were all Australian, New Zealand, and South Africans, and it was interesting to meet them, but they partied too hard for us.
The next day, we headed to Giant's Causeway along the coast. A volcano erupted and the way the ash and lava cooled, allowed the stones to form vertically, resulting in hills that have stepping-stone like rocks all along them. The water comes right up and crashes over the rocks--the view was spectacular (stalk my facebook).
Afterwards, we went to Derry and embarked on a similar walking tour. Again, the images were disturbing.
I'm glad for the opportunity to go to Northern Ireland and talk to some people from the area. The shame is that we couldn't talk about politics at the pub to get a feel for how people really felt, but I broke the rules and brought it up to one man, but still, people are reluctant to say how they feel-- they change the subject or avoid the question.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Dingle, Kerry, Cashel, and so on...
Last Weekend a smaller group of us went to the South of Ireland--I think I've figured out where I want to plant my vacation house.
Friday night we arrived in Dingle at the Rainbow Hostel. On the way to Dingle, we stopped in Barack Obama's ancestral hometown to look around the shops (mainly Barack Cafe) and see where he had his first pint of Guinness and we also stopped in Limerick to look around the docks and see a castle across the water. The woodwork in the house was amazing, our room for eight had skylights and slanted ceilings, I could have holed up there forever. After unpacking and having a picnic on the bedroom floor, we headed to a couple different bars around the town. Kind of like the West of Ireland, Dingle required us to walk down country roads in the dark. Nothing extraordinary happened, but it's cool that most people in Dingle can speak the Irish language.
Saturday morning, we left bright and early toward the coast. We boarded a boat in the bay of Dingle to see Fungie the Dolphin. I was skeptical at first that Fungie might be a robot or caged in, but he truly just loves living in the bay and playing with the boats that come out to stir up the waters. We had a great time trying to catch him on camera and chasing him around in the boat.
After the Fungie watch, we collected supplies to picnic on the beach. We then drove around the Dingle Peninsula, or Ring of Dingle is you will, after stopping on the beach to have a feast. I dined on Lox and bread, grapes and brie, and hummus. I still can't get over how much I love picnicking on beaches.
Driving along the peninsula was incredible. I feel like my photographs look as though I was standing in front of a green-screen because the views and colors of the scenery are just too vivid. I can't describe how crazy beautiful everything along the coast was--it by far made the entire trip worth it.
Saturday night we stayed in what has been described as "the crazy party town of Kilarney." Hungover from too much bread, we went on a pub crawl around the city that ended up being pretty fun. The first pub we visited was hosting a basketball team who were drinking from their trophy! Anyways,
In the morning there was still lots to see. We went to Inch beach, where Coldplay filmed the video "Yellow", we saw some beehive huts that were built over a thousand (maybe only hundreds) years ago, spent an hour in Cork, which to me seemed like Boston compared to NYC if Dublin is NYC, visited Blarney and the Rock of Cashel (without going into either Castle) and stopped along a mountainside to get some incredible views of the island again.
I was a little bit disappointed to not go inside of the castles or ride a horse along the beach, but I would do the trip again just because the views and experiences were so spectacular.
Today I have a paper due on the Travelling Community of Ireland, which ended up being really fun to research. I learned oodles about how the gypsies of Ireland are discriminated against, in a way that seems primitive to Americans, and how they are having trouble being recognized as a community that doesn't need to be assimilated.
Tomorrow, we head to Northern Ireland on an Academic fieldtrip that lasts until Saturday. I'm excited to see Belfast on a chaperoned excursion because I'm not sure I would have gone up there on my own. Learning about the Northern Ireland troubles in History class was surprising because I am constantly reminding myself how current the political issues still are. The Provisional IRA (the violent one) was still around in 2005, which is nuts to think about. From the pictures I've seen, there are Northern Ireland murals for political and religious pride all over the sides of houses and buildings. If I make it back alive (which I will) I'll be sure to write a blog post about everything.
Friday night we arrived in Dingle at the Rainbow Hostel. On the way to Dingle, we stopped in Barack Obama's ancestral hometown to look around the shops (mainly Barack Cafe) and see where he had his first pint of Guinness and we also stopped in Limerick to look around the docks and see a castle across the water. The woodwork in the house was amazing, our room for eight had skylights and slanted ceilings, I could have holed up there forever. After unpacking and having a picnic on the bedroom floor, we headed to a couple different bars around the town. Kind of like the West of Ireland, Dingle required us to walk down country roads in the dark. Nothing extraordinary happened, but it's cool that most people in Dingle can speak the Irish language.
Saturday morning, we left bright and early toward the coast. We boarded a boat in the bay of Dingle to see Fungie the Dolphin. I was skeptical at first that Fungie might be a robot or caged in, but he truly just loves living in the bay and playing with the boats that come out to stir up the waters. We had a great time trying to catch him on camera and chasing him around in the boat.
After the Fungie watch, we collected supplies to picnic on the beach. We then drove around the Dingle Peninsula, or Ring of Dingle is you will, after stopping on the beach to have a feast. I dined on Lox and bread, grapes and brie, and hummus. I still can't get over how much I love picnicking on beaches.
Driving along the peninsula was incredible. I feel like my photographs look as though I was standing in front of a green-screen because the views and colors of the scenery are just too vivid. I can't describe how crazy beautiful everything along the coast was--it by far made the entire trip worth it.
Saturday night we stayed in what has been described as "the crazy party town of Kilarney." Hungover from too much bread, we went on a pub crawl around the city that ended up being pretty fun. The first pub we visited was hosting a basketball team who were drinking from their trophy! Anyways,
In the morning there was still lots to see. We went to Inch beach, where Coldplay filmed the video "Yellow", we saw some beehive huts that were built over a thousand (maybe only hundreds) years ago, spent an hour in Cork, which to me seemed like Boston compared to NYC if Dublin is NYC, visited Blarney and the Rock of Cashel (without going into either Castle) and stopped along a mountainside to get some incredible views of the island again.
I was a little bit disappointed to not go inside of the castles or ride a horse along the beach, but I would do the trip again just because the views and experiences were so spectacular.
Today I have a paper due on the Travelling Community of Ireland, which ended up being really fun to research. I learned oodles about how the gypsies of Ireland are discriminated against, in a way that seems primitive to Americans, and how they are having trouble being recognized as a community that doesn't need to be assimilated.
Tomorrow, we head to Northern Ireland on an Academic fieldtrip that lasts until Saturday. I'm excited to see Belfast on a chaperoned excursion because I'm not sure I would have gone up there on my own. Learning about the Northern Ireland troubles in History class was surprising because I am constantly reminding myself how current the political issues still are. The Provisional IRA (the violent one) was still around in 2005, which is nuts to think about. From the pictures I've seen, there are Northern Ireland murals for political and religious pride all over the sides of houses and buildings. If I make it back alive (which I will) I'll be sure to write a blog post about everything.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Western Ireland Trip
Much like NYC compared to Upstate regions, Dublin is nothing like the rural areas of Western Ireland. While cities are fun, I am always astonished by the beauty of nature.
We left Friday morning for Galway, the biggest "city" on the Western coast. Galway barely qualifies as a city, it's better described as a large town, but nonetheless has a lot going on. There were street performers all over, even after the sun had set. The middle of the city is lit up by a carousel, giving the place a magical feel (very Irish). We stayed in a very nice hostel and that night we went on a pub crawl through Galway. The pubs were nothing to write home about, I met a couple creepy old men and some younger men who worked at a toy store (rumor is they work for Santa). The highlight of the pub crawl might have been the mechanical bull at one of the pubs that everyone got a turn on. Unfortunately, I had to be given a boost onto the bull, and after telling the operator to go easy on me, I still didn't last long. Exhaustion set in and I called it quits early with a couple of other girls and we went home, finishing up the left-over pizza. (Have I mentioned how delicious Garlic Mayo is?)
Bright and Early on Saturday, we left Galway to see the Cliffs of Moher. Now, I can't imagine weather is ever very agreeable at that height and proximity to the coast, but we got a special storm of icy rain and wind that blew a couple of the smaller kids around. (Myself included!) Nevertheless, the Cliffs were breath-taking and quite the site! I can't help but also feel like more of an adventurer braving the poor weather and staying outside long enough to see the tower and go all the way around the trail! The trip was definitely worth it--next time I go, we're bungee jumping off the edge! (Kidding.)
After the Cliffs, we headed to The Connolly Family Farm, run by the cousins of the woman who runs the tour company. Not quite dry from the cliffs, most of us embarked on a nice hike up the side of the mountain that the Connolly Family has owned for over 300 years! The view went for miles: we saw sheep, cows, mountains and a faerie tree at the top of the climb.
The legend is, that if you're having a problem, you tie something to the tree to symbolize leaving your problem behind. The faeries will hopefully take care of things for you. The tree we saw had hundreds of pieces of fabric and string tied to it!
After descending the trail, we went inside and had a traditional Irish farm-cooked meal! Included was beef stew and all kinds of salads. The meal was pretty good and I'm glad to have been able to partake in some traditions besides my own tradition of PB &J everyday for lunch.
After the farm, we headed to our hostel for the night in an extremely little town! The hostel owner taught us some Irish dances (I'll show you when I get home!) and then we walked down the road to a pub. After being ridiculed for only drinking water I brought with me, I threw darts with my friend Kelsey. I don't know how scoring works, so I can't tell you who won, but an interesting man with dread locks complimented my technique, sort of...
I headed back to the hostel fairly early in an attempt to get a good night's sleep, and it worked!
Sunday morning, we traveled to Kinvara, a fishing village. This village was exactly what I needed to see! The buildings were painted fun pastels and every year Kinvara takes part in an Irish contest for the "Tidiest Town;" it was so picturesque! We didn't stay for very long, but the next place we went was to a castle down the road!
My first castle was incredible, though I didn't get to go in. I walked along a trail that covered the perimeter, observing the ivy and stone walls, then hopped down the road to look at a beautiful white horse. The best part of the castle was imagining living on a coastline and waking up to the views I saw every morning!
After the castle, we returned to Galway to shop for Aran Sweaters and Claddagh rings, from some pretty legit stores. I got a couple of presents and treated myself to a Claddagh ring from the original makers, Thomas Dillon. A couple of my friends and I dined at a little restaurant close by, but the food wasn't too impressive, but I'm glad to have eaten local, rather than at a chain.
Galway was a great trip and the feeling of walking the same streets as many of my favorite writers, Oscar Wilde, etc, always makes me feel closer to the literature I read. I'm excited for some time to write after the trips keep us so busy!
We left Friday morning for Galway, the biggest "city" on the Western coast. Galway barely qualifies as a city, it's better described as a large town, but nonetheless has a lot going on. There were street performers all over, even after the sun had set. The middle of the city is lit up by a carousel, giving the place a magical feel (very Irish). We stayed in a very nice hostel and that night we went on a pub crawl through Galway. The pubs were nothing to write home about, I met a couple creepy old men and some younger men who worked at a toy store (rumor is they work for Santa). The highlight of the pub crawl might have been the mechanical bull at one of the pubs that everyone got a turn on. Unfortunately, I had to be given a boost onto the bull, and after telling the operator to go easy on me, I still didn't last long. Exhaustion set in and I called it quits early with a couple of other girls and we went home, finishing up the left-over pizza. (Have I mentioned how delicious Garlic Mayo is?)
Bright and Early on Saturday, we left Galway to see the Cliffs of Moher. Now, I can't imagine weather is ever very agreeable at that height and proximity to the coast, but we got a special storm of icy rain and wind that blew a couple of the smaller kids around. (Myself included!) Nevertheless, the Cliffs were breath-taking and quite the site! I can't help but also feel like more of an adventurer braving the poor weather and staying outside long enough to see the tower and go all the way around the trail! The trip was definitely worth it--next time I go, we're bungee jumping off the edge! (Kidding.)
After the Cliffs, we headed to The Connolly Family Farm, run by the cousins of the woman who runs the tour company. Not quite dry from the cliffs, most of us embarked on a nice hike up the side of the mountain that the Connolly Family has owned for over 300 years! The view went for miles: we saw sheep, cows, mountains and a faerie tree at the top of the climb.
The legend is, that if you're having a problem, you tie something to the tree to symbolize leaving your problem behind. The faeries will hopefully take care of things for you. The tree we saw had hundreds of pieces of fabric and string tied to it!
After descending the trail, we went inside and had a traditional Irish farm-cooked meal! Included was beef stew and all kinds of salads. The meal was pretty good and I'm glad to have been able to partake in some traditions besides my own tradition of PB &J everyday for lunch.
After the farm, we headed to our hostel for the night in an extremely little town! The hostel owner taught us some Irish dances (I'll show you when I get home!) and then we walked down the road to a pub. After being ridiculed for only drinking water I brought with me, I threw darts with my friend Kelsey. I don't know how scoring works, so I can't tell you who won, but an interesting man with dread locks complimented my technique, sort of...
I headed back to the hostel fairly early in an attempt to get a good night's sleep, and it worked!
Sunday morning, we traveled to Kinvara, a fishing village. This village was exactly what I needed to see! The buildings were painted fun pastels and every year Kinvara takes part in an Irish contest for the "Tidiest Town;" it was so picturesque! We didn't stay for very long, but the next place we went was to a castle down the road!
My first castle was incredible, though I didn't get to go in. I walked along a trail that covered the perimeter, observing the ivy and stone walls, then hopped down the road to look at a beautiful white horse. The best part of the castle was imagining living on a coastline and waking up to the views I saw every morning!
After the castle, we returned to Galway to shop for Aran Sweaters and Claddagh rings, from some pretty legit stores. I got a couple of presents and treated myself to a Claddagh ring from the original makers, Thomas Dillon. A couple of my friends and I dined at a little restaurant close by, but the food wasn't too impressive, but I'm glad to have eaten local, rather than at a chain.
Galway was a great trip and the feeling of walking the same streets as many of my favorite writers, Oscar Wilde, etc, always makes me feel closer to the literature I read. I'm excited for some time to write after the trips keep us so busy!
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