So yesterday was final exam day...it went alright. I didn't stress too much about it. The midterm was definitely easier but eh, it's whatever. I wrote everything I knew about the cashel of Cahercommaun and called it a day. Afterwards I went shopping and then back to school for a farewell reception at the student bar. We thought we'd get food like the first reception, but we only got two drinks so we had to go find something for dinner. After that we wound up going out to Fibber Maggees for a drink and karoke. After they closed we hit up the Front Door and just hung out. Eventually a group of guys came over and started talking to us. The rest of the night we danced our pants off until closing time...sooo much fun. I think it may have been the best night out since I got here. I wound up not going to sleep until after 5 because I was so hyper.
Today I slept in until around noon since I stayed up so late. I probably wouldn't have gotten up if Libby hadn't come calling at my window. We went over to NUI to print my bus ticket to the airport, then into the city for lunch and some more shopping. Later, we met up with everyone at Milano's for our farewell dinner. Two of the girls had to leave from dinner....soooo sad. I'm glad in a way that I'll be leaving early in the morning and not having to say my goodbyes then...it's much easier that way. After dinner we all went to the King's Head for a while to have 5 euro cocktails.
I'm mostly packed right now...only a few hours left until I catch a taxi to the bus stop. This experience has been incredible and has far exceeded my expectations. I have made so many memories here and I didn't realize how emotional it would be to leave this place and these people I've grown so close to over the past month. I know some of us are already talking about road trips around the US to see each other! Galway has become so familiar and I'm so comfortable in the city. I really will miss it, though the walking everywhere not so much haha. Ireland has been incredible, though I didn't doubt for a second it would be, and I can't wait to come back!
I'm exhausted so I will update maybe once more after I get home and have had time to process everything this trip has been for me. I'll be seeing you guys soon!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Scotland
Been a while since my last update but last week was pretty uneventful...just the same kinda thing, school, shop, go out, etc. Though I did meet a guy that worked in a shop in the city. We hung out one night and I'll spare all the gory details, but it turns out he just needed a rebound from a 3 year relationship that just ended. I think he really is a nice guy because he went to a lot of trouble to apologize and make sure I didn't hate him. Anyway, got my Irish kiss out of it and a bracelet for a little more than half off haha
Thursday, Brian took us all on the Corrib Princess for a cruise. It was pretty nice and relaxing, though I got some sun! Didn't think I'd need sunscreen at 4:30 in the afternoon but I guess I was wrong.
Friday was a little crazy with finishing up my paper (such a procrastinator), getting packed, and leaving for Scotland straight from class. When Libby and Jordan went to book our Highland day tour there wasn't room for me. So I had to skip class and go find another tour to do...which was looking hopeless since every company was booked. I finally found a tour through Haggis Adventures and hoped for the best. I slept for a good part of the way to Dublin airport and we got there with plenty of time. Turned out our flight was a little delayed so we just hung out and had a snack at the gate. The flight went well, little bumpy but good. I'm still shocked at how quick it was...like driving to Mooresville from home or something. It took about 30-40ish minutes. When we got there we didn't have to go through Customs...kinda sad because I wanted a Scotland stamp in my passport! haha We found a brochure on bus times and caught a bus to the train station in Edinburgh. From there we walked to the hostel, with the help of a few locals for directions....even though it was midnight. The hostel was a very artsy place....great atmosphere. I wasn't sure what to think, though, when I went up to get in bed. The room had 9 bunk beds and all were full...men and women. I was a little taken aback to see people in their underwear....like one old man laying sprawled in his tighty whities. Anyway, some guy had taken my bottom bunk bed, so I went downstairs to see what to do. I wound up taking the bunk above him. I have never slept on a top bunk and I was exhausted, so I dealt with it. The guy below me had hung his towel right by my head so I casually knocked it off into the floor....gross. I actually slept really well, even though I only had 4-5 hours of sleep before having to get up. I wound up using wet wipes to bathe with instead of taking a shower...if you wanted a towel you had to pay and I didn't want to get in the showers without shower shoes. I figured since we were there for such a short time I'd stick it out and take one when I got back to Galway. Anyway, I headed off on my own to get to the Haggis office for my tour. I stopped a couple times to make sure I was going in the right direction and made it on time with about 10 minutes to spare (had to be there at 7:45 AM :-/). It was raining quite a bit but the architecture in Edinburgh was so nice...I loved it. I hate I didn't get to see more of the city but I think the day tour was the best choice for the amount of time I had. Anyway, I got lucky and my tour guide was absolutely adorable. He wore a tshirt that said "Scotland, Wild & Sexy!" and a kilt. A girl from Australia, Kim, sat down beside me and we became friends, which is what I was hoping for since I was by myself. We headed off towards the Highlands and made a bathroom stop to see Hamish the hairy coo. There was also a baby hairy coo so Kim decided to name him Moey...and she decided to call me Kezzah, which is an Aussie name apparently. We drove on and the landscape was so gorgeous. We stopped off in the Weeping Glen...I think it may have been my favorite. We just stood in a valley and the mountains all around us were covered over in grass or heather with little streams coming down everywhere (since it was raining so much). On the way to Loch Ness, Fergus, the tour guide, pointed out all the great lochs...Loch Lenny, Lochy, Oich, and finally Ness. We also made a stop at the loch Sean Connery owns...where we got a lesson from Fergus on talking like Sean Connery and how to say 'loch' correctly haha. When we finally got to Loch Ness, Kim and I went off to a restaurant since I was starving. It was good food, bad service. Afterwards we went on the walking trail down to the loch where we searched for Nessie.....no sign of her :-p. Apparently on underwater sonar whatever they use, you can see big blobs of some kind of creature that live in the depths. The water is very black from all the peat that has leached into the water....which also preserves anything that dies in there. Scientists haven't seen the creatures that keep popping up on the radar but the population of them has remained pretty steady, and the Nessie sitings are thought to maybe be those creatures on their rare rise to the surface. On the way back to Edinburgh, we stopped off for a bathroom break and whiskey tasting. I wound up buying a bottle of Bruadar, Gaelic for dream, which is a blended whiskey with honey and sloe berries. I wound up taking a short nap on the way back since I was so tired. The tour was amazing and I'm glad I wound up going on it, even if I wasn't with my friends. Fergus was such a great tour guide and very passionate about Scotland. We finally got back to Edinburgh, where I met up with Libby and Jordan for dinner. Kim joined us as well. After dinner we just went back to the hostel to chill out and drink whiskey since I wouldn't be able to carry it on the plane with me. I hadn't realized I had been drinking all day...cider at lunch, whiskey tasting, cocktail at dinner, then the whiskey! Needless to say, I was feeling great and slept really well, despite the stale air and so many bodies in that room. 4:35 AM came early and we trudged up to the train station to catch the bus to the airport. We got there with pelnty of time to spare. I still had a little less than half a bottle of whiskey so I thought I'd just try to get it through security since others got their toiletries through without taking them out or having them in a bag. They caught it and I had to leave it behind :-( I was sad too that they didn't sell that kind in the airport. We found food in the airport and then boarded for Dublin. We got back to Dublin around 9 AM so Jordan and I exchanged our pounds back to euros (had 54 pounds left over!). We had booked our bus back to Galway for 10:45 just to leave some room for a delayed flight or whatever. Luckily there was room on the 9:45 and they let us get on early. I slept all the way back to Galway and then some when I got back to the apartment...felt so good to be back in my bed and Galway <3. We went to see Harry Potter at 4....sooo good. It was great getting to see a movie in a different country too. Afterwards I was going to go into town to shop but decided to chill out at the apartments. I uploaded photos from the weekend and crashed for a little while. Ali and I wound up going to a small pub we hadn't been to. It was an older crowd but that was definitely fine with me. The guy playing music was around 40 and talked to us for a while...then a man around 60 came and talked to us. It was just a nice little place, and Ali and I had some great bonding time.
Today I have class for 2 hours, then heading into town for lunch and shopping with Libby! Not sure what else we will get into today....soo sad that my time here in Ireland is coming to an end :-(
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Dingle weekend
Finally getting around to updating this thing!
Friday we left for Dingle around 11:30 and stopped at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. We wandered around there and toured the castle for a while then had lunch in the Folk Park. It was pretty neat and I was happy to stock up on some more mead. Bunratty Castle is where the mead is actually made. After that we just drove on towards Dingle. I took several naps on the bus since it was such a long drive. Our hostel in Dingle turned out to be really nice! I was expecting a big room with bunk beds in it and a big community bathroom. I shared a room with Libby and Ali and we each had our own bed...mine was even a full size! I was definitely very pleased. After we chilled out a little we headed out into the town to look around and eat dinner. Dingle is really nice and reminds me a lot of Galway, except smaller. Everything is kind of situated around the harbor there. After dinner we went back to the room for a little while and then changed into cuter clothes for going out. We went back to the pub we had dinner in to listen to music and have a pint...cheapest Guinness I've found! Definitely slept well that night...beds were soooo comfy compared to the one back at the apartment.
The next morning we had a hot breakfast at the hostel complete with cereal, yogurt, juices, bangers, rashers, fried tomatoes, eggs, and toast. It was so delicious. Our first stop of the day was along the coast where we saw early Christian round huts, or "beehive" huts. These huts were made entirely of stone and we stood in the largest in Ireland. The next stop was Coumeenoole Beach. It was gorgeous with moss/grass covered cliffs all around. Afterwards we went on to the Blasket Cultural Center. There we watched a short documentary about the islands and looked around at different artwork and stories about the people that lived there. One girl had too much to drink the night before and threw up right behind me on the carpet in the movie theater. I was so ashamed that she was part of our group...and she should have gone to the bathroom if she was feeling that sick. Some people...anyway, we ate lunch there and then headed to see the Gallarus Oratory. It is a monastic site that is about 1300 years old and is the oldest specimen of dry rubble masonry...really well built and is still water proof...or so they say. Either way, it's still a really cool old building and it was neat getting to go inside...I love imagining how things were back then. The next stop was Kilmalkedar church, the largest and most prosperous church of County Kerry in its day in the 12th century. Probably the neatest things I saw at this site were the oldest sun dial in Ireland and an ogham stone. The sun dial dates back to the 8th century I think. The ogham stone is just a vertical stone with slash marks in it indicating different letters. The one we saw was a tombstone. It also had a hole in the top where ceremonies might have taken place for engagements and marriages. It's thought that the couple would each place a finger in the hole, joining them. By this time I was soo ready for a nap. All of us took one when we got back to the hostel and then headed out into the town again for dinner and more wandering. We stopped and had homemade icecream too....the Bailey's flavor was soo good. Since we spent money on kind of expensive ice cream, we skipped out on having a pint and headed back to the hostel to watch The Saint and chill out.
The next morning we had the same big spread of deliciousness. That hostel has set the bar high for all hostel experiences to come! My friend had to room with the girl that puked at the Blasket Center and her friend. Turns out the other one got trashed the night before and puked all over the bathroom...and left it for the hostel staff to clean. I was so upset when she told me about that. It not only makes her look like an ass but the rest of us too. The staff were incredibly nice and welcoming and she left them with that?? I really wish I had been near those girls to tell them off. Two days of unacceptable behavior is ridiculous. If they're going to be dumb enough to get sick from drinking the least they can do is clean up the mess. Aaand three weeks into being here...the crap needs to stop. Stepping off my soapbox now. We headed off out of Dingle and stopped for lunch in the village of Adare, Co. Limerick. It was a cute little village...I had french toast for lunch. It was ok but definitely not on par with Cracker Barrell or IHop :-p. We grabbed ice cream after (this is becoming a trend) and just chilled out until time to get back on the bus. After we got back to Galway I just relaxed the rest of the night and had some peaceful alone time.
Yesterday I went to class and then was lazy most of the day. I thought about working on my paper that is due on Friday but I got a call to come out with Libby, Rachel, Rachel's dad, and his girlfriend. We had dinner and then did some pub hopping, compliments of Rachel's dad (I definitely enjoyed the treat). We went to Taaffe's and enjoyed some traditional music for most of the night.
Today has been lazy. I may wind up working on that paper after all and writing to Grandma. Then later I'm getting together with the girls for True Blood!
Friday we left for Dingle around 11:30 and stopped at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. We wandered around there and toured the castle for a while then had lunch in the Folk Park. It was pretty neat and I was happy to stock up on some more mead. Bunratty Castle is where the mead is actually made. After that we just drove on towards Dingle. I took several naps on the bus since it was such a long drive. Our hostel in Dingle turned out to be really nice! I was expecting a big room with bunk beds in it and a big community bathroom. I shared a room with Libby and Ali and we each had our own bed...mine was even a full size! I was definitely very pleased. After we chilled out a little we headed out into the town to look around and eat dinner. Dingle is really nice and reminds me a lot of Galway, except smaller. Everything is kind of situated around the harbor there. After dinner we went back to the room for a little while and then changed into cuter clothes for going out. We went back to the pub we had dinner in to listen to music and have a pint...cheapest Guinness I've found! Definitely slept well that night...beds were soooo comfy compared to the one back at the apartment.
The next morning we had a hot breakfast at the hostel complete with cereal, yogurt, juices, bangers, rashers, fried tomatoes, eggs, and toast. It was so delicious. Our first stop of the day was along the coast where we saw early Christian round huts, or "beehive" huts. These huts were made entirely of stone and we stood in the largest in Ireland. The next stop was Coumeenoole Beach. It was gorgeous with moss/grass covered cliffs all around. Afterwards we went on to the Blasket Cultural Center. There we watched a short documentary about the islands and looked around at different artwork and stories about the people that lived there. One girl had too much to drink the night before and threw up right behind me on the carpet in the movie theater. I was so ashamed that she was part of our group...and she should have gone to the bathroom if she was feeling that sick. Some people...anyway, we ate lunch there and then headed to see the Gallarus Oratory. It is a monastic site that is about 1300 years old and is the oldest specimen of dry rubble masonry...really well built and is still water proof...or so they say. Either way, it's still a really cool old building and it was neat getting to go inside...I love imagining how things were back then. The next stop was Kilmalkedar church, the largest and most prosperous church of County Kerry in its day in the 12th century. Probably the neatest things I saw at this site were the oldest sun dial in Ireland and an ogham stone. The sun dial dates back to the 8th century I think. The ogham stone is just a vertical stone with slash marks in it indicating different letters. The one we saw was a tombstone. It also had a hole in the top where ceremonies might have taken place for engagements and marriages. It's thought that the couple would each place a finger in the hole, joining them. By this time I was soo ready for a nap. All of us took one when we got back to the hostel and then headed out into the town again for dinner and more wandering. We stopped and had homemade icecream too....the Bailey's flavor was soo good. Since we spent money on kind of expensive ice cream, we skipped out on having a pint and headed back to the hostel to watch The Saint and chill out.
The next morning we had the same big spread of deliciousness. That hostel has set the bar high for all hostel experiences to come! My friend had to room with the girl that puked at the Blasket Center and her friend. Turns out the other one got trashed the night before and puked all over the bathroom...and left it for the hostel staff to clean. I was so upset when she told me about that. It not only makes her look like an ass but the rest of us too. The staff were incredibly nice and welcoming and she left them with that?? I really wish I had been near those girls to tell them off. Two days of unacceptable behavior is ridiculous. If they're going to be dumb enough to get sick from drinking the least they can do is clean up the mess. Aaand three weeks into being here...the crap needs to stop. Stepping off my soapbox now. We headed off out of Dingle and stopped for lunch in the village of Adare, Co. Limerick. It was a cute little village...I had french toast for lunch. It was ok but definitely not on par with Cracker Barrell or IHop :-p. We grabbed ice cream after (this is becoming a trend) and just chilled out until time to get back on the bus. After we got back to Galway I just relaxed the rest of the night and had some peaceful alone time.
Yesterday I went to class and then was lazy most of the day. I thought about working on my paper that is due on Friday but I got a call to come out with Libby, Rachel, Rachel's dad, and his girlfriend. We had dinner and then did some pub hopping, compliments of Rachel's dad (I definitely enjoyed the treat). We went to Taaffe's and enjoyed some traditional music for most of the night.
Today has been lazy. I may wind up working on that paper after all and writing to Grandma. Then later I'm getting together with the girls for True Blood!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Half-way through :-(
So Tuesday was midterm day. I honestly didn't really study for it. Sam gave us a list of 5 topics that could be on the exam and told us to pick three to concentrate on. For the exam, we were given three topics to choose from and had to pick one to write a 2-3 page essay on. During class Tuesday morning he gave us a not-so-subtle hint as to which three topics would be on the exam sheet. I was going to write about the 4 different tomb types in Ireland but decided I didn't know enough about each one and didn't want to be cramming and get things wrong. Luckily I was really interested in Poulnabrone, the portal tomb we visited in the Burren and it was one of the topics for the exam. I had also read about it one day and the facts just seemed to stick. For the exam, everyone from all courses in the Irish Studies programme sat in one room and had an hour and a half for each exam...thank God I only had one! After seeing the exam booklet of paper I was afraid I wouldn't be able to write enough to even get on the second page but wound up filling up two pages exactly! I was surprised at how much I really did know and felt great coming out of there. Taking a class for fun relieves a lot of pressure on test taking. It's nice to not be so stressed out for an exam and still feel like I did really well on it.
After my exam I made a grocery run and had dinner at Libby's. Luckily there was enough time to squeeze in a nap before hitting up the city to celebrate. We wound up leaving around midnight because Halle did my hair and everyone was just hanging out having a good time in Halle's room. We went to a pub and a club...not so impressed with the club. It was just way too sleezy for me. Anyway, we wound up taking a taxi home because I had a blister so painful I couldn't bend my foot. Even when I got home and laid down it was hurting...definitely needed to be popped to relieve the pressure but I didn't have a needle or anything I could sterilize. I'm not sure what time I finally went to sleep but it was sooo late. Definitely didn't want to go to class but I did anyway the next morning at 11:30. After class I hung out in the student bar and ate lunch with some people and read my kindle. When I got home I took a glorious nap...walking home in the stinging wind and rain had me chilled to the bone. Then it was time for true blood and dinner night at Libby's. Great night but didn't sleep until the sun started coming up a little after 4!
Today I slept in til noon since I stayed up so late and then did some laundry. I even got adventurous and cooked! I fried some rashers and made cheddar eggs scrambled in bacon grease...soooo good. I made a sandwich with my leftover rashers for the field trip this afternoon. It had been raining all day so I was dreading the hiking around the Burren. The first stop we made was right along the side of the road, so no hiking there...it was just really chilly and rainy. Corcomroe Abbey was really nice. It was built in the 13th century but had new additions done in the 15th century...it still blows my mind how old things are around here. We had a great time walking around in it while Sam pointed out all the architectural flaws. As we drove further into the Burren, it started raining more. The hike to Cahercammaun, a medieval fort on a cliff, would have been at least 40 minutes there and back, so Sam decided not to take us there. We instead drove to a wedge tomb near the edge of the rode, the biggest in the Burren actually and it's unexcavated. That was pretty neat. Afterwards we stopped by a pub for a pint since that's what Sam loves to do :-p though I didn't really care for one. On the way home, the bus driver dropped us off at Dunnes since it's near Gort na Coiribe and we got some goodies to take back to Libby's, though the internet wouldn't cooperate so no True Blood :-(
Tomorrow I have class at 9 and then we leave at 11:30 for Dingle this weekend. It's a 4 hour drive (oh boy) so that's basically all we're doing tomorrow. I'm excited though and can't wait to see what Dingle has to offer! Updates to come Sunday night!
After my exam I made a grocery run and had dinner at Libby's. Luckily there was enough time to squeeze in a nap before hitting up the city to celebrate. We wound up leaving around midnight because Halle did my hair and everyone was just hanging out having a good time in Halle's room. We went to a pub and a club...not so impressed with the club. It was just way too sleezy for me. Anyway, we wound up taking a taxi home because I had a blister so painful I couldn't bend my foot. Even when I got home and laid down it was hurting...definitely needed to be popped to relieve the pressure but I didn't have a needle or anything I could sterilize. I'm not sure what time I finally went to sleep but it was sooo late. Definitely didn't want to go to class but I did anyway the next morning at 11:30. After class I hung out in the student bar and ate lunch with some people and read my kindle. When I got home I took a glorious nap...walking home in the stinging wind and rain had me chilled to the bone. Then it was time for true blood and dinner night at Libby's. Great night but didn't sleep until the sun started coming up a little after 4!
Today I slept in til noon since I stayed up so late and then did some laundry. I even got adventurous and cooked! I fried some rashers and made cheddar eggs scrambled in bacon grease...soooo good. I made a sandwich with my leftover rashers for the field trip this afternoon. It had been raining all day so I was dreading the hiking around the Burren. The first stop we made was right along the side of the road, so no hiking there...it was just really chilly and rainy. Corcomroe Abbey was really nice. It was built in the 13th century but had new additions done in the 15th century...it still blows my mind how old things are around here. We had a great time walking around in it while Sam pointed out all the architectural flaws. As we drove further into the Burren, it started raining more. The hike to Cahercammaun, a medieval fort on a cliff, would have been at least 40 minutes there and back, so Sam decided not to take us there. We instead drove to a wedge tomb near the edge of the rode, the biggest in the Burren actually and it's unexcavated. That was pretty neat. Afterwards we stopped by a pub for a pint since that's what Sam loves to do :-p though I didn't really care for one. On the way home, the bus driver dropped us off at Dunnes since it's near Gort na Coiribe and we got some goodies to take back to Libby's, though the internet wouldn't cooperate so no True Blood :-(
Tomorrow I have class at 9 and then we leave at 11:30 for Dingle this weekend. It's a 4 hour drive (oh boy) so that's basically all we're doing tomorrow. I'm excited though and can't wait to see what Dingle has to offer! Updates to come Sunday night!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Cliffs and mountains and hills, oh my!
So Saturday we got up bright and early to head to the bus stop for our trip to the Cliffs of Moher. We first stopped and let a group on the bus go on a walking tour of the Burren (definitely didn't need to do that...I'm getting 2 of those with archaeology class!) while the rest of us went to Aillwee Cave, which is in the Burren as well. It was only found in 1940 but it wasn't opened until the 70s because the farmer that found it kept it secret. We learned that he only found it because he went looking for his dog, who chased a rabbit into the cave. It was a pretty neat cave. There were bones and hibernation pits of the European brown bear, which became extinct a few hundred years ago. There were also pretty cool formations from the water seeping down through the rocks and depositing minerals. The guide was very knowledgable about how the cave formed and explained it to us. It's so neat to see the different layers and how water can carve something out of a mountain. After that we headed to the cliffs, which were amazing! We had to go up what seemed to be hundreds of stairs...but it was so worth it. The day was for the most part clear and sunny and the view was breathtaking. There were two sides you could go up, so I went on the shorter (2-3 km long) side where there was a better barrier along the cliff edge. Also, O'Brien's Tower was also on that side, which made for a pretty picture. My friends wanted to go on the longer side but there wasn't really a barrier, which freaked me out, so I didn't go. I wish I had gone now after seeing the pictures my friends took. A girl had told me about this guy kidding around and pushing her, not something I want happening to me. I just didn't think I could really enjoy the view with being so scared of that edge....it's 243m down to the rocky and wild ocean! I think it also freaks me out because people have died falling off the cliff. Anyway, I decided to go look around in the shops instead and finally found the mead I had been looking for! I was so happy. I bought two bottles of Bunratty Castle mead to take home :-). Afterwards we stopped in Doolin for lunch and at another spot along the coast for some pictures on smaller cliffs. It was definitely a good day, aside from my irrational worrying about falling off the cliffs :-p. Dad says Granny used to always talk about going there...so it was nice to live that dream for her. Maybe if I ever get to come back I can revisit the cliffs and spread a little of her ashes here. I think she'd love that.
Yesterday I went with NUI's Irish Studies programme to the Aran Island of Inis Mor, the biggest of the three islands. I was pretty worried about going because an announcement on blackboard said there would be cycling to Dun Aenghus and I never learned how to ride a bike! I went anyway and hoped for the best. We took a ferry over, which was a little choppy but not bad. Once there, I discovered I wasn't the only one who wouldn't be able to do the bikes. Those riding bikes picked them up from the rental place and headed out on their 6 km ride to the bottom of the dun. The others, myself included, had to wait for a shuttle van, so we shopped around in the sweater market. The Aran Islands are known for their sheep and wool garmets. I wound up buying a beautiful kelly green A-line sweater. I'm sad I won't be able to wear it right away at home but I definitely had to buy it. And it'll be nice for nights I dress up here. I wasn't thinking when I packed...so I left my sweater coat and blazer at home. The van was late getting to us...running on "spirit time" as they say. We still got over to where we needed to be in enough time to have lunch. I had beef guinness stew...delicious as usual. I also had a slice of homemade carrot cake....whoever said food in Ireland isn't good is seriously mistaken. An old man sat down at our table so we tried to talk to him....but he didn't seem like he could understand us. I think he only speaks Irish Gaelic. The main language on the island is Irish Gaelic, English is only taught as a second language. He may have never learned because he is from an older generation...pretty cool. So after a while everyone, van and bike riders, were united. My poor friend took a tumble off her bike...pretty scratched up and had a swollen knee. We started making our way up the hill to Dun Aenghus...which took a while. They allotted 30 minutes for us to get up it if that's saying anything. We had a tour guide to give us a little background...but I can't remember everything. We finally made it up to the top and the view was spectacular. The weather was once again on our side, a little on the hot side actually. We could see a good portion of the island and the cliff of Moher somewhat. We spent a lot of time laying along the cliff edge inside the fort ring taking daring pictures. I was about to have a heart attack because the cliff drops straight down into the sea...not a welcome site at all. But I managed to get a couple pictures laying on the edge before my good sense kicked in and I found somewhere else to enjoy the lovely views. Everyone else was making me nervous being on the edge as well. I never realized just how scared of heights I am...or maybe it's just the fear of falling. I was seriously having a mini panic attack...even thinking about it gives me that sinking feeling again. The cliffs are at least 100m high. The trek back down was much easier, though my knees begged to differ later in the day...something about hiking likes to flare up old sports injuries. Anyway, we looked around in the little shops and had tea while waiting on the van. On the way back to the ferry we came across a pretty bad bike accident so the van driver stopped to help. The ambulance truck was already there but an extra hand was definitely needed. I'm not really sure what happened but it seemed to be that the girl maybe hit the wrong brake coming down the hill and flipped. Her face was covered in blood and I'd be willing to bet there were broken bones as well. The ambulance took her to the tarmac so a plane could fly her to a hospital and the guy with her jumped in the van with us. He was covered in blood but I couldn't find any cuts so I'm guessing it was from her. We flew over the tiny roads to get back and so he could get back to her. I was just holding my breath, hoping we wouldn't meet another vehicle unexpectedly and crash. We almost did once...what a scare. I was definitely car sick by the time we got back. So we took the ferry back over to the mainland and I chilled out for the rest of the day. I was exhausted from so much over the past few days so I skipped out on going to a drag show some of the girls were going to.
Today I was lazy again. I basically stayed in bed all day reading archaeology stuff and stuff on my kindle. NUI held a 4th of July BBQ in the student center where we got 2 free "refreshments" and a meal voucher. They had burgers, chicken, sausage, slaw, potato and pasta salads, and regular green salad. It wasn't the best "BBQ" food I've ever had but it was free! I had refreshing Bulmer's cider with it...sooo good. We had a great time just hanging out in the student bar. Afterwards I headed to Dunnes for some cheap drinks and munchie food to watch True Blood at Rachel's. Definitely was a good day. I was hoping we'd have actual BBQ but I guess I'll have to wait til I get back home...Tipton's is calling my name! So is Giovanni's and Mi Pueblo...maybe Pancho Villa too. Haha No one does BBQ like in the south...namely North Carolina. People just don't understand. Anyway, I'm off to bed...this took much longer than I thought it would! Class at 9 and midterm exam at 3....bleh.
Yesterday I went with NUI's Irish Studies programme to the Aran Island of Inis Mor, the biggest of the three islands. I was pretty worried about going because an announcement on blackboard said there would be cycling to Dun Aenghus and I never learned how to ride a bike! I went anyway and hoped for the best. We took a ferry over, which was a little choppy but not bad. Once there, I discovered I wasn't the only one who wouldn't be able to do the bikes. Those riding bikes picked them up from the rental place and headed out on their 6 km ride to the bottom of the dun. The others, myself included, had to wait for a shuttle van, so we shopped around in the sweater market. The Aran Islands are known for their sheep and wool garmets. I wound up buying a beautiful kelly green A-line sweater. I'm sad I won't be able to wear it right away at home but I definitely had to buy it. And it'll be nice for nights I dress up here. I wasn't thinking when I packed...so I left my sweater coat and blazer at home. The van was late getting to us...running on "spirit time" as they say. We still got over to where we needed to be in enough time to have lunch. I had beef guinness stew...delicious as usual. I also had a slice of homemade carrot cake....whoever said food in Ireland isn't good is seriously mistaken. An old man sat down at our table so we tried to talk to him....but he didn't seem like he could understand us. I think he only speaks Irish Gaelic. The main language on the island is Irish Gaelic, English is only taught as a second language. He may have never learned because he is from an older generation...pretty cool. So after a while everyone, van and bike riders, were united. My poor friend took a tumble off her bike...pretty scratched up and had a swollen knee. We started making our way up the hill to Dun Aenghus...which took a while. They allotted 30 minutes for us to get up it if that's saying anything. We had a tour guide to give us a little background...but I can't remember everything. We finally made it up to the top and the view was spectacular. The weather was once again on our side, a little on the hot side actually. We could see a good portion of the island and the cliff of Moher somewhat. We spent a lot of time laying along the cliff edge inside the fort ring taking daring pictures. I was about to have a heart attack because the cliff drops straight down into the sea...not a welcome site at all. But I managed to get a couple pictures laying on the edge before my good sense kicked in and I found somewhere else to enjoy the lovely views. Everyone else was making me nervous being on the edge as well. I never realized just how scared of heights I am...or maybe it's just the fear of falling. I was seriously having a mini panic attack...even thinking about it gives me that sinking feeling again. The cliffs are at least 100m high. The trek back down was much easier, though my knees begged to differ later in the day...something about hiking likes to flare up old sports injuries. Anyway, we looked around in the little shops and had tea while waiting on the van. On the way back to the ferry we came across a pretty bad bike accident so the van driver stopped to help. The ambulance truck was already there but an extra hand was definitely needed. I'm not really sure what happened but it seemed to be that the girl maybe hit the wrong brake coming down the hill and flipped. Her face was covered in blood and I'd be willing to bet there were broken bones as well. The ambulance took her to the tarmac so a plane could fly her to a hospital and the guy with her jumped in the van with us. He was covered in blood but I couldn't find any cuts so I'm guessing it was from her. We flew over the tiny roads to get back and so he could get back to her. I was just holding my breath, hoping we wouldn't meet another vehicle unexpectedly and crash. We almost did once...what a scare. I was definitely car sick by the time we got back. So we took the ferry back over to the mainland and I chilled out for the rest of the day. I was exhausted from so much over the past few days so I skipped out on going to a drag show some of the girls were going to.
Today I was lazy again. I basically stayed in bed all day reading archaeology stuff and stuff on my kindle. NUI held a 4th of July BBQ in the student center where we got 2 free "refreshments" and a meal voucher. They had burgers, chicken, sausage, slaw, potato and pasta salads, and regular green salad. It wasn't the best "BBQ" food I've ever had but it was free! I had refreshing Bulmer's cider with it...sooo good. We had a great time just hanging out in the student bar. Afterwards I headed to Dunnes for some cheap drinks and munchie food to watch True Blood at Rachel's. Definitely was a good day. I was hoping we'd have actual BBQ but I guess I'll have to wait til I get back home...Tipton's is calling my name! So is Giovanni's and Mi Pueblo...maybe Pancho Villa too. Haha No one does BBQ like in the south...namely North Carolina. People just don't understand. Anyway, I'm off to bed...this took much longer than I thought it would! Class at 9 and midterm exam at 3....bleh.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Busy week!
Wow, so this might be a long post but I'll try to keep it short. This week has just been really busy and I haven't felt like typing up things after I get in so late every night.
So the main event on Tuesday, since everything else was just kind of blah (aside from sitting outside and chatting with my professor while he had a cigarette :-p), was the field trip to the Burren with my archaeology class. We rode for an hour and a half before ever getting there. The mountains were nice, but the land was insanely rugged. Limestone was everywhere and the ground was very misleading; some areas looked solid and were actually just crevices covered over by peat and moss or grass. I rolled my ankles several times with that. Anyway, the first stop was the prehistoric portal tomb, Poulanbrone. That was a pretty nifty site. The next site we went to wasn't as easily accessible. The bus drove us up as far as it could go on the little road and then we had to hike up the mountain to get to it. For whatever reason, the ancient people liked to build their cairns on the tops of mountains. Pain in the butt is what it is! In addition to the precarious footing, we were hiking up steep parts in some places and crossing over several stone fences/walls. The second one we came to came up to about my hip level so I figured I could just straddle it and throw my legs over one at a time. Definitely was a great concept because my feet basically touched each side. When I brought my 2nd leg over, though, I knocked a stone loose since there really isn't any mortar and it crashed down on my big toe. That hurt like hell! What's worse is I had to keep hiking up and then back down again. Luckily I didn't break anything but it was not feeling good at all. Anyway, the 2nd site we went to was Poulawack...what looks like a big pile of rocks. I was like really??? I hiked all this way and smashed my toe for that?? The view was nice, though I think I'd appreciate these tombs more if I could see what was in them. On the way back down we stopped at another little cave-like site. Sam said it was used for defense and he even crawled in and out of it...not something I'd do!! It was a neat little cave. I was so happy to get back to the bus...it was definitely a long day! Some of the girls had a little gathering to eat and such but I stayed long enough for a glass of wine and hit the bed early!
Wednesday was a rather lazy day for me. My toe was still recuperating and I had class. I wanted to go to the Irish class but was so exhausted that I just didn't go. I did get a lovely nap and laundry done though! Then we all got dressed up and went out for Jordan's 20th birthday, which was a lot of fun. The King's Head had 5 euro cocktail night, so I was happy. I even tried a baby Guinness! It's just a shot of kahlua with bailey's on top...soooo good. Definitely gonna have to do that with Daniel when I get home! Anyway, I slept well that night even though we got in around 1 AM.
The next day, Thursday, I headed off to Maynooth to see Dana. The bus ride was supposed to only take 3 hours but wound up being closer to 4. At one stop early on in the ride an old man sat down beside of me and was just babbling on about something. I could only pick up a word here and there because he had a thick accent and was missing several teeth. Would have been nice to have a conversation with him but he seemed a little...not completely with it. He had a bread bag with a few quiches in it...so random. Anyway, I made it to Maynooth and had lunch with Dana. Then we walked around the little town and the campus of NUI-Maynooth, where we met up with her friend, Bonnie. We had a lot of fun just chatting and strolling. The campus is really pretty and quite old. After a while we went back to Dana's apartment to hang out and take a nap until Eoin got home. He made us a very tasty dinner of spaghetti bolognese and before I knew it it was time to head back to the bus stop! I was really glad I got to come and I definitely approve of him...I just need to find one now! haha The ride home wasn't bad and didn't go too far off schedule. I was going to take a taxi from the city to the apartments so I wouldn't have to walk 20 minutes by myself at 1 AM but Libby and Ali offered to come meet me and walk back...which was great!! It saved me from paying for a taxi and the worry that something might happen. Traveling has a way of tuckering you out so I went to bed pretty soon after getting back.
And finally, today I went with Libby, Ali, and Regan to Connemara. We got a great deal, two day tour trips for 22 euro! Anyway, we didn't know exactly which bus station to go to and long story short, we didn't go see the Cliffs of Moher today because the bus was too full and we only made it to the other bus going to Connemara because the bus driver was nice. We were walking sooo fast trying to make it in time. I was tired before the trip even started! haha Anyway, it was a great day....the scenery was absolutely gorgeous despite the tiny and bumpy roads. One girl got really car sick and I felt bad that I didn't have my phenergan on me. We made a few stops to take pictures and such, but the main highlight was Kylemore Abbey. It is situated in such a gorgeous spot, mountains and the lough right there. Ireland is so amazing. We toured the abbey and neo-gothic church there, as well as the massive victorian gardens. The weather couldn't have been better...pretty cloudy but very sunny at times and warm. I was pretty nauseous myself by the time we got back to Galway due to the bumpy, curvy roads so I took some medicine and conked out. In the morning we are heading to the Cliffs of Moher so I can't wait! I feel like such a nomad...wandering from place to place this week. It's great because I'm getting to see so much! It's hard to believe that the 2nd week is nearly over :-(
So the main event on Tuesday, since everything else was just kind of blah (aside from sitting outside and chatting with my professor while he had a cigarette :-p), was the field trip to the Burren with my archaeology class. We rode for an hour and a half before ever getting there. The mountains were nice, but the land was insanely rugged. Limestone was everywhere and the ground was very misleading; some areas looked solid and were actually just crevices covered over by peat and moss or grass. I rolled my ankles several times with that. Anyway, the first stop was the prehistoric portal tomb, Poulanbrone. That was a pretty nifty site. The next site we went to wasn't as easily accessible. The bus drove us up as far as it could go on the little road and then we had to hike up the mountain to get to it. For whatever reason, the ancient people liked to build their cairns on the tops of mountains. Pain in the butt is what it is! In addition to the precarious footing, we were hiking up steep parts in some places and crossing over several stone fences/walls. The second one we came to came up to about my hip level so I figured I could just straddle it and throw my legs over one at a time. Definitely was a great concept because my feet basically touched each side. When I brought my 2nd leg over, though, I knocked a stone loose since there really isn't any mortar and it crashed down on my big toe. That hurt like hell! What's worse is I had to keep hiking up and then back down again. Luckily I didn't break anything but it was not feeling good at all. Anyway, the 2nd site we went to was Poulawack...what looks like a big pile of rocks. I was like really??? I hiked all this way and smashed my toe for that?? The view was nice, though I think I'd appreciate these tombs more if I could see what was in them. On the way back down we stopped at another little cave-like site. Sam said it was used for defense and he even crawled in and out of it...not something I'd do!! It was a neat little cave. I was so happy to get back to the bus...it was definitely a long day! Some of the girls had a little gathering to eat and such but I stayed long enough for a glass of wine and hit the bed early!
Wednesday was a rather lazy day for me. My toe was still recuperating and I had class. I wanted to go to the Irish class but was so exhausted that I just didn't go. I did get a lovely nap and laundry done though! Then we all got dressed up and went out for Jordan's 20th birthday, which was a lot of fun. The King's Head had 5 euro cocktail night, so I was happy. I even tried a baby Guinness! It's just a shot of kahlua with bailey's on top...soooo good. Definitely gonna have to do that with Daniel when I get home! Anyway, I slept well that night even though we got in around 1 AM.
The next day, Thursday, I headed off to Maynooth to see Dana. The bus ride was supposed to only take 3 hours but wound up being closer to 4. At one stop early on in the ride an old man sat down beside of me and was just babbling on about something. I could only pick up a word here and there because he had a thick accent and was missing several teeth. Would have been nice to have a conversation with him but he seemed a little...not completely with it. He had a bread bag with a few quiches in it...so random. Anyway, I made it to Maynooth and had lunch with Dana. Then we walked around the little town and the campus of NUI-Maynooth, where we met up with her friend, Bonnie. We had a lot of fun just chatting and strolling. The campus is really pretty and quite old. After a while we went back to Dana's apartment to hang out and take a nap until Eoin got home. He made us a very tasty dinner of spaghetti bolognese and before I knew it it was time to head back to the bus stop! I was really glad I got to come and I definitely approve of him...I just need to find one now! haha The ride home wasn't bad and didn't go too far off schedule. I was going to take a taxi from the city to the apartments so I wouldn't have to walk 20 minutes by myself at 1 AM but Libby and Ali offered to come meet me and walk back...which was great!! It saved me from paying for a taxi and the worry that something might happen. Traveling has a way of tuckering you out so I went to bed pretty soon after getting back.
And finally, today I went with Libby, Ali, and Regan to Connemara. We got a great deal, two day tour trips for 22 euro! Anyway, we didn't know exactly which bus station to go to and long story short, we didn't go see the Cliffs of Moher today because the bus was too full and we only made it to the other bus going to Connemara because the bus driver was nice. We were walking sooo fast trying to make it in time. I was tired before the trip even started! haha Anyway, it was a great day....the scenery was absolutely gorgeous despite the tiny and bumpy roads. One girl got really car sick and I felt bad that I didn't have my phenergan on me. We made a few stops to take pictures and such, but the main highlight was Kylemore Abbey. It is situated in such a gorgeous spot, mountains and the lough right there. Ireland is so amazing. We toured the abbey and neo-gothic church there, as well as the massive victorian gardens. The weather couldn't have been better...pretty cloudy but very sunny at times and warm. I was pretty nauseous myself by the time we got back to Galway due to the bumpy, curvy roads so I took some medicine and conked out. In the morning we are heading to the Cliffs of Moher so I can't wait! I feel like such a nomad...wandering from place to place this week. It's great because I'm getting to see so much! It's hard to believe that the 2nd week is nearly over :-(
Monday, June 27, 2011
So yesterday it was great sleeping in until 12 after the long day in Dublin. I wanted to go to the cathedral but there are plenty more services to go to. I met up with some girls and we ventured into the city for some food and shopping. It was drizzling, so a good day for shopping. We stopped at McDonagh's since it was highly recommended for fish and chips. And it was goooooood. My first fish and chips while here actually! The tartar sauce was even good...and I don't do tartar sauce. I think it had dill in it. Super tasty. Anyway, afterwards we just looked in different shops and I got a few things for people. We even went in the shop of the original claddagh ring makers. They had a small room set up as a museum with old rings and such. She explained how the original rings are uniquely casted one by one with intricate detail and have an official stamp on the inside from Ireland...kind of like a registered trademark I suppose. I'd like to have one but definitely not buying for myself...defeats the whole purpose of the ring. After that, we went to Butler's, the Irish chocolate shop. I bought some chocolate and we all got a hot chocolate since it was chilly out. Soooo good with whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top! I think Kelly would love this store as much as she loves Godiva haha. On the way back to the apartments we stopped by Aldi's for a few groceries and the rest of the day I just chilled out at the apartment.
Today I had class at 11:30. We talked about the first farmers and how those kinds of communities spread. We also looked at different types of pottery that went along with the farming communities. I honestly was spacing out from staying up too late so I guess I'll go find it in the book and read over it...though I think this class is pretty chill. Our first test is next week and from what I understand he's going to be very clear about what is on it. Tomorrow is our first field trip to the Burren to look at prehistorical archaeological sites....can't wait!! I'm hoping it doesn't rain. After class I just hung out with some girls and waited for the optional Irish language class to start. Let me just say, the Irish language is sooo confusing...I'm gonna have to study my pronounciation charts and stuff they gave us because Spanish and Latin was a breeze compared to this. I'm really excited they are offering these optional classes because there is so much Irish, in this region especially, and it's going to be great to at least know how to say the words!! I think she said there were 7 or 9 Celtic languages...craziness. I love it though and am definitely pumped for these classes, which are twice a week. After Irish was over, I chilled out on the couches in the concourse and waited for the optional seminar on emigration to start. I was really wanting a nap but I also want to soak up as much as I can while I'm here, so I toughed it out. The seminar was pretty interesting. I never realized how normal it was for young Irish people to go live in other countries for a period of time. It's interesting to see the cultural differences between the Irish and Americans. I think that while we are a melting pot of many cultures, we are cultured very little in the rest of the world. We have so many opportunities right here that we don't need to go other places, and many people don't go see how other countries are. I think it's really sad. They pointed out now how fewer people are going to other countries from Ireland because of security issues, along with the Celtic Tiger of the 90s of course that was a major economic boom for Ireland. I think traveling and experiencing other cultures should definitely be encouraged. After the seminar I was soooo tired but went back to the apartment to finalize travel arrangements to Scotland (:-D) and have dinner. I discovered that we have house keeping...they changed my sheets, gave me a new towel, emptied the trash, and maybe washed the dishes? Not sure if one of the roomies did that or not...anyway, I was shocked that we had all that! Definitely not complaining...it was nice to come home to that, though I wish I had known so my room would be a little neater :-p
After dinner I was just laying in bed contemplating whether to read something or just go ahead to sleep...even though it was around 8 PM. Then I heard Libby and Jordan calling my name (I keep my window open all the time for the amazing breeze here in Galway). I love it, talking to them from my window haha. Anyway, we wound up going to Dunnes for a few things and drinks and went back to Rachel's apartment. We hung out for a while painting nails and reading magazines while True Blood loaded and then watched it in Rachel's room, complete with munchies and alcohol. It was such a good time...definitely something we have to do every Monday night. I'd love to go out to the pubs every night but it's just really expensive and we always wind up staying out late. Having a girls' night was definitely a lot of fun and a good alternative.
Anyway, so I am going to Edinburgh, Scotland with Libby ( and hopefully Ali and Jordan as well) July 15-17th. I'm really excited and went back and forth as to whether or not I should do this but I finally decided (with some words of wisdom) to just do it. So, I'm nervous about figuring out my way into another country but that's half the fun. I have the airfare and hostel booked and will be booking my bus ticket to the airport later. After that, who knows what will come up but I'm excited!!
Today I had class at 11:30. We talked about the first farmers and how those kinds of communities spread. We also looked at different types of pottery that went along with the farming communities. I honestly was spacing out from staying up too late so I guess I'll go find it in the book and read over it...though I think this class is pretty chill. Our first test is next week and from what I understand he's going to be very clear about what is on it. Tomorrow is our first field trip to the Burren to look at prehistorical archaeological sites....can't wait!! I'm hoping it doesn't rain. After class I just hung out with some girls and waited for the optional Irish language class to start. Let me just say, the Irish language is sooo confusing...I'm gonna have to study my pronounciation charts and stuff they gave us because Spanish and Latin was a breeze compared to this. I'm really excited they are offering these optional classes because there is so much Irish, in this region especially, and it's going to be great to at least know how to say the words!! I think she said there were 7 or 9 Celtic languages...craziness. I love it though and am definitely pumped for these classes, which are twice a week. After Irish was over, I chilled out on the couches in the concourse and waited for the optional seminar on emigration to start. I was really wanting a nap but I also want to soak up as much as I can while I'm here, so I toughed it out. The seminar was pretty interesting. I never realized how normal it was for young Irish people to go live in other countries for a period of time. It's interesting to see the cultural differences between the Irish and Americans. I think that while we are a melting pot of many cultures, we are cultured very little in the rest of the world. We have so many opportunities right here that we don't need to go other places, and many people don't go see how other countries are. I think it's really sad. They pointed out now how fewer people are going to other countries from Ireland because of security issues, along with the Celtic Tiger of the 90s of course that was a major economic boom for Ireland. I think traveling and experiencing other cultures should definitely be encouraged. After the seminar I was soooo tired but went back to the apartment to finalize travel arrangements to Scotland (:-D) and have dinner. I discovered that we have house keeping...they changed my sheets, gave me a new towel, emptied the trash, and maybe washed the dishes? Not sure if one of the roomies did that or not...anyway, I was shocked that we had all that! Definitely not complaining...it was nice to come home to that, though I wish I had known so my room would be a little neater :-p
After dinner I was just laying in bed contemplating whether to read something or just go ahead to sleep...even though it was around 8 PM. Then I heard Libby and Jordan calling my name (I keep my window open all the time for the amazing breeze here in Galway). I love it, talking to them from my window haha. Anyway, we wound up going to Dunnes for a few things and drinks and went back to Rachel's apartment. We hung out for a while painting nails and reading magazines while True Blood loaded and then watched it in Rachel's room, complete with munchies and alcohol. It was such a good time...definitely something we have to do every Monday night. I'd love to go out to the pubs every night but it's just really expensive and we always wind up staying out late. Having a girls' night was definitely a lot of fun and a good alternative.
Anyway, so I am going to Edinburgh, Scotland with Libby ( and hopefully Ali and Jordan as well) July 15-17th. I'm really excited and went back and forth as to whether or not I should do this but I finally decided (with some words of wisdom) to just do it. So, I'm nervous about figuring out my way into another country but that's half the fun. I have the airfare and hostel booked and will be booking my bus ticket to the airport later. After that, who knows what will come up but I'm excited!!
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