Goodbyes

My last view of Ireland from the plane

After arriving back in Galway where the Cliffs of Moher tour ended it came time to do the thing that I had been dreading since about Day 2 in Dublin. That, of course, was saying goodbye to Laura. While in Ireland Laura was my best friend, confidant, roomie, and partner in crime. It is really tough to put into words exactly what she meant to me while I was abroad, so it obviously extremely hard to say goodbye to her. Not to mention, she lives in Melbourne so it was not like if I started missing her I could see her without flying 36 hours.

Anyway, we found the bus back to Dublin from Galway and I (of course) started crying. We didn't want to drag it out too much though and I got on the bus with Grace while everyone was staring at me because I was obviously crying (it's not like that is the first time that has happened).

Grace and I got into Dublin around 10 pm and took the last walk to the bus stop. I didn't want to say goodbye to the city that had welcomed me 4.5 months ago, but, as Andrea Bocelli would say, it was "time to say goodbye."

And when we got back to UCD is was not pretty. Basically I had to pack my life up into three suitcases and try to get it underweight before our 7:55 am flight to London. My distress is somewhat evident in my blog entry for that day. I let Grace sleep and began packing (while playing Glee on my computer). We didn't get our bags underweight but everything was packed and ready when we got the cab to the airport at about 5 am.

And before I knew it I was on a plane flying away from the country that became my home...

The Cliffs of Moher and Burren

Laura, me, Grace

We woke up rested in the Amber Lodge B&B and after packing headed downstairs for the full Irish breakfast. We ate our share and then left the bed and breakfast. Our first stop was Laura's hostel for the next night so that we could drop her baggage off before the tour we booked. The tour was with Galway Tour Company and was going to take us around the Burren, which is the land on the west coast of Ireland to the South of Galway and to the famous Cliffs of Moher. The tour was full of all sort of sights, though, and here they are!

First up was the fairy fort. A fairy fort is a fort from the early people of Ireland that is basically a ring of earth that their huts were within. Also, in the center of the fort was a small tunnel that went into the ground. This was used as a sort of ancient refrigerator. The people would simply bring their food down their to keep it cool. However, after these people had left and others found the fairy forts they believed that the tunnel must have been where the fairies came out of the earth, hence the name "fairy fort." It was a very green and beautiful place and the entire time my eyes were peeled for leprechauns; if they were here I was not going to find them anywhere.

Fairy Fort

Can you see the leprechaun?

Up next were the dolmens. These are megalithic tombstones. It is essentially a few rocks laid on one another to form a structure and the body is buried underneath. They are scattered all over Ireland and basically just look like a pile of rocks. Many people don't even know they are looking at them and even if they do they still just look like a pile of rocks.

Dolmen

While on the bus the driver pointed out the famine walls. These walls were built by people during the famine in exchange for food and government aid. It was basically the CCC English style (Ireland was then part of the UK). The major difference between this relief (which came from England, who many criticize as not helping the Irish people enough during the famine) and the New Deal's CCC is that these walls served absolutely no purpose. They were simply walls running up and down the mountainside that were built so the British had a reason to give the Irish food because the British refused to give them something for nothing, even food that keep them alive. All in all, I've learned that The Great Famine is simply depressing; there seems to be absolutely no silver lining to it unless you were worried that the island was getting too crowded.

After driving through the Burren landscape we stopped in Doolin, which is known for its traditional Irish music. We got lunch at a pub and the food was just ok, nothing to write home about and since my blog is in a sense a way to "write home," I'm not going to write about it.

Up next was the main event: The Cliffs of Moher. They are one of the things in Ireland that everyone has heard of or been to, and I have to say, they did not disappoint me. They are just so massive and powerful that  I couldn't help but be taken away by them. We walked up to the cliffs and there was a wall around them so that people would not blow off. Although you may chuckle at this it is not something that they take lightly after too many people have met their fate falling the 700 feet off the cliffs. There is even a memorial there for these victims. Anyway, the wall was distracting from our oneness with nature so we went over to the area that was apparently private property. That of course did not stop hundreds of tourists from going onto this private property and taking in the cliffs without a wall in their way.

And so we took a walk on the wild side (literally) and went into the "private property." As we were taking pictures there a couple that seemed to be kind of giddy asked us to take their picture. While they were posing a man passed and said congratulations to the couple. Then I noticed the giant diamond on the woman's hand so I asked if they just got engaged and she said yes! The man had proposed on the Cliffs of Moher! How cute. And then they snacked on some apples.

The rest of our time at the cliffs consisted of the three of us basking in the sunlight and watching the waves hit the cliffs. It was simply perfect.

Inishmor- Galway

The three of us began our day by stopping by the Spar to get some breakfast which consisted of some less than delicious sausage rolls and also got some digestives to have as a snack later on in the day. We then rented some bikes and were off to explore the island of Inishmor.

We began riding around the island when before we knew it we were trapped in a stampede. It was a blur but I'll try to describe it as best I can. We were riding our bikes up a road (we barely saw anyone on the island and were the only ones on the road) when I saw three cows running around the bend next to a ruin. I naturally screamed "stampede!" Following closely behind the cows was a car carrying an angry farmer. The cows stopped but as soon as they saw the farmer jump out of the car they began running again. I think that it is safe to say that it was a near death experience.

Irish Style Stampede

Our first stop was the Dun Aengus, an iron age fort, which was described in my first Aran Islands post from March (when I first went with Carolyn and Kristina). It was a less than ideal day to look at the cliffs due to the fog (typical Ireland) but we still had fun sitting up there, eating digestives, and of course, having a photo shoot.

After taking our photo shoot and digestive snack at Dun Aengus and seeing the Seven Churches we went in search of lunch and since Supermacs is my favorite and I was leaving Ireland ion a couple of days we seized the opportunity and stopped in the Supermacs on Inishmor (one of only a couple restaurants there). We got a tenders meal (as per usual) and it just so happened that the Ellen Degeneres Show was on the TV in Supermacs. It might be due to the lack of TV over the semester or perhaps due to the fact that the guest was Lea Michele of Glee fame but Laura and Grace wanted to stay and watch so we did. It was nice relaxing after a rough bike ride and we got back in touch with our American side. And stay in touch with our Irish side as we ordered another order of tenders (they are pretty much amazing).

Laura & Claire- International BFFs

After lunch we returned our bikes and went back to the hostel to get all our belongings. And catch the ferry back to the mainland. The ferry ride was pretty nondescript and after about two hours of transit we arrived back in Galway, where we were staying at the Amber Lodge Bed and Breakfast. I really wanted Grace to experience a true Irish B&B while she was in Ireland so we splurged and got one. After spending a lot of time in hostels (including sharing a room with three very drunk men the last night you cannot imagine the joy of having the room to ourselves (and even having a bathtub).

After checking into the B&B and verifying that it had free Wifi we headed out to a pub for dinner. It was a typical Irish pub and had patches on the wall from US police departments, including one from Cook County and another from Naperville. It was like being back in the land of Lincoln.

While in the restaurant we realized Glee was on (we had heard an advertisement for it on the ferry) and I kindly asked the waiter if he could put on Fox. He responded, “I don’t think boxing is in season,” but then I repeated myself and he set to work trying to find Fox on the TV. I saw it come up on the guide and went up to the bar to tell the bartender. I said, “Is there any way you could put on Glee,” and he said, without hesitation, “No way in hell.” And that was that; no Glee for me.

Typical rundown of the food: I had Irish stew (had to get it in while I had the chance) and Gracie had bangers and mash, which included black pudding, so I think she is the fiercest eater I know.

After dinner the three of us started a mission to find Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream, which I got Laura addicted to. As our last night together we wanted to get some ice cream and watch “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” just like back in good ol’ Roebuck 1. Our mission took us all the way out of the city centre of Galway and into the less quaint part, which had the Tesco and the ice cream. We bought some, along with a People magazine, and then set off back to the Amber Lodge B&B. We were all pretty tired and Laura offered to pay for a taxi back to the B&B so, after having some trouble hailing a taxi we were on our way back to the Amber Lodge.

Once we got back we took turns attempting to take baths (the faucet wasn't working well) and Laura was especially excited about it because she has not had a bath in three years! Three years! There is a draught in Australia and you can't take baths; I don't know how she has lasted that long. Anyway, it was nice to have a room to ourselves, instead of being in a hostel and after washing up and checking our emails we watched "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" while eating Phish Food ice cream. It was pretty perfect.

Go Carlton Blues!

I have a new favorite Australian Football team!

Tonight Laura and I ventured into downtown Dublin to go to The Woolshed, an Australian sports bar in order to watch the footy (Australian Football) game. Laura is a diehard Carlton fan and we had to cheer them on against the evil Brisbane Lions. There is currently a grudge between the two clubs and it was a must-see game for Laura so I was happy to tag along.

We ordered some food to our Australian waiter, who was surprised to see two Americans so involved in Australian football. Laura explained to him that she was Australian and he said he didn't notice because he was so overwhelmed by my American accent. I think Laura is going to try and find some Australian friends because she fears she is turning American after one of her own didn't recognize her.

Since arriving in Ireland I have fallen hard for many Irish boys. Unfortunately, all of them are were revolutionaries and have been executed by the British government at least one hundred years ago. But rooting for a team is always more fun if you have a favorite, so my Carlton crush is number 40, Jameson. Laura says he is one of the best defensemen in the league. Go #40! Expect fanmail from me soon.

It wasn't such a hot game for the Carlton Blue Boys. They were doing so dismally that we had to leave at halftime (and we also have to leave our dorm tomorrow morning at 3:30 am). We stopped by Tesco on our way to the bus stop to get some goodies for our Paris trip and then headed home to pack and prepare for our Parisian oddessey.

Small Adventures

My life has calmed down a great deal since the month that was Spring Break, St. Patrick's Day, and the arrival of Carolyn and Kristina but that doesn't mean I don't have small adventures.

Small Adventure 1: Yesterday I had to take the bus into town in order to use the Wifi in a McDonald's. I had to submit a scholarship application and for some reason I could not get to their server from the UCD network. I braved the Dublin rain and got my scholarship in while munching on some "twisty fries." I plan on writing Micky D's and suggest they bring those bad boys to America.

Small Adventure 1.5: Laura was in the city as well and texted me so we could meet up at McDonald's. She had to go into town to get a new boot for her poor injured foot but all the medical supply stores were out of her size. I guess a lot of people with her size foot have stress fractures too. We decided to try the Crunchie Bar McFlurry. For those of you who don't know, Crunchie Bars are my new favorite Cadbury chocolate bar which consists of this honeycomb like thing covered in chocolate. Very tasty. They were on sale for Easter and I bought more than I care to disclose.

Small Adventure 2: I made Thai curry for dinner last night (and had the leftovers today). This is about the fourth time that I have made it since I've been in Dublin because it is a fairly easy and hardy dish but yesterday was the most successful attempt due in part to the fact that I found baby corn. I also added potatoes, green beans, and chicken, not to mention rice; it's a Thai stew of sorts.

Last night I danced/sang in my room to a medley of songs from Sweeney Todd and Billy Elliot, but that's not so much an adventure as a habit.

Small Adventure 3: Today it snowed in Dublin. I spent a lot of time doing work and avoiding work. Tonight my internet was acting up so I decided to work in the computer lab and put on comfy clothes to do it. Before we came here we were told not to look like Americans. Somehow I think my Fighting Illini sweatpants, Delta Sigma Pi sweatshirt and shirt, Northface, and Vera Bradley bag betrayed me in my attempts to look Irish. After working (or procrastinating) I came back to the apartment and me and Laura had some fried potatoes while chatting and singing a duet of "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret.

Hospitals, Pancakes, and Newsies- Oh My!

This was the first day in who knows how long that I have been able to sleep in, but I’m not complaining about being busy traveling about Ireland. I’m still livin’ the dream.

After a somewhat lazy morning Laura knocked on my door to vent about the fact that someone had drank half her Diet Coke 2 liter and most of her unopened parmesan cheese. We went on the passive-aggressive warpath and wrote a post-it asking whoever stole her food to fess up. Our roommate Claire came forward confessing that she was very drunk and ate the food, and apologized by giving Laura five euro to buy new food. That was nice of her to come clean. I’m just curious what her drunk food was considering she ate Laura’s parmesan and my ketchup was out.

Laura’s foot had been bothering her for a while and our hike in Glendalough had not done it any good so she asked me if I would accompany her to the hospital to get it checked out. I was down for an adventure so we walked over to St. Vincent’s, which was just down the road. She got registered right away and then we sat in the waiting room for quite a long time watching a soap opera on BBC which perplexed us, mostly because the waiting room was loud and we missed a lot of dialogue. After about two hours she went back for x-rays and said that I could leave because she didn’t know how long it would be.

The Tesco (supermarket) was right across the street so I headed over there to get supplies for dinner. Jen and I were having a movie date to watch one of my favorites, Newsies. We wanted blueberry pancakes for dinner so I picked up some pancake/Yorkshire pudding mix and was on my way.

Laura came back to the apartment and let me know that she had a stress fracture in her foot and had to be on crutches for the next week. We are supposed to go to Paris on Friday so I am hoping that she is well enough to walk around and take Paris by storm. I started mixing up the pancakes when Miss Jenni showed up and we started cooking. I don’t know what, if anything, we did wrong, but those pancakes are not like the ones I am accustomed to having in America. Maybe pancakes are different here but if you closed your eyes and ate our pancakes they tasted exactly like Yorkshire pudding (which makes sense because it was also Yorkshire pudding mix). I’m not really complaining, but it was extremely odd. Now I know not to trust Tesco brand pancake/Yorkshire pudding mix.

Then it was time for main event- Newsies. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this classic Disney musical, it is about newsboys in turn of the century New York who strike against Joseph Pulitzer. It is a really inspiring story which has a lot of truth to it. The newsboys of that time did strike against the most powerful man in New York- and won! And the best part of the movie is that it stars Batman himself, Christian Bale. Adolescent Christian Bale sings and dances with the other newsboys and does a great job. And the choreography is superb! And the music is by Alan Menken! And it’s directed by Kenny Ortega of High School Musical fame! What more can you ask for? Seriously I highly recommend it and Jen and Laura loved it too.

In conclusion:

Hospital- bad, pancakes- debatable, Newsies with my international crew- amazing!

Happy Australia Day

Australia Day Celebration!

After an average day of one class Laura taught us how to celebrate Australia Day! One thing that has been great about being abroad is meeting Jen and Laura, from Canada and Australia, who have already shared so much about their homes. Laura had just arrived from a weekend in Amsterdam and was going to make us sausage, which is the typical fare for Aussie Day, but the Irish supermarkets did not have sausage to her standard, so we had a cook-out in our apartment which had an Australian flag hanging in it to show our love of everything Australian. I fried up some burgers in a skillet and the other four girls joined us for dinner. For dessert Laura made pavlovas, which was a meringue with whipped cream and strawberries on top. They were delicious and I hope she makes these every Tuesday.

Pavlovas

Laura just got back from Amsterdam and had plenty of stories for us, many of which I wish I never heard. She did, however, go to The Annex. Just hearing her talk about it evoked an emotion from me, so I don't think I can go there unless I have tranquilizers. We are discussing stopping at a concentration camp during our spring break tour of Eastern Europe (we're actually planning it now, but I needed a break from searching for hostels). As of right now the plan is to fly into Berlin and go through Prague, Vienna, and end in Budapest. I cannot wait, but it's not so fun looking at the costs piling up. Oh well.

That's all for today! I put in extra pictures because I know Rachel likes them.

Tours

If you are curious, here is a tour of my apartment:

Stunning view from the sitting area. It's even more beautiful in person.

Does this building look familiar? It's the Quinn Business School which we think looks exactly like BIF.

Today after some more advising and orientation we went back to the city centre to explore a bit and buy more things to settle in. Here are some pictures from the trip:

This is a building in Dublin that was pretty. It has an arcade of shops inside.

St. Stephen's Green used to be a medievel commons but now is a park in Dublin.

Most of the houses in Dublin are brick and have colorful doors. When I ride the bus into the city centre all you see are rows of brightly colored doors. I had to get this one as the bus was stopped.

Typical Irish pub. Note the Guinness logos and Irish flag.

Tonight I am just staying in, along with my travel buddies. It had been a long couple of days of just settling in and getting used to the city and school. We have also gone grocery shopping everyday. It's so weird being in the store and not seeing familiar brands on the shelves. I wanted peanut butter but there was no Skippy, Jiff, and Peter Pan. I did however find a jar that said "american style." I do not know what that means because I went with the cheapest brand. Things are very expensive here. 1 euro equals approx. 1.5 USD. The only time I didn't buy the cheapest choice was when I was buying chicken tenders; that could be iffy.

Dublin Fact of the Day: The population of Dublin is 1.4 million.