St. Patty's Day

Today the entire world is Irish and I was at the epicenter of celebration. Or maybe not.

Brittany and I headed into Dublin City around 10 am to meet up with Laura and catch the parade running down O’Connell Street at noon. Taking the bus into the city centre was an adventure in itself because of all the people decked out in green, and I think about ninety percent of them did not speak English, our first clue that we might not be partying it up with the locals. I did however mention that I too was a local everytime I met another local. "Oh, you've lived in Dublin your entire life, as did all your ancestors? I'm a local too! I'm studying at UCD for four months."

On the bus we did see a lot of Irish people going to church. St. Patrick’s Day was a completely religious celebration until about the 1990s when Dublin started having a parade instead of being upstaged by New York and Chicago (and no, they do not dye the River Liffey green.) The pubs in Dublin were not even open for St. Patrick’s Day until 1995! I hesitate to even imagine of all the profit they missed out on considering I was in the Temple Bar today and they were charging 18 euro for a Jagerbomb.

We walked around a little once we got there and treated ourselves to Shamrock Shakes from McDonald’s which was more of a taste of home than a taste of Ireland. We found a spot by the parade route and waited for the parade to start. I anticipated a nice parade with a lot of Irish dancing and people dressed up like leprechauns, perhaps throwing Lucky Charms into the audience, but this was not the case with the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day parade. The theme was “Extraordinary World” and the costumes and floats were kind of odd looking and very colourful. The irony is that thousands of people came from all over the “extraordinary world” to see an authentic St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Ireland and it featured nothing Irish. It was a beautiful sunny morning though.

A taste of the "Extraordinary World"

After watching a great deal of the parade we made our way over to Croke Park, the sports stadium here in Dublin, to watch hurling and Gaelic football matches. This is what the locals do on St. Patrick’s Day and we had a lot of fun. Hurling is an interesting game because it’s like field hockey but also unlike anything that I’ve ever seen. You can not only hit the ball with the hurling stick but also catch it and throw it. They even “dribble” the ball on the end of their stick while they run.

Playing some hurling

Line up for one of the teams. It contains: 3 Gallaghers, 3 McGourtys, and 2 Kellys.

The match was between the Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny and Port Omna. The man in back of us explained the rivalry between the two counties and claimed that this was supposed to be a great match. At the end of the match, however, he said that he was wrong and it wasn’t that exciting. I still found it entertaining and this is for sure something that I can’t do in Chicago.

After the hurling match finished it was time for Gaelic football, another very old sport from the Emerald Isle. This game is similar to rugby and today was the national championships between St. Galls and Kilmurray. Laura especially liked this sport because it reminded her of her “footy” team back in Australia.

Some football players. In the background is the Hill 16 Standing which was made from the rubble of the 1916 Easter Rising as a sort of memorial.

Those men that look like lab technicians are actually the refs. They wear white coats.

At half time I got a text from my friend from U of I Sarah. It is a little known fact that I actually knew one person going to UCD and living in Dublin before I came overseas. It turns out that my friend/brother Jane’s roommate is dating a guy that goes to UCD named Hughey and I met him once while he was visiting U of I. It turns out that he is my RA here and Sarah moved here after she graduated from U of I in December. Anyway I see both of them frequently around campus and they were going to be at Croke Park today as well so we met up and I sat next to them. It was really nice sitting by Hughey because he could answer all the questions we had and Sarah is so sweet. Hughey also looks out for us and reminded us numerous times to stay out of the bad neighborhoods today and to talk to the police about where the buses could pick us up.

Sarah and Hughey

After the game finished we headed over to Temple Bar to meet up with Jen and her friend. I’m sure I’m not surprising you when I say that it was extremely crowded in that area of town and by that time most people were beyond drunk. We spent a little time there but we were so tired after our non-stop past couple of weeks and the crowds were too much. I felt like a local because I was so annoyed by the thousands of tourists.

It was a great day that was unforgettable. We got to do the tourist thing by seeing the parade and going to Temple Bar and also hung out with the locals at the GAA Championships.

St. Patrick's Eve

Taking a small break from Spring Break blogging to bring you some good old Irish craic.

People dancing in the street

Today Laura, Brittany, and I headed downtown to catch some of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities which did not disappoint. The mood of the city was great and there more than a few goofy green hats.
When we first got there we went to go see the event that was taking place by St. Stephen’s. There was a stage set up and some musicians playing. There were even some people within the crowd doing Irish dance. Brittany and I tried our hand at the Irish dance that they were teaching us but we just got dizzy.

After spending some time there we went shopping for some St. Patrick’s gear but then we came up with the plan to just buy it on Thursday when it would be on sale. We’re so thrifty. We walked around a little bit more soaking in the festive atmosphere. Laura had to go meet up with other friend Margaret at Trinity so she left and Brittany and I went grocery shopping for dinner. We decided on having chicken Caesar salad for dinner and got the supplies for that.

After taking the bus home I made dinner while Brittany played Irish music to get in the festive mood. After dinner we spent time blogging and uploading photos together. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Berlin- Day 2

Building at Sanssouci

Our second day in Berlin turned out to be the least eventful of the entire trip, in part because we were still missing Jen and Stacy and in part because none of the gardens at Sanssouci weren’t in bloom because it was March. Here is the recap:


We woke up early-ish and headed down to breakfast in the hostel. The breakfast there was decent and the rolls that they served were phenomenal; we each had about three. After breakfast we had to check-out then check-in because we were gaining two people and you have to redo the whole things when two more come. It wasn’t that much of a hassle though. We then headed out to the royal city of Potsdam.

Potsdam wasn’t that hard to get to because we just took the subway to the train and rode that for a while. Everyone was pretty tired on the bus but the forests that we passed on our way there were beautiful and really gave me the feel of being in Germany. After all, the thing I most associate with Germany is the Black Forest because I am a fan of their ham.

Once we got to the train station we had to take a bus to the actual palace and park. Once we got there we walked around the royal gardens taking pictures. I’m sure in the spring and summer it is beautiful because even in the winter it was a nice stroll. There were a lot of stairs there and on one particularly long stretch we ran up while singing the song from Rocky. Because it was so cold the water in the fountain was frozen and Laura had never seen a frozen body of water before because she is from Melbourne, Australia so it was a big day for her. Wait until Vienna where she sees a squirrel for the first time.

Gardens

Palace

When we got to the palace of Frederick the Great it was a giant let down because all the brick façade was fake. No joke. And it wasn’t even nice looking fake bricks, just some plywood with bricks stenciled on. The LT stage craft class could have done a better job. If I am right about my German history, the palace got bombed during the last days of the war which might account of the façade, but I don’t know. But I digress. While in the bathroom the washroom attendant (you have to pay to use washrooms at many tourist attractions) asked Laura if she was Australian and followed that up with “Didn’t Australia fight in World War I and II?” Laura is not sure where this was going because she answered yes and then ran away into the sanctuary of the woman’s room.

After finishing up there we went into the town and got some food at Bistro XXL which served kababs, which Brittany and Stevie ate, among other things. Laura and I had the pommes fritas (French fries) as recommended by Papa Fish. While we were there these cute triplets, which were about two kept coming up to us and trying to talk. We were unsure if we couldn’t understand them because they were speaking baby talk or some other language but there was for sure a language barrier. After a late lunch we walked around the town a shopped a little. It was a really cute place and it was nice to be outside the city.

Streets of Potsdam

One adventure occurred when we were trying to catch the bus back to the train station. Brittany, Stevie, and I ran across traffic to catch it but Laura decided that they did not want to risk their lives and were stranded on the other side. Brittany went on the bus to tell them to wait for a minute for Laura but the bus just ended up leaving with her on it. It wasn’t a big deal but a small adventure none the less.

Stevie, Jen, Brittany

We got back to the hostel and waited for Jen and Stacy to arrive from the airport. They came a day later because Jen’s boyfriend was in and left that morning. Once they got there we primped and went out in search of food. We ended up eating at Der Kartoffelkeller. It was really cute because it was kind of in the basement and had brick walls. They had a lot of potato dishes which isn’t surprising considering the name translates to The Potato Cellar. Laura and I split schnitzel, a German specialty, and fried potatoes with bacon and onions. Yes, it was as good as it sounds. Both Jen and Stacy got beer there because it is literally cheaper than water. Unfortunately they said that the beer they got tasted like Keystone Light. Just like being back in Chambana. Our dinner conversation consisted of Stevie and I elaborating on the long term effects of an affluent childhood and especially attractive physical characteristics on the development of children, especially when your father is the lawyer of the man who murdered your mother's best friend. In case you hadn’t guessed, we talked about the Kardashians, one of my favorite topics.

After we finished all our potatoes we went in search of nightlife but really couldn’t find any. Maybe we were in the wrong part of town and West Berlin has all the bars and clubs but we came up empty handed. Stacy and Stevie decided to continue to search while the rest of us went back to the hostel to clean up. We then did some journaling and budgeting and headed to bed because tomorrow promised to be an adventure filled day.

Berlin- Day 1

Brandenburg Gate

And so the recount of the adventures that occurred on Spring Break begins. I wrote in my journal every night and many nights the whole "Dublin Wolfpack" journaled together (one of the best memories of the trip), so this should be a pretty detailed account. Buckle up because a lot happened!

On March 6, 2010, Brittany, Stevie, Laura, and I headed to the airport to catch an Aer Lingus flight to Berlin. We ended up running for the bus that brought us to the airport which was not necessary because we got there very early. We used this time to chat and ponder how safe it was to get on a plane where they allowed my razor through security. They also didn't even check our passports until we boarded the plane. I'm here to tell you that the Irish are really as easy going as you hear. Another interesting thing about a lot of flights in Europe is that you board the plane on the tarmac. I don't know if this is typical or if I am just taking really cheap airline carriers that can't afford those little hallways. I don't mind the tarmac and have been know to give a little Miss America wave when walking down the stairs from the plane.

We landed in Berlin a little late but I didn't mind because I was excited to be in the Heidi Klum's homeland and to get my passport stamped. I was also energized because in anticipation of coming to Central Europe I listened to the soundtrack to The Sound of Music on the plane. I think Laura might have been embarrassed as I mouthed the words and teared up a bit during "Edelweiss." We then took a train to the subway a finally ended in the heart of Berlin where we used the compass on Laura's luggage to find our hostel.

One of the highlights of Berlin was all the David Hasselhoff glory. As we approached our hostel there were a group of boys dressed up like David Hasselhoff, complete with wigs and life preservers. I, of course, have a soft spot in my heart for "the Hoff" because he too went to Lyons Township High School and graced the Reber Center stage. I was even voted "The Next David Hasselhoff" for senior superlatives along with my friend Robert Montgomery. People ask me why I was given this honor and I tell them it is because I have great hair and look good in a bathing suit.

In Berlin we stayed at the City Hostel and it was very nice and had a great location. The first four to arrive got a room to themselves and when Jen and Stacy came all six of us were together like we were at camp. Over the entire trip our good luck with hostels and hotels continued.

City Hostel Berlin

The first thing that we wanted to do when we got there was find some dinner and we asked the front desk worker where he recommended. He sent us pretty far away from the hostel and we couldn't really find any good authentic German restaurants so we ate at an Asian fusion place. It was good food, although spicy, and the waitress didn't bring us water for the longest time. The four of us were all happy to be on vacation and that night there was a lot of laughs.

After dinner we went to see the Brandenburg Gate lit up at night. We took some pictures there, and I even took pictures for another group of people and counted to three in German. I thought that this was amusing but I think the other girls were just embarrassed.

We walked around that area and did some souvenir shopping then headed to find some dessert. There was a nice Italian place that seemed to have good gelato so we headed in there. We got inside and I kinda thought that it smelled like dog so naturally I said something to the other girls. This started a question of whether we could stay there due to the aroma of man's best friend so I tried to tell them that it only smelled like bread. This gave us one of the best quotes from Laura: "smells like bread...rubbed in dog." We decided to stay there and ordered two things of ice cream, one of which looked like spaghetti but was really ice cream.

We got back to the hostel and checked our email and called our parents. Checking our emails and responding became quite hard during the trip because the keyboards there are very different, the biggest difference being the switching of the z and y keys. Also, whenever I tried to type an apostrophe I got an "a" with an umlaut. I hope this explains some of the typos you may have received over the past ten days.

We turned off the lights early but kept talking a laughing like we were at a sleepover. All in all it was a good start to the Spring Break adventure!

The Spring Break Adventure continues with Berlin- Day 2.

Spring Break Awaits!

Spring Break has come and although I am so excited to travel around Europe, it is bittersweet because I am almost halfway done with my semester abroad. But enough of that, let's talk about my upcoming trip!
Tomorrow I leave the UCD campus at around 8:30 am in order to catch the 11:45 flight out of Dublin Airport arriving in Berlin at 2:55. The first day I am just traveling with Brittany, Laura, and Stevie; Jen and Stacy are metting us in Berlin the next day.

The six of us leave Berlin very early on Tuesday 3/9 in order to get to Prague by 11:30. We're taking the train and it is supposed to be a very scenic trip. The first say we are just going to hang around Prague but on Wednesday at 1:00 we are traveling to Terezin Concentration camp. I have already started preparing myself emotionally.

We leave Prague at 2:30 on Thursday and head to Vienna by train. I am staying with my frat brother Alyssa there and don't have a lot planned.

After two days in Vienna we travel to Budapest by bus on the 13th of March and spend the next two days there, flying back to Dublin on March 15th, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. It is going to be an exhausting but amazing trip!

Dublin Castle

Ladies' Drawing Room in Dublin Castle

I decided to take advantage of my Heritage Pass, which gives me free entry to many places in Ireland, and visit Dublin Castle. It's not really an authentic castle but it was well worth the visit. Today it is used for government events, like state dinners and the presidential inauguration.

I got there at about 1:25 and the next tour was at 2:15 so I got a croissant at the Dublin Castle Cafe and they relaxed in the sunlight in the courtyard. Here are some pictures from the tour:

After the Irish president leaves office they receive a coat of arms which is displayed at Dublin Castle. Currently Mary McAleese is president, and before her was Mary Robinson. Therefore after Mary McAleese leaves office in 2011 it will mark 21 years of having a female president, the longest run of anywhere in the world. When McAleese ran in 1997 she was one of 5 candidates, 4 of which were female and the females got 95% of the vote. (I listened very attentively during the tour.)

Plaster on the ceiling depicting Minerva giving wisdom to Hibernia, who represents Ireland.

Throne in Throne Room. The Queen doesn't really come sit here anymore after Ireland got it's independence.

Chandelier in the throne room representing Scotland, England, and Ireland. It weighs a ton, literally.

Dining room with pictures of past viceroys. Notice the picture at the far end of the room. It is a portrait of Cornwallis and since he was not popular it is hung lower than all the others. I am not making this up; the Irish hold grudges.

Room where the inaugurations take place.

Ceiling in the inauguration room.

After touring the castle we went down underneath it and saw the remains of the viking castle dating back to 1204. The original castle mostly burned down in the 17th century but these walls remain. Very cool.

Reminds me of my basement.

After my 45 minutes tour I went and did a little shopping because I am growing a little tired of my limited wardrobe. I made a friend in the dressing room after this girl offered her opinion on the dress I was trying on (I was grateful because it saved me the effort of finding a gay salesman to enable me to buy clothes.) I told her how I had only brought two suitcases to Ireland. When I decided not to buy anything I offered the girl my coupon for 15% off. "You're not going to buy anything? What about your general lack of clothing?" What a sweetheart.

*I apologize but I am having a hard time getting these pictures to center.

Update: When I open the blog in Safari they appear to be off-center but when I open it in Internet Explorer they are centered. Curious and upsetting considering I'm a formatting junkie.

International Experience

Yesterday the US lost to Canada in the Men's Hockey Final and I witnessed it- sitting with a bunch of Canadians in an Australia bar in Dublin.

My friend from class, Kayla, invited me to go downtown with her to watch the match with some of her friends and considering I have not watched a single minute of the Olympics I jumped at the opportunity. We went to an Australian sports bar, The Woolshed, down on Parnell Street. It was a nice place that was filled with Canadians. Even the bus going there was filled with Canadians. I guess this is like their big show that only comes around every four years so every Canadian in Dublin came out with their maple leaf apparel to watch it. We did have some US representation (I was also sitting with four other Americans) because one fellow American brought a US flag and hung it from one of the windows.

All in all, it was a priceless experience, even though the US lost in overtime and I had to listen to Canadians running up and down O'Connell Street screaming. And I got caught up on my WWE Wrestling because naturally one of the two televisions on the first floor was showing that.