Hello everyone!
Sorry this is a little late, but I’ll update you on my trip to Italy finally! We left on Sunday May 3 and after the bus to Dublin, flight to Bologna, and the bus to the train station, we found out that we missed the last train to Florence. We decided to stay in the train station until the next train, which was at 6:15. We played Banana Grams and read and took turns napping in the train station. It was definitely an interesting experience. Then Monday morning, we got on the train to Florence. We found our hostel and checked in, then took a nap to get energized. We got gelato and wandered the city, then ate dinner and went to bed early.
Tuesday, we went to the hills of Tuscany with the Tuscany Bike Tours. We had to take a van up there, and then we got a tour of the Royal Castle that makes Chianti wine and olive oil. We got a free tasting of both and it was so cool to see how they make it and to taste it. We rode our bikes throughout the hillsides and stopped for lunch. We got a huge meal with salads, fried pizza dough, pasta, dessert, wine and cappuccino! It was delicious. We had so much fun talking with the girls we met on the tour and with our amazing tour guides. We rode our bikes some more and then stopped so that the guides could warn us about the steep hill up ahead. They said that even professional bikers have problems with it because it’s so steep, and if we didn’t think we would be able to make it, we should get in the van and put our bikes on the trailer. I thought I could do it, so I started going up, but I had my bike on the lowest gear and it felt like I was going backwards. I went for as long as I could, but I had to stop. Just about all of the people who attempted it were getting in the van. It was me and another girl and a man that were still going. We walked our bikes up the hard part and then rode them up the rest of the way to the top. It was so intense, but I was too stubborn to get in the van ☺ After the hill, we had a water break then rode back to the castle and drove back to Florence. We went to Pop Café and got mojitos (it was cinco de mayo..haha). This café has free appetizers if you order a drink, so it was fun to go out to and it was cheap. We hung out there with some of the girls that were on our tour and our tour guide. It was so much fun to talk with them.
Wednesday, we saw the Jewish Synagogue and wandered the city some more. We walked through the market and got some scarves and bracelets. It’s so interesting to walk through the streets in Italy because everyone is so fascinated with my hair. I had multiple people ask to take a picture with me…haha it was so strange to see that. Then that night we went to La Giostra for dinner. It was such a fabulous meal. They served champagne before we ordered, then we had a bottle of Chianti wine and a tray of appetizers. Then we got risotto asparagus, pear ravioli and balsamic steak. We had ice cream with hot berries and rinsanto wine for desert and then they brought out limoncello! It was a huge meal and they just kept bringing stuff to us. We were there for 5 hours and had so much fun.
Thursday, we walked to Piazza Michaelangelo. We had to climb up to it, but we got a beautiful view of Florence. We sat and read and had gelato all day. It was so relaxing. Then we checked out of our hostel and took the train to Rome. We met with the Bus2Alps tour and took the bus to Sorrento. We didn’t get there until 4 in the morning and then had to find our bungalows in the woods. It was exhausting, but we were so excited for the weekend.
Florence Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=457931024/a=157881010_157881010/
Friday, we left at 8 for the Isle of Capri. We took the ferry and stopped at the Blue Grotto. We had to get out of the ferry and into little paddleboats that took us into the cave. The ceiling was so low in the entrance that we had to lay down in the boat to get in! It was so beautiful in there! It’s one of the 7 wonders of the world because the cliffs don’t reach the bottom of the ocean floor, so when the sunlight comes in, the water looks neon blue! It was so amazing! Then we got back on the ferry and got to Capri. We walked all the way up to the top of the city for a great view of the coast, then walked through the city. We got a free limoncello tasting and had lunch, then went back to the beach by bus. We met two older couples from Wales on the bus and they were so friendly and nice to talk to. It’s been so amazing how many cool random people we’ve met on these trips. Then we relaxed on the beach for a while, took the ferry back to Sorrento, and went into town for dinner.
Saturday, we took the bus to Positano. We walked down to the beach and just lay out and relaxed. Erin and I rented a motorboat with some girls and went to go cliff jumping. We had to jump out of the boat and swim to the cliff in the middle of the water, then climb up the side. It was hard to get up and scary to climb up because it was so steep, but we made it. It was only about an 8 foot jump, but I was so scared. I finally did it and it was so cool. I’m so glad I did it! Then we took the boat back and lay out and had some gelato. Then we got back to our bungalows that night a little sun burnt and made pasta in our bungalow with some of the girls we met on the trip.
Sunday, we took the bus to Pompeii. Mount Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago and the lava completely covered the ancient city. About a hundred years ago, archeologists started to uncover the city and found that it was completely preserved. It was so cool to walk through and see how old everything was and how amazing it is that things are still preserved even though they were covered in lava. We saw the courthouse, markets, houses, gym and bathing area, a brothel, and even human bodies encased in plaster. It was so fascinating! That evening, we took the bus back to Rome and found our hostel and went to bed.
Amalfi Coast Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=463713024/a=157881010_157881010/
Monday, I woke up and Melissa and Erin walked me to the bus stop. We had to say goodbye and it was so hard because we had been spending so much time together lately. I took the bus to the airport, flew back to Dublin, took the bus back to Galway and finished up my packing. I went out with my roommates and some of my Irish friends for the last time. We had so much fun, it definitely made it harder to leave.
Tuesday, my roommates drove me to the bus stop and we said goodbye. It was so great to have such amazing roommates. I couldn’t have asked for better roommates. We had so much fun and I can’t wait to see them again. I took the bus to Dublin, got on the plane and landed in Chicago, got my bags and met my parents. It was so good to see them again ☺ Then we went to the Taco Bell to fulfill my 4 month craving! I came home and was so out of it, but my whole family and friends and Keith were there to surprise me! I was so surprised and shocked. It was so good to see everyone, especially after such a long 22 hours of traveling.
It feels so good to be home and see everyone again. I had the most amazing time abroad and I wouldn’t change anything about it. It was hard at times, but I made it through and I’m so thankful for all of my amazing experiences. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I can’t wait to go back to Ireland some day ☺ Thank you for all of your support and love. I am so lucky to have so many important people in my life! I love you all and I’ll be seeing you soon ☺
Friday, May 22, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Last week in Ireland
Hello everyone!
I can’t believe I just had my last week in Galway! I had a final for my Imagining Modern Ireland class on Tuesday, then the girls and I went to Monroe’s for our last night of Irish dancing. We ordered pizza and got to dance with Mike for the last time. I danced with him for a few songs, and I even remembered the dances from the last times! It was so much fun… I’m really going to miss going there.
Wednesday was Maggie’s last night, so we made dinner and went to a few of our favorite Irish pubs for the last time. We walked her to the bus stop at 3:30 and it was really hard to say goodbye. We all live so far away from each other and it’s hard because we don’t know when we are going to see each other again.
Friday, I had my final for my Politics of Northern Ireland class. It was really hard to study for because it’s an upper level class and I think I needed to know more basic information and I didn’t, but I think I knew enough for the essays to pass. I’m now officially on summer vacation!
Today, we walked around town and went to the market, walked to Salt Hill and the beach for the last time. It’s so strange that I’ve been walking around here for 4 months and living here, and now I have to leave. I know I’ll be back some day, but it’s definitely hard to say goodbye.
I leave tomorrow for Florence and the Isle of Capri in Italy. I’ll be back on May 11th, and I’ll hang out with my Irish roommates for the last time, then early May 12th, I leave for home! I can’t believe it’s already a week away. It’s so sad to leave, but I’m so excited to see everyone again! I love you all and hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon after my arrival to the states! ☺
Here's a few pictures from our last nights:
http://www2.snapfish.com/confirmflexupload/AlbumID=358705024/flexupload=true/imagecount=1
I can’t believe I just had my last week in Galway! I had a final for my Imagining Modern Ireland class on Tuesday, then the girls and I went to Monroe’s for our last night of Irish dancing. We ordered pizza and got to dance with Mike for the last time. I danced with him for a few songs, and I even remembered the dances from the last times! It was so much fun… I’m really going to miss going there.
Wednesday was Maggie’s last night, so we made dinner and went to a few of our favorite Irish pubs for the last time. We walked her to the bus stop at 3:30 and it was really hard to say goodbye. We all live so far away from each other and it’s hard because we don’t know when we are going to see each other again.
Friday, I had my final for my Politics of Northern Ireland class. It was really hard to study for because it’s an upper level class and I think I needed to know more basic information and I didn’t, but I think I knew enough for the essays to pass. I’m now officially on summer vacation!
Today, we walked around town and went to the market, walked to Salt Hill and the beach for the last time. It’s so strange that I’ve been walking around here for 4 months and living here, and now I have to leave. I know I’ll be back some day, but it’s definitely hard to say goodbye.
I leave tomorrow for Florence and the Isle of Capri in Italy. I’ll be back on May 11th, and I’ll hang out with my Irish roommates for the last time, then early May 12th, I leave for home! I can’t believe it’s already a week away. It’s so sad to leave, but I’m so excited to see everyone again! I love you all and hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon after my arrival to the states! ☺
Here's a few pictures from our last nights:
http://www2.snapfish.com/confirmflexupload/AlbumID=358705024/flexupload=true/imagecount=1
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wicklow National Park and Croagh Patrick
Hello everyone!
I have a few things to update you on. Last week was Easter Sunday, and it was really hard to be away from home. We couldn’t celebrate here how we usually get to celebrate with family and friends, but we improvised. We went to mass and then my American friends and I died Easter eggs and played tag and other games outside because it was pretty nice weather. Maggie’s sister and her friend were visiting and the only thing she knows how to make is tacos so that’s what we had for our Easter dinner. It was a lot of fun to celebrate together. I got to talk to my whole family on Skype and even though it wasn’t the same as being there, it was nice to see everyone. At least that was the last major holiday that I have to be away for. I have less than three weeks left!
Last Wednesday, my friends and I went to Wicklow to see the Wicklow National Park, where P.S. I Love You was filmed. It was a really rainy, windy, cold day, so the pictures didn’t really turn out and we didn’t get a good feel of what it looks like. It’s too soon in the season for it to look like it did in the movie because the flowers aren’t in bloom until June. We got to see a 6th century monastery started by St. Kevin. Then we walked through the woods behind it, and got a great view of the mountains. It was very beautiful, even though it was foggy. I wish we could have had better weather, but I suppose if you wait around for a nice day of weather in Ireland, you’ll be waiting for a while.
Pictures of Wicklow:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=330065024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
The rest of the week was filled with getting some papers done. I’m done with my two final papers, so now I just need to get to work studying for my two final exams. I can’t believe that in a couple weeks, I’ll be done with my Junior year!
Yesterday, Melissa, Maggie and I went to climb Croagh Patrick. It is in Co. Mayo and it’s where St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland. It’s a very religious place, in fact thousands of people climb it every year to make a pilgrimage for St. Patrick. A lot of people climb it on Easter and then have mass on the top of the mountain. The really hardcore pilgrims climb without shoes on! When we got there and started climbing, we thought we were climbing to the smaller of the two mountains, but when we got there, we realized that we were climbing to the big one. It wasn’t too bad, but at parts it got really steep. Towards the top, it was basically a complete vertical incline. There were a lot of loose rocks that made it a little trickier, but the challenge was great. On the way up, I stopped to catch my breath for a little bit, and looked over and there was a sheep standing right next to me. It stared at me for a while, and then started running down the mountain. I wish I had my camera with me to prove it ☺. It took us 2 hours to climb. When we made it to the top, the view was extremely beautiful. It was such a warm, sunny day, and the skies were so clear, we could see out over Ireland. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. There was a small church on top of the mountain, but it was locked, so we couldn’t go in it. Then we started the climb down, which was almost harder than the climb up, because of the loose rocks and the steep path. Melissa and Maggie fell down a few times, and crazily enough I didn’t fall at all. We all lost our balance a few times and we took a lot of pictures and laughed a lot. It only took about one hour to get down, though. We met so many cool people on the way up and on the way down. Everyone was so friendly and encouraging. We got on the bus to Westport which is the nearest town to the mountain, and realized that we read the bus schedule wrong and there were no buses leaving that night back to Galway, so we had to ask a bus driver and he told us to take a cab to a town that was 20 minutes away so we could get on that bus back to Galway. It was just frustrating because it was an added expense that we hadn’t planned. But oh well, we got back to Galway safe and sound. Then we went to Monroe’s and had pizza and watched Irish dancing. I only have one more night at Monroe’s left!
Pictures of Croagh Patrick:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=330489024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Other than that, things are going really well. I’m trying to get everything in now that I only have a couple weeks left in Ireland and one week in Italy. I’ll be coming home on May 12th and I can’t wait to see everyone! Love you all and see you in less than a month ☺
I have a few things to update you on. Last week was Easter Sunday, and it was really hard to be away from home. We couldn’t celebrate here how we usually get to celebrate with family and friends, but we improvised. We went to mass and then my American friends and I died Easter eggs and played tag and other games outside because it was pretty nice weather. Maggie’s sister and her friend were visiting and the only thing she knows how to make is tacos so that’s what we had for our Easter dinner. It was a lot of fun to celebrate together. I got to talk to my whole family on Skype and even though it wasn’t the same as being there, it was nice to see everyone. At least that was the last major holiday that I have to be away for. I have less than three weeks left!
Last Wednesday, my friends and I went to Wicklow to see the Wicklow National Park, where P.S. I Love You was filmed. It was a really rainy, windy, cold day, so the pictures didn’t really turn out and we didn’t get a good feel of what it looks like. It’s too soon in the season for it to look like it did in the movie because the flowers aren’t in bloom until June. We got to see a 6th century monastery started by St. Kevin. Then we walked through the woods behind it, and got a great view of the mountains. It was very beautiful, even though it was foggy. I wish we could have had better weather, but I suppose if you wait around for a nice day of weather in Ireland, you’ll be waiting for a while.
Pictures of Wicklow:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=330065024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
The rest of the week was filled with getting some papers done. I’m done with my two final papers, so now I just need to get to work studying for my two final exams. I can’t believe that in a couple weeks, I’ll be done with my Junior year!
Yesterday, Melissa, Maggie and I went to climb Croagh Patrick. It is in Co. Mayo and it’s where St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland. It’s a very religious place, in fact thousands of people climb it every year to make a pilgrimage for St. Patrick. A lot of people climb it on Easter and then have mass on the top of the mountain. The really hardcore pilgrims climb without shoes on! When we got there and started climbing, we thought we were climbing to the smaller of the two mountains, but when we got there, we realized that we were climbing to the big one. It wasn’t too bad, but at parts it got really steep. Towards the top, it was basically a complete vertical incline. There were a lot of loose rocks that made it a little trickier, but the challenge was great. On the way up, I stopped to catch my breath for a little bit, and looked over and there was a sheep standing right next to me. It stared at me for a while, and then started running down the mountain. I wish I had my camera with me to prove it ☺. It took us 2 hours to climb. When we made it to the top, the view was extremely beautiful. It was such a warm, sunny day, and the skies were so clear, we could see out over Ireland. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. There was a small church on top of the mountain, but it was locked, so we couldn’t go in it. Then we started the climb down, which was almost harder than the climb up, because of the loose rocks and the steep path. Melissa and Maggie fell down a few times, and crazily enough I didn’t fall at all. We all lost our balance a few times and we took a lot of pictures and laughed a lot. It only took about one hour to get down, though. We met so many cool people on the way up and on the way down. Everyone was so friendly and encouraging. We got on the bus to Westport which is the nearest town to the mountain, and realized that we read the bus schedule wrong and there were no buses leaving that night back to Galway, so we had to ask a bus driver and he told us to take a cab to a town that was 20 minutes away so we could get on that bus back to Galway. It was just frustrating because it was an added expense that we hadn’t planned. But oh well, we got back to Galway safe and sound. Then we went to Monroe’s and had pizza and watched Irish dancing. I only have one more night at Monroe’s left!
Pictures of Croagh Patrick:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=330489024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Other than that, things are going really well. I’m trying to get everything in now that I only have a couple weeks left in Ireland and one week in Italy. I’ll be coming home on May 12th and I can’t wait to see everyone! Love you all and see you in less than a month ☺
Monday, April 13, 2009
Family in Ireland!
Hello everyone!
I have quite a few things to catch you up on, so I’ll get started. Last Wednesday, I had class until 3, so after class, I went to the Galway Cathedral to meet my family. I had tried to find their bed and breakfast, but I couldn’t, so we decided that the cathedral was a good landmark. When I turned the corner, I saw Mom, Dad, Aubrey, Tami and David standing on the steps. Dad and Aubz came running at me with open arms. After lots of hugs and kisses, we went into the Cathedral and I showed them around. Next we went to Taaffes, one of my favorite pubs in Galway. Everyone had their first Guinness, then we went to Riordan’s for dinner, then went back to Taaffes for some Irish music. We all walked from town, back to my apartment so they could see where I live. I think now they sympathize a little more with how much walking I have to do here. ☺ After that, we went to our Bed and Breakfast called the Sea Breeze Lodge in Salt Hill. It was such a cute B&B with an amazing view of the ocean. Everyone was pretty exhausted from two full days of traveling, so they went to bed at about 8:30.
Thursday, we got up and had an amazing breakfast and I got to meet Freddy, the owner of the Sea Breeze. He has a dog named Charlie, who is exactly like Willy, our old dog. He’s just a little fatter and hairier, but he reminded us so much of Willy. Dad, David, and I went to the airport to get the rental car and drove back to the B&B. David did a really good job driving on the other side of the car on the other side of the road! I was very proud of him, and by the end of the trip, he got a hang of the round a bouts and the GPS system. ☺ We came back and picked up everyone else and I showed them around Galway. I had to go to my last class at NUIG, so I left to hand in my paper and met up with them later. We walked along the beach and touched the Atlantic Ocean. We went to a pub and then to an Italian restaurant for dinner and the food was absolutely amazing! After dinner, we went to a pub called O’Connor’s. It was such a cool looking pub. There was a big fireplace with underwear hanging in front of it and there were lanterns everywhere on the ceiling. It was very homey. After that, Aubz and I went to Taaffes and the King’s Head with some of my friends here. It was so much fun to hang out and catch up and show her around where I go with my friends.
Friday, after breakfast, we drove to the ferry to get to the Aran Islands. After the ferry ride, we got in a tour van that took us around the island. It was so beautiful and quaint. There are only about 800 people who live on the island, and they didn’t have electricity until the 1970’s. We climbed up to Dun Aonghasa, which is a medieval fort built from stones. It was up really high and we could stand on the cliffs and look out over the ocean. We stopped in a little café and had soup and brown bread for lunch, then got back on the van tour. We saw the world’s smallest church, and we drove by the shore where the seals come in at low tide. We bought Aran wool sweaters, went to a pub for a bit, then took the ferry back. That night we went to McDonaugh’s for fish and chips, which was delicious as usual. After, we went to Taaffe’s and stayed for the traditional Irish band. It was such a fun day!
Aran Islands Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=304272024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Saturday, we packed up some of our stuff and dropped some bags off at my apartment so we could go on our mini vacation. We drove to the Cliffs of Moher. We walked up and down the cliffs. They were so beautiful! After that, we drove to Tralee. We got hotel rooms and then went to Palm Sunday Mass. After Mass, we ate at our hotel restaurant and I got a steak ☺. It was so good to have real meat! We walked to the Brough’s Inn bar and had a couple drinks and there were some guys performing acoustic music. It was a really fun night.
Cliffs of Moher Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=304995024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Sunday, we got up and checked out of the hotel and drove to Dingle. We walked around and went in a couple shops, went to a pub for soup and brown bread, then drove to Castle Gregory. We found St. Mary’s Castle Gregory Parish, which is where my great great great grandparents got married. It was a really cute little church, and I’m so glad we found it so easily! Then we got on the road to Cork. We got rooms right in Blarney, and we could see the Blarney Castle from our window! We went to a pub and played a few rounds of Toss up’s (a dice game). I won two games ☺. We ate dinner at our hotel, then went back to the pub for a few more drinks.
Dingle and Connor’s Pass Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=303708024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Castle Gregory Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=305485024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Monday, we walked to the Blarney Castle and climbed up to the top and kissed the Blarney Stone. With a little persuasion, we got Tami and Mom to go up and do it ☺. We walked around the gardens on the grounds, did some shopping, and had soup and brown bread at a little café. We drove to Adare, a really small town and found a bed and breakfast. We walked around town for a little bit. All of the houses are small and have thatched roofs. It’s such a cute town. We went to a pub and had a couple drinks, ate dinner, then went to Sean Collins and Sons, which is a cute little bar. They had a group of students come in to perform some music. It was really cool.
Blarney Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=306345024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Adare Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=305758024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Tuesday, we ate breakfast and got on the road back to Galway. I went to my apartment and packed up the rest of the luggage, and went to our hotel. We returned the rental car, then walked around Galway a little more. It was pouring rain and really windy, but we walked towards the beach so I could show them where all the swans gather. I think they got a good taste of Irish weather. We had some drinks in the hotel, then I took the family to Monroe’s. We ate pizza and had a few drinks and watched the Irish dancing. We had so much fun and I finally drank my first pint of Guinness! Aubz and I Irish danced our way back to the hotel that night ☺. It was so much fun!
Galway Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=303110024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Wednesday, we woke up at 5:30 in order to catch the train to Dublin. Melissa met up with us and came with. We went to Trinity College and got to see the Book of Kells. It is a collection of old drawings and writing interpretations of the Gospels. We got to go into the old library above it and it was so beautiful. I’ve never seen so many old books in one place before. I was in heaven ☺. We walked around the city and found Dublin Castle, Christ Church, and the Temple Bar area. We went into a pub for some drinks and got to hear a performer. We requested Galway Girl ☺. We went to an Italian café for dinner, then to Duke’s Pub for a literary pub-crawl. Our leader, Derek, was so good. He told us a lot about Irish writers and some interesting historical facts along with funny anecdotes about their drinking experiences. We went to four different pubs. He did most of his talks outside in between the pubs, but that only left us with about 20 minutes in the pubs, but it was so much fun.
Thursday, we went to the Guinness Factory for a tour. It was so interesting, and it was a lot of fun to do with my dad because he could explain everything that we were reading about. He was like a kid in a candy store the whole time. We got to learn how to pull a pint of Guinness and we even got certificates to prove that we are certified for it. We did some shopping, then went to the Kilmainham Prison. We had a guided tour and it was really interesting to hear about the Irish history that went along with the prisoners’ stories. Many of them were the people who fought for Ireland’s independence from Britain. Next, we went to O’Neil’s for some drinks and dinner. David and I tried to find a Celtic craft store to find our Houlihan family crest. We got a little lost, and had to go back to O’Neil’s empty-handed. So I’ll have to try to find it before I come home. After dinner, we got some last minute souvenirs. We went to their last pub so everyone could have their last Irish Guinness. We came back to the hotel and played some Toss Ups.
Dublin Picutres:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=307218024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Friday, we had breakfast and packed up. It was really hard to say goodbye and it all happened really fast. I had so much fun with everyone, and it was so great to show them around where I’ve been living for the past few months. I only have about a month left, and as hard as it’s going to be to leave all of this, I am excited to be with everyone again. I love my family so much and it was so great to spend so much time with them!
I have quite a few things to catch you up on, so I’ll get started. Last Wednesday, I had class until 3, so after class, I went to the Galway Cathedral to meet my family. I had tried to find their bed and breakfast, but I couldn’t, so we decided that the cathedral was a good landmark. When I turned the corner, I saw Mom, Dad, Aubrey, Tami and David standing on the steps. Dad and Aubz came running at me with open arms. After lots of hugs and kisses, we went into the Cathedral and I showed them around. Next we went to Taaffes, one of my favorite pubs in Galway. Everyone had their first Guinness, then we went to Riordan’s for dinner, then went back to Taaffes for some Irish music. We all walked from town, back to my apartment so they could see where I live. I think now they sympathize a little more with how much walking I have to do here. ☺ After that, we went to our Bed and Breakfast called the Sea Breeze Lodge in Salt Hill. It was such a cute B&B with an amazing view of the ocean. Everyone was pretty exhausted from two full days of traveling, so they went to bed at about 8:30.
Thursday, we got up and had an amazing breakfast and I got to meet Freddy, the owner of the Sea Breeze. He has a dog named Charlie, who is exactly like Willy, our old dog. He’s just a little fatter and hairier, but he reminded us so much of Willy. Dad, David, and I went to the airport to get the rental car and drove back to the B&B. David did a really good job driving on the other side of the car on the other side of the road! I was very proud of him, and by the end of the trip, he got a hang of the round a bouts and the GPS system. ☺ We came back and picked up everyone else and I showed them around Galway. I had to go to my last class at NUIG, so I left to hand in my paper and met up with them later. We walked along the beach and touched the Atlantic Ocean. We went to a pub and then to an Italian restaurant for dinner and the food was absolutely amazing! After dinner, we went to a pub called O’Connor’s. It was such a cool looking pub. There was a big fireplace with underwear hanging in front of it and there were lanterns everywhere on the ceiling. It was very homey. After that, Aubz and I went to Taaffes and the King’s Head with some of my friends here. It was so much fun to hang out and catch up and show her around where I go with my friends.
Friday, after breakfast, we drove to the ferry to get to the Aran Islands. After the ferry ride, we got in a tour van that took us around the island. It was so beautiful and quaint. There are only about 800 people who live on the island, and they didn’t have electricity until the 1970’s. We climbed up to Dun Aonghasa, which is a medieval fort built from stones. It was up really high and we could stand on the cliffs and look out over the ocean. We stopped in a little café and had soup and brown bread for lunch, then got back on the van tour. We saw the world’s smallest church, and we drove by the shore where the seals come in at low tide. We bought Aran wool sweaters, went to a pub for a bit, then took the ferry back. That night we went to McDonaugh’s for fish and chips, which was delicious as usual. After, we went to Taaffe’s and stayed for the traditional Irish band. It was such a fun day!
Aran Islands Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=304272024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Saturday, we packed up some of our stuff and dropped some bags off at my apartment so we could go on our mini vacation. We drove to the Cliffs of Moher. We walked up and down the cliffs. They were so beautiful! After that, we drove to Tralee. We got hotel rooms and then went to Palm Sunday Mass. After Mass, we ate at our hotel restaurant and I got a steak ☺. It was so good to have real meat! We walked to the Brough’s Inn bar and had a couple drinks and there were some guys performing acoustic music. It was a really fun night.
Cliffs of Moher Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=304995024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Sunday, we got up and checked out of the hotel and drove to Dingle. We walked around and went in a couple shops, went to a pub for soup and brown bread, then drove to Castle Gregory. We found St. Mary’s Castle Gregory Parish, which is where my great great great grandparents got married. It was a really cute little church, and I’m so glad we found it so easily! Then we got on the road to Cork. We got rooms right in Blarney, and we could see the Blarney Castle from our window! We went to a pub and played a few rounds of Toss up’s (a dice game). I won two games ☺. We ate dinner at our hotel, then went back to the pub for a few more drinks.
Dingle and Connor’s Pass Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=303708024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Castle Gregory Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=305485024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Monday, we walked to the Blarney Castle and climbed up to the top and kissed the Blarney Stone. With a little persuasion, we got Tami and Mom to go up and do it ☺. We walked around the gardens on the grounds, did some shopping, and had soup and brown bread at a little café. We drove to Adare, a really small town and found a bed and breakfast. We walked around town for a little bit. All of the houses are small and have thatched roofs. It’s such a cute town. We went to a pub and had a couple drinks, ate dinner, then went to Sean Collins and Sons, which is a cute little bar. They had a group of students come in to perform some music. It was really cool.
Blarney Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=306345024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Adare Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=305758024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Tuesday, we ate breakfast and got on the road back to Galway. I went to my apartment and packed up the rest of the luggage, and went to our hotel. We returned the rental car, then walked around Galway a little more. It was pouring rain and really windy, but we walked towards the beach so I could show them where all the swans gather. I think they got a good taste of Irish weather. We had some drinks in the hotel, then I took the family to Monroe’s. We ate pizza and had a few drinks and watched the Irish dancing. We had so much fun and I finally drank my first pint of Guinness! Aubz and I Irish danced our way back to the hotel that night ☺. It was so much fun!
Galway Pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=303110024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Wednesday, we woke up at 5:30 in order to catch the train to Dublin. Melissa met up with us and came with. We went to Trinity College and got to see the Book of Kells. It is a collection of old drawings and writing interpretations of the Gospels. We got to go into the old library above it and it was so beautiful. I’ve never seen so many old books in one place before. I was in heaven ☺. We walked around the city and found Dublin Castle, Christ Church, and the Temple Bar area. We went into a pub for some drinks and got to hear a performer. We requested Galway Girl ☺. We went to an Italian café for dinner, then to Duke’s Pub for a literary pub-crawl. Our leader, Derek, was so good. He told us a lot about Irish writers and some interesting historical facts along with funny anecdotes about their drinking experiences. We went to four different pubs. He did most of his talks outside in between the pubs, but that only left us with about 20 minutes in the pubs, but it was so much fun.
Thursday, we went to the Guinness Factory for a tour. It was so interesting, and it was a lot of fun to do with my dad because he could explain everything that we were reading about. He was like a kid in a candy store the whole time. We got to learn how to pull a pint of Guinness and we even got certificates to prove that we are certified for it. We did some shopping, then went to the Kilmainham Prison. We had a guided tour and it was really interesting to hear about the Irish history that went along with the prisoners’ stories. Many of them were the people who fought for Ireland’s independence from Britain. Next, we went to O’Neil’s for some drinks and dinner. David and I tried to find a Celtic craft store to find our Houlihan family crest. We got a little lost, and had to go back to O’Neil’s empty-handed. So I’ll have to try to find it before I come home. After dinner, we got some last minute souvenirs. We went to their last pub so everyone could have their last Irish Guinness. We came back to the hotel and played some Toss Ups.
Dublin Picutres:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=307218024/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Friday, we had breakfast and packed up. It was really hard to say goodbye and it all happened really fast. I had so much fun with everyone, and it was so great to show them around where I’ve been living for the past few months. I only have about a month left, and as hard as it’s going to be to leave all of this, I am excited to be with everyone again. I love my family so much and it was so great to spend so much time with them!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Irish Dancing!
This is going to be a short one, but I just wanted to let you all know that I got to Irish dance with an old Irish man last week :)
My friends and I went to Monroe's like we do every Tuesday night to watch Irish dancing, and one the regular men who comes to dance, pulled us up and started teaching us the dances. As the music started, he pulled me aside and made me dance the first couple songs with him. It was so much fun and I had no idea what I was doing, but every one was so enthusiastic and nice, it was easy to catch on. He was the cutest old man and he was so energetic, it was hard to keep up with him! He danced a couple dances with each of us, and it was such a great experience.
Now, I'm in my last week of classes and anxiously awaiting my family's arrival tomorrow. My mom and dad, Aubrey, Tami and David, left for Chicago a little bit ago and they'll be in Galway at about 12 tomorrow! I'm so excited to see them and show them around. They leave on April 10, so after that look forward to a new post and pictures about our adventures around Ireland! I love you and miss you all!
My friends and I went to Monroe's like we do every Tuesday night to watch Irish dancing, and one the regular men who comes to dance, pulled us up and started teaching us the dances. As the music started, he pulled me aside and made me dance the first couple songs with him. It was so much fun and I had no idea what I was doing, but every one was so enthusiastic and nice, it was easy to catch on. He was the cutest old man and he was so energetic, it was hard to keep up with him! He danced a couple dances with each of us, and it was such a great experience.
Now, I'm in my last week of classes and anxiously awaiting my family's arrival tomorrow. My mom and dad, Aubrey, Tami and David, left for Chicago a little bit ago and they'll be in Galway at about 12 tomorrow! I'm so excited to see them and show them around. They leave on April 10, so after that look forward to a new post and pictures about our adventures around Ireland! I love you and miss you all!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Barcelona
Hey everyone!
I hope you all had a great weekend! I went to Barcelona and I absolutely loved it. We had to leave our apartment at 2:45 Friday morning in order to catch the 3:30 bus. Melissa and I almost didn’t make it on to the bus. We didn’t think it was going to be that packed at that time in the morning, but luckily we were the last people allowed on. We made it to the airport, checked in and flew out at 6:45. We landed in Girona that is a city outside of Barcelona, so we had to take a bus into Barcelona. We got into the city and had to ask around for directions to our hostel, then checked in and met our friend Amy from SNC. She’s studying in Toledo, Spain this semester and she was visiting Barcelona with some of her friends, so we met up and shared a hostel with them. It was so great to see her! It was also very helpful that they all spoke Spanish. In Barcelona, they speak Catalan, which is a little different, but most people understand both Spanish and English, as well.
We walked around the streets and found a few of Gaudi’s buildings, and ended up at the Sangrada Familia. It’s a church that Gaudi designed and they started building it in 1898 and it’s still under construction because they haven’t finished yet. The church is so detailed; I feel like we could’ve stood there and looked at it for hours. The whole front side depicts the Stations of the Cross. There are lots of pictures for you to look at. They don’t do it justice, but maybe you’ll get a little bit of an idea. We went into the church and got to see all of the construction, then went up to the top. We got to walk out onto the balcony and we got a great view of the city. It was so beautiful! We also got a chance to see more of the detail of the building. Afterwards, we walked to the 1992 Olympic Stadium and found a park on the way that was so beautiful. The stadium was so huge and there were fountains everywhere. We got to watch the sunset from there and it was absolutely gorgeous! I took a lot of pictures of it ☺ Next we went to the Magic Fountain light show. It’s a gigantic beautiful fountain that lights up and each fountain goes on and off along with the music. It was so beautiful! Then we went to a Spanish restaurant and had tappas and paella. Tappas are little appetizers (little potatoes with spicy sauce, bread with meat on it, and a type of potato salad with tuna). Paella has rice and either chicken, seafood, or veggies. I had veggies because it was Friday, but it was so good! We had a pitcher of sangria too, which was fabulous ☺ Then after dinner, we went back to our hostel because we had all been up all night traveling and went to sleep.
Saturday, we got up early and went to the market. It was so busy and there were so many stands with every kind of food. Then, we walked through the city to Guell Park, which was designed by Gaudi. It was so beautiful! We got to climb above the park and got a great view of the city. We had to climb up 325 steps, but the view was totally worth it! Next, we tried to find another park, but couldn’t find it, so we asked an old Spanish lady for help. She was so confused that we were trying to walk there, because it was really far, so she offered to show us how to get there. She walked with us to the bus stop and rode the bus with us. She told the driver when to tell us to get off. She was so nice and sweet! She spoke in Spanish, but I understood her pretty well. The whole weekend, I felt pretty good with my Spanish. I could understand people for the most part, but I just couldn’t think on my feet fast enough to be able to respond. I was pretty proud of myself for understanding it for the most part. We found a little grocery store by the park and picked up a baguette and some salami and had a picnic lunch in the park. We walked around it, and it was so beautiful. Then, we took the metro to the beach and put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea! We walked along the boardwalk for a couple hours because it was so long! Next, we walked back and found a band singing Spanish music by the port. We sat on the steps and listened and the sun was setting in the background. It was such a surreal moment. We went to a small Italian restaurant for dinner, and then got gelato for dessert. After, we went to a couple small bars for sangria. It was so much fun chatting with the girls about their study abroad experiences in Spain. Their program is so much different from ours, so it was interesting to hear about it. We went back to the hostel and then had to check out at 6:30 in order to catch the metro, bus, plane, bus, and walking back to our apartment. It’s a long day of traveling, but totally worth it!
Overall, it was a great trip. The weather was pretty good, but it’s been so nice this week in Ireland, it was hard to leave. It was about 60’s and 70’s, but very cool when the sun went down and windy on the beach.
Here’s the link for my pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=254695363/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Other news: Ireland won the Six Nations Rugby game and every one is crazy here! We went to mass tonight, and the priest talked for so long about how the country is blessed with a great team. It’s so cool how patriotic they are when it comes to sports. So many houses and apartments have Irish flags hanging outside of the windows now. It’s so great! Today is Mother’s Day in Ireland, so Happy Mother’s Day to everyone! ☺
Other than that, not much is going on here. I’ll be working on getting papers done this week, and anticipating my family’s arrival in 10 days!! I’m so excited to see them and show them around Galway ☺ I hope you all have a great week! Love you!!!
I hope you all had a great weekend! I went to Barcelona and I absolutely loved it. We had to leave our apartment at 2:45 Friday morning in order to catch the 3:30 bus. Melissa and I almost didn’t make it on to the bus. We didn’t think it was going to be that packed at that time in the morning, but luckily we were the last people allowed on. We made it to the airport, checked in and flew out at 6:45. We landed in Girona that is a city outside of Barcelona, so we had to take a bus into Barcelona. We got into the city and had to ask around for directions to our hostel, then checked in and met our friend Amy from SNC. She’s studying in Toledo, Spain this semester and she was visiting Barcelona with some of her friends, so we met up and shared a hostel with them. It was so great to see her! It was also very helpful that they all spoke Spanish. In Barcelona, they speak Catalan, which is a little different, but most people understand both Spanish and English, as well.
We walked around the streets and found a few of Gaudi’s buildings, and ended up at the Sangrada Familia. It’s a church that Gaudi designed and they started building it in 1898 and it’s still under construction because they haven’t finished yet. The church is so detailed; I feel like we could’ve stood there and looked at it for hours. The whole front side depicts the Stations of the Cross. There are lots of pictures for you to look at. They don’t do it justice, but maybe you’ll get a little bit of an idea. We went into the church and got to see all of the construction, then went up to the top. We got to walk out onto the balcony and we got a great view of the city. It was so beautiful! We also got a chance to see more of the detail of the building. Afterwards, we walked to the 1992 Olympic Stadium and found a park on the way that was so beautiful. The stadium was so huge and there were fountains everywhere. We got to watch the sunset from there and it was absolutely gorgeous! I took a lot of pictures of it ☺ Next we went to the Magic Fountain light show. It’s a gigantic beautiful fountain that lights up and each fountain goes on and off along with the music. It was so beautiful! Then we went to a Spanish restaurant and had tappas and paella. Tappas are little appetizers (little potatoes with spicy sauce, bread with meat on it, and a type of potato salad with tuna). Paella has rice and either chicken, seafood, or veggies. I had veggies because it was Friday, but it was so good! We had a pitcher of sangria too, which was fabulous ☺ Then after dinner, we went back to our hostel because we had all been up all night traveling and went to sleep.
Saturday, we got up early and went to the market. It was so busy and there were so many stands with every kind of food. Then, we walked through the city to Guell Park, which was designed by Gaudi. It was so beautiful! We got to climb above the park and got a great view of the city. We had to climb up 325 steps, but the view was totally worth it! Next, we tried to find another park, but couldn’t find it, so we asked an old Spanish lady for help. She was so confused that we were trying to walk there, because it was really far, so she offered to show us how to get there. She walked with us to the bus stop and rode the bus with us. She told the driver when to tell us to get off. She was so nice and sweet! She spoke in Spanish, but I understood her pretty well. The whole weekend, I felt pretty good with my Spanish. I could understand people for the most part, but I just couldn’t think on my feet fast enough to be able to respond. I was pretty proud of myself for understanding it for the most part. We found a little grocery store by the park and picked up a baguette and some salami and had a picnic lunch in the park. We walked around it, and it was so beautiful. Then, we took the metro to the beach and put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea! We walked along the boardwalk for a couple hours because it was so long! Next, we walked back and found a band singing Spanish music by the port. We sat on the steps and listened and the sun was setting in the background. It was such a surreal moment. We went to a small Italian restaurant for dinner, and then got gelato for dessert. After, we went to a couple small bars for sangria. It was so much fun chatting with the girls about their study abroad experiences in Spain. Their program is so much different from ours, so it was interesting to hear about it. We went back to the hostel and then had to check out at 6:30 in order to catch the metro, bus, plane, bus, and walking back to our apartment. It’s a long day of traveling, but totally worth it!
Overall, it was a great trip. The weather was pretty good, but it’s been so nice this week in Ireland, it was hard to leave. It was about 60’s and 70’s, but very cool when the sun went down and windy on the beach.
Here’s the link for my pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=254695363/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Other news: Ireland won the Six Nations Rugby game and every one is crazy here! We went to mass tonight, and the priest talked for so long about how the country is blessed with a great team. It’s so cool how patriotic they are when it comes to sports. So many houses and apartments have Irish flags hanging outside of the windows now. It’s so great! Today is Mother’s Day in Ireland, so Happy Mother’s Day to everyone! ☺
Other than that, not much is going on here. I’ll be working on getting papers done this week, and anticipating my family’s arrival in 10 days!! I’m so excited to see them and show them around Galway ☺ I hope you all have a great week! Love you!!!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
St. Patty's Day!
Hello!
Things have been pretty mellow here lately. Last week was my roommate Niamh’s 19th birthday so we had a house party at our apartment, then we went to the clubs. It was a lot of fun and I got to go out with all Irish people. It was definitely a great experience…I’m so lucky to have such great roommates that I love and who are willing to take me out with them and all of their friends. I put up some pictures from the party of me with my new Irish friends, so here’s the link:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=254680180/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day and it was so cool to celebrate it in Ireland. I still can’t believe it! Maggie, Erin, and Tristin, my closest American girl friends had their boyfriends visiting this week, so we all got together and made brunch on Tuesday morning and had some bloody mary’s. Then, we walked into town for the parade. The parade was a lot like the ones from home, but not as long and dragged out. There were a lot of people dressed in green, but I don’t know how many of them were actually Irish… I know a lot of tourists are here around this time of year, so it’s hard to tell. The streets were so packed and everyone was cheering and having a good time. After the parade, we went to a couple pubs and had some drinks, then went home to nap for a couple hours. We went out again later that night to the King’s Head, where our favorite band was playing. They sang some Irish songs and some American songs and everyone was dancing around like crazy in their green gear. They played “Galway Girl” and every single person in the bar was singing along. It was such a surreal experience! I had a great day and I feel so lucky that I got to experience a St. Patty’s Day in Ireland ☺
Here’s the link to my St. Patty’s Day pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=254680689/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
That’s about it for now. I leave for Barcelona Friday, so I’ll have more pictures for you later next week. I love you all and miss you like crazy!!!
Things have been pretty mellow here lately. Last week was my roommate Niamh’s 19th birthday so we had a house party at our apartment, then we went to the clubs. It was a lot of fun and I got to go out with all Irish people. It was definitely a great experience…I’m so lucky to have such great roommates that I love and who are willing to take me out with them and all of their friends. I put up some pictures from the party of me with my new Irish friends, so here’s the link:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=254680180/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day and it was so cool to celebrate it in Ireland. I still can’t believe it! Maggie, Erin, and Tristin, my closest American girl friends had their boyfriends visiting this week, so we all got together and made brunch on Tuesday morning and had some bloody mary’s. Then, we walked into town for the parade. The parade was a lot like the ones from home, but not as long and dragged out. There were a lot of people dressed in green, but I don’t know how many of them were actually Irish… I know a lot of tourists are here around this time of year, so it’s hard to tell. The streets were so packed and everyone was cheering and having a good time. After the parade, we went to a couple pubs and had some drinks, then went home to nap for a couple hours. We went out again later that night to the King’s Head, where our favorite band was playing. They sang some Irish songs and some American songs and everyone was dancing around like crazy in their green gear. They played “Galway Girl” and every single person in the bar was singing along. It was such a surreal experience! I had a great day and I feel so lucky that I got to experience a St. Patty’s Day in Ireland ☺
Here’s the link to my St. Patty’s Day pictures:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=254680689/a=157881010_157881010/t_=157881010
That’s about it for now. I leave for Barcelona Friday, so I’ll have more pictures for you later next week. I love you all and miss you like crazy!!!
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