london calling…

Okay, quick recap.

Wednesday – Guinness Brewery, really interesting and fun. Had a pint and actually finished it which was impressive for me.

Thursday -  Met up with another student from Southwestern who was in Dublin, which was cool. Went to Kilmainham Gaol which was really interesting. Saw a Chevy Silverado with Texas plates which thrilled me to no end.  We went to a really nice little pub and had a great chicken curry then went back to Armagh, packed, then spent some time with Connor, Edwina, and the kids. The kids were hilarious. They decided to have a silly walking contest which was beyond adorable. After that we played some Black Maria until 1 am and crashed.

Friday – Headed to the airport at 5:30 this morning and had a quick Irish fry breakfast then said goodbye for now to David. The flight was lovely. It was only an hour and we flew over all of Wales which was quite lovely. We met up with the group and headed into London to our flats. Now, we knew that we were staying in a renovated townhouse which was made into flats and that we’d be on the 5th and 6th floors without a lift.We knew it would suck to drag our bags up. We just didn’t realize it was going to be such an ordeal. And I mean o-r-d-e-a-l. I shouldn’t complain though, Michael and some random Czech guy carried mine most of the way because I collapsed from carrying a 50 lbs bag at the 3rd floor. At least I hadn’t been on a plane all night like everyone else.

After heaving those bags up 5-6 flights, we went on a walking tour around our neighborhood which included our tour guide giving us all of the tips on where we can get cheap booze and good drunk food (always important!). One of our professors, Dr. Johnson, was with us. She does not yet have a place to stay for the next 3 months which is a little disturbing.  After the tour we went to Sainsbury’s and purchased some necessities and we of course need to return tomorrow already. -_-” We got some cereal and some pasta so we have at least 2 meals (this is for Michael and I both, so 4 meals in total really) plus some good snacks like toast with marmalade, toast with Nutella, and toast with alioli. We like toast….

Afterwards, we returned to the flats and had a nice cup of tea which is a custom we have decided to try to keep up as it is particularly nice to take a 15-20 minute break for some biscuits (cookie-ish snacks) and tea and just talk.

I suppose you are wondering what our flats look like. Well that is hard to say because they are all different. I’m quite positive I got the worst possible flat. It is next to the loud Cromwell Rd., we have no thermostat control, we have a sink the size of a bread pan, a shower the size of a phone booth (and a wee one at that), no oven, only 2 plugs, and no place to really put our baggage or clothes, let alone our books! We have a tiny little round table that will only accommodate one person at a time and our beds are bunked so it isn’t like they are very comfortable either. Now, I understand that living in a flat on South Kensington means you have to give up certain things which explains why I’m living in a matchbox, but what really sucks is that other flats are tons better. Some have couches, washers, ovens, big windows, etc. So, it’s quite unpleasant to realize that we got one of the worst ones around.

Also, the stairs up to the flat are really bizarre. They are tiny and carpeted, they turn sharply and are really quite scary. The small flight to Michael’s flight is almost vertical (seriously you can put your hands down and make a very obtuse angle) and turns at an almost 90 degree angle. I also have to go through some six doors to get to my room and it’s super confusing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy I’m here and I am glad I have a place to stay (unlike Dr. Johnson), but I’d also like a place to put my clothes that is not under my bed. But, I am happy. I am excited about London. I haven’t had a ton of homesickness and I don’t expect I will once classes start because there will just be so much to do and see and experience. I think Michael and I are going to out and grab a small bite to eat and a pint or two nearby tonight since we aren’t completely exhausted like everyone else.  We have more orientation tomorrow and classes begin Tuesday, so I’ll be sure to update everyone on how that all goes.

twenty

Yesterday was my twentieth birthday. We got up early in Spain and flew back to Dublin then came to Annaghmore. I spent some time on the internet, having been horribly deprived for five whole days. Then we went to Armagh and saw St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the little city. It was an amazing cathedral even though we only got to see it from the outside. We then went to have dinner with David’s brother Connor and his wife Edwina and their three children Podrick, Maiv, and Keeva (no idea how to spell all that) at Connor’s house. We had chicken curry and great craic (fun). It was a blast really. We just talked and watched 2 year old Maiv bounce into furniture and 6 year old Keeva and 9 year old Podrick talked to us about Ireland and video games and the like. It was a really enjoyable evening and we didn’t leave until quite late.

This morning we went into Dublin after having another giant breakfast and then met Mr. McKeown for a large lunch just 3 hours after breakfast. Even though I was full from breakfast I ate everything because the food here is just amazing. We went to a restaurant that is an old cathedral with a giant pipe organ and stained glass. It was really beautiful. Afterwards we went on to DVBLINIA, which is an exhibit highlighting the history of Ireland and especially Dublin in relation to the Norman Conquest and Vikings and so on. It’s attached to Christ Church nearby and so after we went through the exhibit we briefly viewed the church. It too was lovely but it had so much death in it. By this I mean there were many people buried there and two large tombs on either side of where the congregation meets. There is a Crypt and even a mummified cat and rat who got stuck in an organ pipe. It just seems odd to see such a strong presence of death in a church, but I suppose that isn’t that uncommon over here. We also did a wee bit of souvenir shopping.

After that we were knackered and so we headed back to Annaghmore. We’ll be returning to Dublin tomorrow to tour the Guinness Brewery. Soon we’ll be heading on to London and we’ll have to remember how to be students again. Even though we’ve only been here for 2-3 weeks, it feels like a million miles away from the job I had this summer, from the semester, from even the day we left. When we head in to Annaghmore it feels like I’m heading home, instead of just at one of our stops. It’s just strange because being in college I don’t really have a home. I’m always moving from one place on campus to the next and I pack a suitcase to return to my childhood room. I feel like being here is going to make me feel even more pulled when I return because I’ll feel connected to so many other places when I’m back at Southwestern.

Well, I suppose we’ll see how things go when I get back, but I feel quite sure that returning home is going to be a rougher transition than getting here was.

quick update

New photos of Dublin are available HERE

I found something that works better at uploading pictures so the majority of pictures will most likely be posted here in the future with links to the different albums which are available to the public.  I hope it works out, if it doesn’t I’ll be unavailable for the next week so just put a comment on here letting me know and I’ll try to work it out when I can.

trouble in paradise

Yeah yeah I know, my titles are progressively getting cheesier. Anyway, yesterday we drove to Donegall and it was lovely. We had a fantastic meal and then walked along the very cold and very windy beach for a while. We went to a little pub and had a few drinks and just enjoyed the very laid back atmosphere of a little village pub.

In order to be a bit punchier and to stop myself from waxing philosophical about the beautiful nature of Ireland, I shall instead post a bulleted list of interesting bits and pieces I’ve come across so far.

• Many young kids in the pub, no one under 18 is supposed to be admitted but that doesn’t stop tweens from entering.
• Huge obsession with Gaelic football, you can scarce go anywhere without hearing, seeing, or otherwise encountering some mention of it.
• Honeycomb. It’s everywhere and it’s delicious. Honeycomb ice cream is especially great.
• The whole million shades of green on Ireland bit is totally true, the pictures are really incapable of recording all of those myriad shades.
• You will sometimes hear Irish being spoken over the radio. It’s hard to tell you’re listening to a foreign language because half the time you can’t understand the English that’s being spoken.
• Big meals. Giant meals. True stick to your guts kind of meals that put steak and potatoes to shame.
• Elvis Presley. He’s alive. He’s my best friend. He’s on holiday abroad. Whatever way he’s being described: he’s everywhere.
• Round-abouts. There are so many little circular drives in the middle of city centres and so on, it gets rather dizzying.
• ASDA: UK version of Wal-Mart. Cheap and vaguely familiar.
• Orange-flavoured drinks. Orange soda, orange Coca-Cola, whatever, it’s weird and gross.
• Bubbly chocolate, sometime bubbly minty bits, it’s weird.

Okay so that’s all I’ve got right now about the weirdness. For some different news. We’re leaving for Spain tomorrow but Aerlingus, the airline we’re using, is having a strike scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday. We were intending to return on Wednesday but obviously that would be a small problem. Thankfully we were able to change our flight out to that Monday (my birthday!) which is actually better because now we can spend more time in Dublin. So, it turned out to be a good thing so it’s all fantastic. The only problem now is that I may not have internet access in Spain. If that is the case I’ll keep up with everything we are doing and try to post a nice long report when we get back.

As usual, pictures to come soon….hopefully.

the ring of kerry

We got up early in Dublin yesterday and went to The Kingfisher pub and had a good Irish breakfast then headed south to drive the ring of Kerry. We were in the car for about 8-10 hours straight yesterday and we took about 400 pictures of the trip. The ring of Kerry takes you through mountains, by the sea, through forests, and down tiny roads where the trees come together over your head. It was breathtaking and no amount of pictures or words can adequately describe it. We saw several rainbows, no pots of gold unfortunately but the landscape was so spectacular it wasn’t much of a hardship. I told David that as much as I’d enjoyed my time in Northern Ireland, southern Ireland was just the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. Yesterday was by far the most breathtaking and spectacular day but also the day for which words are the most inadequate.

We’ll try to get some of the best photos posted soon, but like I said we have some 400 pictures.

We didn’t get back to Armagh until around 2 am and we were all knackered. We’re heading to Donegall today and then to Spain on Wednesday.

80000 maniacs

Today we returned to Dublin to see a hurling and a Gaelic football match. I wasn’t very sure if I’d like it or not but it was really very enjoyable. We got to the stadium in time to watch the last 15 minutes of the hurling finals. It was really fascinating. Super fast, very impressive. Afterwards the stadium just exploded because the Gaelic football quarterfinal between Dublin and Derry began. There were some 80,000 people there, most of them dressed in the blue Dublin jerseys. The game was amazing and while we were in the minority rooting for Derry, it was really enjoyable. We were in the corporate level so we were able to see everything rather well. I can’t really explain it but it might be my new favorite sport. Dublin won unfortunately, but the good part of it was that the whole city was fantastically happy afterwards. I strongly suggest that everyone checks out a game or two of hurling and Gaelic because they’re a million times more interesting than soccer or American football. Here is a link for hurling

And here is a link for Gaelic Football.

Other than that we just had a quiet evening here in Dublin. Nothing very exciting, which is kind of nice. We’re driving over to the Ring of Kerry tomorrow which should be a huge drive, about 500 miles in total, getting there and then returning. It should be lovely and it will be nice to see more of the Republic of Ireland.

Sorry this is so bland, but how do you encapsulate the excitement of 80,000 screaming fans in a blog post?

the dubliners p.2

So this morning Michael and I headed out on our own to see Dublin. First we went to get a wee bit of breakfast and then we went to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is one of the oldest illuminated manuscripts and is a Latin version of the four Gospels. Having taken Medieval Literature I was aware of most of what the exhibit showed but it was still quite interesting and enjoyable to see ancient books and to also look at some Irish World War I paraphernalia which was added to the Long Room of the Trinity Library.

After seeing the Book of Kells, Michael and I walked down Grafton Street, which is a huge street with tons of shops, street entertainment, etc. I bought a bright green purse for 12.50 euro and was quite happy about it. We went to a mall and looked at the British versions of books we liked over here and then met up with David, had another wee bite to eat and then hopped onto the Dublin bus tour. We rode that for about an hour and saw all of the interesting bits of Dublin from top of a double decker bus. This was much appreciated because being the Americans that we are, the 6-7 hours of walking had exhausted us. After the bus ride we loaded up to head back to Armagh as David had an appointment. We’ve since just had dinner, chatted with the McKeowns, had several “wee cups of tea” and unstopped a pipe. lol. It’s been a pretty calm day all-in-all.

Tomorrow we’re heading back to Dublin to Croke Park to take in a hurling (not curling, no ice or brooms or big rocks) match and a Gaelic football match. I’m taking a book in case it is an unpleasant affair for me as I’m not a big sports fan. I think it will be interesting since the entire country seems to be quite obsessed with Gaelic football. Gaelic football is like soccer on steroids, rougher than regular soccer but not as intense as rugby. Hurling is similar to really fast lacrosse. That’s all I know and that’s just from David and Wikipedia.

Anyway, tonight is something of a calm evening for us. I’m quite going to miss Ireland. I think it will be one of my favorite places. I’m not sure how much of it is the charm of Ireland (although it really is gorgeous) and how much of it is the charm of the McKeowns. They’ve fattened me up with scones and tea, wheaten bread and jam, and potatoes in a million different varieties. We’ve had long conversations with both Mr. and Mrs. McKeown and they are so easy and comfortable to talk to. It also helps to have David to chauffeur us about and show us the best places. Even though I’ve been sick it’s really been the most amazing few days.

the dubliners

As the title suggests we are in Dublin today. We had intended to come over here and go to see the Book of Kells first thing but I was feeling poorly so we decided to instead just have a small lunch (I had celery, apple, and mint soup, it tasted like funny apple sauce) and go to David’s father’s flat. It’s a gorgeous flat and has a great view of the city without being too close to everything. When we first parked here at around 2 there was a drunk man yelling in an alley way near us. After all of the stories I’ve heard about how the Irish are constantly drunk, I’ve been quite disappointed by their sobriety so far. lol.

We didn’t do much today other than eat dinner and have a brief walk around Temple Bar. It’s like 6th street on crack. It isn’t as crazy but it is several times larger. We walked across the Ha’Penny bridge and through the area. It was like a giant college party, with everyone drinking, smoking, wandering around and music playing quite loudly. It was fascinating just walking down a street and hearing six different languages in less than a block. It was crazy and the bars charge a ton (6-7 euro/pint) so we decided just to buy some cider and return to the flat and play some card games. Today was a much needed break and it has been nice to relax a bit. Tomorrow we’re going to go to the Guinness Brewery and Trinity College to see the Book of Kells then head back to Armagh. We’ll probably see more of Dublin when we return from Spain though, so more to come for sure.

in the footsteps of giants

What a huge day. I woke up and my little chest cold had morphed into strep throat. We had another brilliant breakfast and left. We’d all intended to leave very early but in the typical Irish way we didn’t even leave the house until noon. We ran by Belfast then headed on toward the coast. We were heading to the Giant’s Causeway but we also had to run by somewhere else for David. So we got to see a lot of little towns along the way. We stopped to eat and the lady forgot to put our order in for a good hour. We’ve had phenomenally bad service at every restaurant (aka both of the ones we’ve visited) but David insists it is just a fluke. Either way we had a good time chatting, beyond the fact that I felt horrible.

We finally got over to the Giant’s Causeway, which is a unique formation of stones on the Northern coast of Ireland. We went and walked down a very windy, long road to the coast.  It was phenomenal. There were green covered towering cliffs with lovely rocks and crashing waves. It was breathtaking (and not just because of my strep throat!). It was like nothing I’ve ever seen. We took oodles of pictures though. We’re uploading them all to flickr right now so if you want to check them out they’ll be accessible at rmrrose820 or antoniopeter. Even though we didn’t do a ton of things today, I still feel like it was a very full day. We’re going off to Dublin tomorrow and we’ll be spending two days there.

I’m going to go off and cough myself to sleep now.

the bump in the road

So I woke up yesterday and it was freezing. Not literally but in Rachel terms it was. David’s mom made us a giant Ulster Fry breakfast which started with cereal then came the egg, potato bread (they looked kind of like pancakes), some other type of bread, ham, sausage, and Irish mushrooms. I might be missing something but I’m not sure… I’m quite positive she is trying to fatten us up…lol. I think we’ve only eaten 2 meals/day here since we got here and I have to admit, I’m not hungry for a third one. Their meals huge so it’s quite easy to cut out a third one and not have any issues with it! Plus if you’re every hungry there are always loads of tea and scones.

After breakfast we went into Belfast again. We took the bus tour and saw the city centre and the house of parliament and so on. It was really fascinating but also somewhat depressing to realize that we are only 10 years removed from it being impossible to have visited Ireland. All of the violence is memorialized on wall murals and there are 17 “peace divides” in Ireland, 15 of them in Belfast. Almost every older building has rolls of barbed wire to prevent shooters from using the roofs and almost every wall built also has these rolls just to make sure that no Catholic crosses into Protestant areas and vice versa. It was phenomenal how much Belfast and Ireland have progressed in the past few years though. From “the Troubles” to huge development and tourism and new housing everywhere. In fact almost all of the wonderful monuments and historic places to see are being renovated, downtown has major construction of hotels, flats, shopping centres, etc. Michael and I figured that if we returned in 10 years it would look considerably different now that everyone can build something without being in fear it would be bombed within the week.

After the bus tour David and Michael and I went to an adorable bar and I had a Corona. My first brush with Guinness was enough to give me pause in ordering another. Not just because it is so bitter but also because it is so heavy. It’s really a meal in itself.

We also went to Springsteen’s and had “American food.” I think David was trying to get back at us for taking him to a Bennigan’s when he was here. lol it was really good though, even though Michael’s chimichanga (chi-mee-chahn-gah, as the menu helpfully added) was nothing like a Tex-Mex chimichanga and my hamburger had a bizarre bun. It was yummy though and very enjoyable because we had two of David’s friends join us. We then went and played poker and got home quite late.

The bump in the road that my title alludes to is the dreadful chest cold I’ve gotten. I’ve been sucking down throat lozenges and drinking gallons of hot tea to try to make it better. I might run to Sainsbury’s (their quasi equivalent of Wal-Mart’s, cuter clothes and guacamole is in the “foods of the world aisle”) and get some medicine, else we’ll run to a chemist’s. I’m becoming one of those old women who has to detail all of the ailments she currently has…

After being here for a few days I have to admit that it isn’t what I’d envisioned. It isn’t just the quaint green rolling hills with sheep and men in tweed hats giving poor directions (blame that on my guide book). It’s that and a million more multi-faceted characteristics. There are beautiful rolling hills, but there are also lovely cities and smart businessmen in suits, emo kids and blue mountains. There is an amazing ability to laugh at oneself, to never take anything too seriously, and to just let things meander on as they will. The pace here is so laid back, we never feel rushed to do anything. Most everyone has been super nice and friendly. One woman even picked out a sweater for me, in a “lovely color on you” and in the suggested EU size…she didn’t work at the store, she was just being friendly. You’re never far from the countryside or a city which greatly appeals to me. In sum, it’s some of what I’d expected but my expectations were rather myopic and I’m thrilled that it is truly more than my initial beliefs.