Day 67: Ol' Canal

I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal...
-"Dirty Old Town"

I may have used that quote already, but its my new favorite pub song and very applicable. The old canal isn't that dirty, there was actually a big initiative a couple years ago to clean it up and its pretty clean for being in the middle of a big city!

The canal is one of my favorite things about Georgian Dublin, I can literally walk outside of our apartment building and the canal is a few steps away. Before I was all sick and leper-like I would "run" along the canal to the West and back, steering clear of the terrifying swans along the way. Once I'm done with my drugs and its warm, those swans better watch out.





Also, here's a picture of some flowers my new roommate Joanne picked up at the grocery store, flowers are really springing up around here. Next to them is the palms they hand out at mass, not like they grow them (import them) in America! Next to it is a pamphlet for Dorian Gray month in the Dublin! More details (and pics) about that soon!

Day 66: Shannon scarf day!

I noticed I wear my red check scarf a lot, but I didn't want Shannon to worry, I love this scarf too! Today I'm making it an essential part of my outfit!



Also, I'd like to thank everyone for this great window display I've acquired! I got two recent additions on Tuesday with Grandma and Grandpa and Grandma and Papa's St. Patrick's Day cards!


I think the selection of St. Patrick's Day cards is a lot better in the states, I had a hard time finding anything here! I'm not as creative as Maura and Shannon who could turn out a dozen different holiday cards in about half an hour.

Finally getting over being sick, the penicillin is working wonders so far!

Off to the National Gallery for a day of free (and sophisticated) entertainment.

Day 63: Inis Mor

Go to the Aran Islands. Live there as if you were one of the people themselves; express a life that has never found expression.
-W.B. Yeats

I fell in love with Inis Mor.

I already have plans underway for a Bed and Breakfast/Tea Parlor/Alpaca Farm/Craft Store that I'll run somewhere along the coast. There's plenty of room and old buildings to choose from.

Inis Mor is what you think of when you think of Ireland. Also what you think of when you think of paradise. I'm pretty sure if the ferry would have shut down for a few days I wouldn't have complained, maybe would have moved in with some of the locals I met at the pubs. All I can think is when am I going to get to go back?


Gen on the morning ferry over to the island. Pumped! We drove through Connemara to the dock and it was beautiful.


The best, easiest, and cheapest way to see the island is on bike, even if you are as out of shape as me! I only had to walk up one hill, although I was hurting a little bit the next day.


Hey ponies! More horses than people on this island it seems! There are definitely more sheep than people. The horses are extremely social and very excited to taste your clothing, bike handles, purses, whatever's in reach.


Outside of St. Enda's monastery. The church was blocked off, but as you can see in the Cliffs of Moher posts barriers are made to be broken in Ireland. The sign on the church says its from the 7-8th century.


Hanging in the monastery.


Genevieve and Abby making their way down the rocks to the coast. This was right by a seal colony, I'll try to get a couple pictures from my friend paige of the seals. There were also tide pools full of mussels, clams, all kinds of delicious sea life.


So many horses!


Look at this precious angel. He was scared to come out from behind his mom.


Graveyard on the way to Dun Aengus. Most of the graves belonged to the Hernon family, members of which I met at a pub later that night. Two of their sons were playing the banjo and the accordian, they're a very old island family apparently.


This is me in front of the outer wall of Dun Aengus. We road our bikes a few miles from the village and then hiked up this rocky hill until we reached the fort. The cliffs here are just as breathtaking as the cliffs of Moher, its no wonder prehistoric people built this fort almost 3,000 years ago! I thought St. Enda's was old! Inside the interior wall is a large stone altar on the very edge of the cliff that may have been used for sacrifice or other pagan ceremonies.


Cliffs by Dun Aengus


Again, too close?


This beach at the foot of the cliffs received a clean beach award! From who? I have no idea.


Me and Abby at the shore, quite a bit different than Jersey!


Gen's pretty happy to be on Inis Mor.


Breakfast for dinner! We saved money by going to the one grocery store on all three islands and picking up some breakfast food including rashers! Better than Taylor Ham!


This is the view I got to wake up to after a night at Joe Watty's pub on Inis Mor. "The Hernons and Padraic" played some great Irish songs, including the crowd favorite "Galway Girl," but also threw in some Bon Jovi. Nice. I took my tea on the hostel deck and enjoyed this beautiful morning.


Kilronan hostel, great people, great location, happy days as they say!

Day 62 (Part II): Galway and the Cliffs of Moher

Let the grasses grow
and the waters flow in a free and easy way
But give me enough of the rare old stuff
that's made near Galway Bay

Galway is my favorite city I've seen so far in Ireland. I'm happy I'm studying in Dublin but if I ever had to live here, Galway would definitely be my pick (after Inishmore of course! More on that later!)

The Irish claim that Galway is the "most Irish" city and I'd have to agree. It's not very commercialized, not as much as Dublin anyways, and its the first time I've seen menus, signs, advertisements in only Irish. Also, every once in awhile you're hear someone speaking the language, culture is alive and well!

We got to Galway on Thursday and took the Cliffs of Moher tour on Friday before heading to the Aran Islands which will get its own post!


Genevieve by the waterway that spills into Galway Bay, again we were blessed with stupidly nice weather this whole trip!


St. Nicholas' Cathedral. The inside is covered in war memorials and individual tributes to soldiers.



The claddagh museum in the back of Dillon's jewelers. These guys made claddagh rings for Grace Kelly, Queen Victoria, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara! They were almost completely sold out because of St. Patrick's Day. The older woman who worked the shop was just as sweet as can be, we probably talked to her for a good 20 minutes.


Interesting menu, no? I am particularly intrigued by the Cajun.


Streets of Galway


Paige in our awesome hostel with a map of the city. I would definitely stay at the Kinlay house again, it was beautiful and had a pretty good free breakfast.


A trip to another city in Ireland isn't complete without a Mexican meal! Not too bad.


Me and Oscar. On the other side of the bench is a statue of his father who did a lot of archeological work in the area. They're wild about the Wildes over here!


The first stop on our Cliffs of Moher tour, the desolate Burren. What the heck can you grow in a pile of rocks besides potatoes?


The Cliffs of Moher tourist center. They might as well put a sign in front that says "Bag End" or "The Shire."


Cliffs of Moher


Ah!


Ireland really takes safety seriously.


How close is too close?


Abby's strange pose is in tribute to HP, right behind her is the cave where part of the 6th Harry Potter movie was filmed! So excited!


Don't do it Abby! I had to leave after awhile because she was scaring me too much.


Just hangin at the Cliffs (safely behind a wall).


Passage tomb which is older than the pyramids of Egypt! It was built by the ancient people that somehow lived in the Burren. Inside they found 33 bodies as well as various jewelry and tools. There are lots of these all over Ireland, this one is called Poulnabrone Dolmen. The cap stone weighs something ridiculous like 15 tons. Very cool.


Here are some bear bones in the Allawee cave in the Burren. These bones I think are 1200 years old, bears have been extinct in Ireland for about 1000 years.


Picture on the inside of cave. It's probably upside down for all I know. Caves aren't very photogenic.


Cave Waterfall!


Me and a castle, an obligatory attraction on any Irish trip. This one has medieval banquets in the summer!


Finishing off the day with a drink at the King's Head pub! There was an excellent rock cover band, they played everything from Green Day to Kings of Leon to Creedence Clearwater Revival!! My favorite part? When a French kid came over and sang all the words to "Sweet Home Alabama."

Pictures of Inishmore soon!

Day 62: St. Pat

If you're enough lucky to be Irish, you're lucky enough! ~Irish Saying

Let me start off by saying that Dublin is a lot more fun when it's not St. Patrick's Day! There were so many people here, it was pretty overwhelming! Nothing like the Halloween parade in the Village, but Dublin has a lot less space to put people. I took the advice of the Irish people I know and laid low for the festivities, but here are a few pictures from the celebration!


Here's some of our friends that we invited over for breakfast! Abby and I tried our hand at a traditional Irish breakfast, but it was mostly an American breakfast with an Irish twist.


What's left of the smorgasbord.


We watched the parade in front of Trinity's gates. I couldn't see most of it, but the little kids who could seemed rather impressed.


Why? This parade was full of things that had nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day! Besides the Chicken there was someone dressed as a shellfish singing opera music and some giant mannequin puppets in tuxedos. Crazy!


Anywhere is free game for parade watching.


My drink of choice on St. Patrick's morning.


At night Abby and I met our friends Genevieve and Christina at the Bleeding Horse, a pub about 10 minutes from our apartment. We were back to our apartment by 10pm, what a crazy night!