Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

Rather, Buses, Ferries & Bicycles better describe my weekend.

Before I came to Ireland while I was doing some research, I came across the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway and decided I really wanted to go there. No reason, it just looked pretty. It is a small group of three little islands off the West coast of Ireland. These islands have managed to preserve the Gaelic culture with Irish traditiong and speak mostly Gaelic. The largest island, Inis Mor is 9 miles wide with a population of 800 people. Very quaint. So this weekend, pretty last minute, I booked a hostel and went!
My housemate, Steph, and I decided to take an adventure and traveled up to Galway to catch the ferry to the Islands. While we were waiting, we stopped and had breakfast at this cute bistro. I had my first (and hopefully last) taste of the traditional Irish Black and White pudding.. (If you don't know what it is made out of, you don't want to find out...) It was.. interesting?.. to say the least, but I figured it was definitely an Irish experience I couldn't pass up!

After that, we took a lovely ferry ride over to Inis Mor. It was the most gorgeous day I have seen here. Warm and sunny all day with no rain at all! Which is shocking because it almost ALWAYS rains on the islands. After we found out little hostel a little out of town (town consisted of a grocery store, 3 bike rental shops, 1 cafe, and 3 pubs and restaurants), we rented a couple bikes to travel around the island. The scenery was so gorgeous. When I picture Ireland, this view is exactly what I imagine.

Pictures just don't do it any justice. But it wouldn't be my life if there wasn't some sort of catastrophe in the day.. It really doesn't help that there are never street signs, not that it would have helped because they would have been in Irish, but still. We didn't even get the first mile without getting lost and going ALL the way up a hill before realizing that was supposed to be the end of the cycle so it would be downhill. So after that workout, we finally got on the right path. AND THEN, after cycling about 4 miles out to the far side, my chain breaks. So we're stuck in the middle of no where with no one around, pushing a bicycle, trying to make it back to town before it got dark with a map we couldn't even read. I felt like the girl on Leap Year- lost in the middle of Ireland. But finally, a little old Irish man came to our rescue and fixed the bike and we made it back to town for dinner.
We explored a bit of Galway the next day (which is such a nice city, I was in love) before making it back to Limerick, home sweet home!

Some Things Can't be Planned for.

I have really enjoyed running into such random experiences in the short three weeks that I've been here! I feel like everywhere I turn is some fun thing that I never expected.  I am usually such a HUGE planner but since living here in Ireland, I've really gotten used to going with the flow and living without a plan and it's been so fun to just see where that gets me. 

Each weekend something crazy happens that just was not in the tour book and I would have missed out on if I actually had a plan

Firstly, in Cork when we missed our bus and it wouldn't come, we got to see a great sports car parade for some event we didn't even know was happening.

And then on our tour last week when we got into a bus-accident (which I actually found out is a lot more common than I realized... makes so much sense now!)

(The bus that hit us!)

And then, this weekend we had a short, 45 minute layover between buses in Galway and decided to find something to eat.  On our walk back to the shuttle, we turn a corner and  BOOM we walk right into the Oyster's Festival Parade! Who knew??

So here's to my new love of spontaneity!

A Matter of Perspective.

Two people rarely have the same perspective.  I knew that coming here, but it has been fun to see how different cultures influence perspectives. I told my Irish housemate that the rolling green hills and stone walls were my favorite part of Ireland, and she laughed.  She has lived here all her life, so she is used to seeing the countryside, which makes perfect sense if I just think about where I've come from and what I am used to seeing everyday at home. Regardless, I still find it breathtakingly beautiful here and would not mind waking up to this everyday.

Most of the Irish I have spoken to here don't understand why tourists come to Ireland.  Its just rocks and grass right? They find it amusing that Americans come here and spend days and days looking at nothing but castles and cliffs.  You can drive down one road here and pass three ruins of castles. No big deal. I have a hard time explaining how we just don't have things like this in America.  Nothing is really that old there.  That's at least why I find it fascinating.

So I went against all the Irish norms and became a full fledged tourist this weekend.  I took a bus tour around the west coast and it was GORGEOUS.  The weather cooperated, for the most part.  I've gotten used to the 15 minutes of clouds, 10 minutes of rain, 2 minutes of sun cycle that seems to happen every day. We saw some amazing old rocks and beautiful landscapes, so here is my little mini-tour and history lesson of the day.

Leamenagh Castle - 1480 built by Turlogh Dunn (one of the last of the High Kings of Ireland)

Caherconnell Stone Fort- 400 AD (so I guess those stones used to equal a house)

Poulnabrone Dolmen- a tomb (they found 30 bodies here. yuck) 

carbon dating places it from 3000BC

The Burren

The Burren is the landscape that makes up a large portion of County Clare. There's a whole scientific explanation, but I don't know it. So basically its just rocks. Everywhere. But so gorgeous.

Seven rainbows in one day. 

Still looking for a pot of gold. I'm starting to think leprechauns don't actually exist?

Beach anyone?

Cliffs of Moher

Still amazing, even the second time around. 

I could just keep putting up picture upon picture, but I'll show some restraint. I do apologize for this hugely long post, though. Props if you read the entire thing! You now know as much about Ireland as I do. 

Who needs to take a history course, right? I think I learned more on this bus tour than the past two weeks I've sat in my early modern Ireland history lecture.  Maybe I should just skip class and take tours instead? That sounds like a good plan. 

A weekend in Cork

Cork is a city on the southern coast of the isle, about a two hour bus trip from Limerick.  I left around 7am Saturday morning with a group of 12 other international students to start our adventure in Cork.  As we stood at a bus stop for an hour, lost, a random parade of cars raced by, like Lamborghinis, Ferraris, BMWs, they were all there.  We never really found out where it they came from but it was a great random start of the day.

Cork is a lovely town with beautiful building and lots of great shopping.  It is slightly larger than Limerick and a lot prettier as well. I find it funny what American places have made it big in Ireland.  Of course you see McDonalds and Subways everywhere, but unlike in America, Europeans actually love these places.  Seeing any American business is just a little taste of home though, so I am beginning to enjoy seeing random stores around.
After and hour of circling the city looking for out hostel, we finally found it and then set off to explore Cork.

Just a half hour outside of the city is Blarney Castle where four Australian girls and I spent most of the day touring and seeing the beautiful gardens. The thing about it raining in Ireland is that it never lasts for long.  By the time we reached the castle, it started pouring, but once we made it to the top, there wasn't a cloud in sight!

The view off Blarney's Castle

The 4 Aussies and myself

Sunday we spent wandering around the city and seeing the beautiful buildings in the city.  There is a clocktower of St. Anne's church that has a view of the entire city so we got to climb 130 some stairs and play songs on the bells.

Cork from the clocktower

St. Anne's Church

Shandon Bells

It was a long weekend but such a great city and a lot of fun.  If you ever get a chance to come to Ireland, Cork should be your destination on your list of destinations of must-sees!

The Legend of the Blarney Stone.

There is a stone there, that whoever kisses,

Oh! He never misses to grow eloquent:

'Tis he may clamber to a lady's chamber,

Or become a member of Parliament.

Blarney Castle

There is legend in Irish history of a stone which possesses the magic to bring all who kiss it the gift of eloquence. It is believed that this stone was given to Cormac McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, by Robert the Bruce of Scotland from the Stone of Scone in 1314 as a thank you. A spell was placed on this stone that all who kiss it will have the gift of flattery or eloquence in speech. Cormac used this gift when he went to save his land from Queen Elizabeth I by winning her over with his speech. This rock was placed overhanging the top of Lord of Blarney's Castle and for hundreds of years, people from all over have come to this castle to kiss the stone by hanging upside down along the outer wall over an 85 foot high fall. Though there are many legends of how this stone came to be, from being Jacob's Pillow or the Stone of Ezel, 400,000 people visit the castle each year to gain the gift of eloquence. 

Apparently, I now have this 'gift of gab' because I bent over backwards over an 85 foot drop and kissed the slab of rock that is the Blarney Stone. Although it's known as one of the least hygienic tourist destinations in the world, it does rain all the time in Ireland, right?

 Oh well, can't be in Ireland without being a part of the Irish tradition. When in Rome..

You're not in Kansas anymore..

.. This is what our International Director told us the first day of orientation, and I have found it is very much a true statement.  First week is done and I'm starting to get used to the little quirks that makes Ireland so different than the US.
So this is my travel guide for American tourists of what I have learned so far:
- It does not matter how sunny and cloudless the sky is when you leave home, it WILL downpour as soon as you are walking outside. No matter what.
- You may have to go through 3 umbrellas in order to find one sturdy enough that will not break in the wind.
- If you think that it is impossible for a city bus to fit through a little alley, you are wrong.  These bus drivers can make their bus fit wherever they would like.
- When you go grocery shopping, bring a bag or be prepared to carry all your groceries because you have to pay for plastic bags here.
- Make sure you look to your right before you cross the street. Cars will NOT yield to pedestrians so you may want to run instead of leisurely glide across an intersection.
- "Craic" (pronounced 'crack') is not an illicit drug. So if someone asks you if you had good craic, they are actually asking if you had fun.
- "Taking tea" actually means having dinner. You do not just have tea.
- Don't try to go shopping on weekends or after 5. You will not find anything.
- Eating out after 7pm is close to impossible.  Nothing serves food that late.
- On that note, if the only place open is an Italian restaurant, do not eat there. Sorry, but Irish cannot do Italian or American-Italian pizza. Trust me.
I could keep going and going, but I guess that's what guidebooks actually are, so I don't need to write my own.  I am loving learning all about the culture here. Everything is so different and so great.

Not Kansas.

Short Tour.

Classes start tomorrow.  First time in my life I will be in school on Labor Day, so it is a little weird not being in the States for the day. Though, I tried explaining America's many random holidays to a couple of Aussies and I came to realize America has TONS of holidays. I guess we just like excuses to have the day off, which I am actually going to miss this semester!

It has just been a gorgeous weekend and I figured pictures speak louder than words so the following are a few pictures of the beautiful campus.  My flatmate and I decided it might be smart to learn the campus (or at least attempt to learn it) before we had to try to find our classes tomorrow

Thomond Village 

(I live in the middle building and if you look close enough and squint you can see my window!)

My view of the Shannon River out of my flat.

Typical Ireland.

Crazy Architecture on the Campus

The Living Bridge

Meet "Brown Thomas"

(Sure, he looks all normal now, but I can't tell you how terrifying it is to run into him at night..)

Limerick's City Centre

Getting Oriented.

Well, Orientation is finally over. It was a long couple days of feeling like a Freshman all over again.
Tuesday I arrived in the morning and took a trip up to Galway with two other Interstudy students. We then headed over to the Cliffs of Moher (one of Ireland's most famous landmarks) which were just gorgeous. I definitely want to go back there again when I'm not half asleep. But they were still just stunning.

We had dinner in this nice little seaside town. It reminded me a lot of New England with the little shops and rocky beaches.

Thursday was a long, long day of sitting in a lecture hall with a hundred other students hearing ALL about everything here at the university. Seriously, ask me anything. I know it ALL! Even though I went on about five tours of the grounds, I guarantee I'm going to still get lost. This campus is huge. I will never complain about walking from the Woodland parking lot to Ferrin at Gordon EVER again. That's about 1/3 of the walking I will have to do every day. But I wouldn't trade it.  The campus is beyond gorgeous. And apparently we have been having amazing weather. Cloudy and chilly, but it has yet to rain! 

Today I spent the day browsing and shopping in the City Center (or Downtown Limerick).

So that's it. Not too much happening this past week but I feel like I haven't sat down for more than twenty minutes at a time. 

Loving it very much.