So I'm in my last two days in Ireland. Yesterday I enjoyed one last Saturday market. I have really developed a relationship with the people at the market, and have enjoyed fueling a local economy. Every Saturday I go to the market downtown and buy my produce from the same stand, and then wander the market for the day. There are multiple craft shops, munchies, and creative foods. At the end of every market run I have to swing by my favorite doughnut stand, and pay my 70 cents for my cinnamon doughnut. This doughnut is unlike anything you have ever tasted before. I was talking to him on my last day he said on a busy weekend he can sell up to 1500 in one day! He is one a very sweet man who refers to me as "red" every weekend, and claims he is going to have to take out a second mortgage on his house now that I'm returning to the states.... hahaha. I must say, when I return to Ireland one day, I will make sure I'm in Galway on a Saturday.....
Today I hiked out with some of my good friends to an abandoned castle just outside of Galway. It was a 8 mile hike round trip! We headed out this morning, and adventured out to the castle. We enjoyed the afternoon exploring the abandoned castle and sitting on the river. The Menlo Castle is situated on the banks of the Corrib River, which runs all the way down to Galway Bay. In the pasture were two horses, who definitely enjoyed our company, as they came and stood next to us for the afternoon, enjoyed being petted, and even ventured into the castles themselves. It was a nice afternoon to spend with friends, reflect on memories from the trip, and see one last castle.
I plan on spending tomorrow packing and saying my goodbyes, and hope to make it back to the states on Tuesday evening... I'm just crossing my fingers the volcano doesn't cause any airport closures, as it has caused many temporary ones over the past week.
Pictures posted below :)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Clonmacnoise
Well with only 3 days left in Ireland, I'm trying to get as much in as I can. For months I have wanted to go out to these church remains from the 5th century called Clonmacnoise. I could never figure out how to get there because they were incredibly rural and could never find a tour company that went there. The other day I was walking down the street and saw a sign for a Clonmacnoise tour from Galway Tour Company. I booked my ticket and when I got there today I realized I was one of two people going on this tour, the other way Chris because I talked him into it :)
We got talking with the bus driver and he told me this would be an interesting day because they had never actually done this tour, and didn't expect people to sign up that fast. So, I got to pioneer the first Clonmacnoise tour. Our tour guide was hilarious, and kept saying "bare with me" as he had just studied all the information this morning in preparation.
Well the day ended up being great! It was about an hour drive out to the ruins. Clonmacnoise used to be the "mecca" or Ireland. It's situated in the literal middle of the island, and people used to make pilgrimages here. It all began in the 5th century when Christianity began to become increasingly popular and a group of monks formed a monastery on the grounds. There are 8 other churches on the grounds including the nuns church. It's crazy to think most of these were 1600 years old!
There are over 600 gravestones surrounding the ruins, and they date back to the 5th century as well. Outside of the park was an old anglo norman castle from the 11th century. It was on top of a motte (a steep hill built in the 11th century as a form of defense) and had decayed so much the some of the edges were hanging off the hillside. It's one of the most incredibly pieces of castle remains I have seen here. See my pictures below because I can't begin to explain how cool it was!
Tomorrow is my last Saturday market :( and I may go out to Athenry on Sunday to explore one last city. This trip has gone so fast, I can't believe I will be home on Tuesday evening, and be at work by Thursday morning. It's going to be very bitter sweet coming home, but I'm definitely excited to see my friends and family. Can't wait to see everyone soon!
I've posted pictures below :)
We got talking with the bus driver and he told me this would be an interesting day because they had never actually done this tour, and didn't expect people to sign up that fast. So, I got to pioneer the first Clonmacnoise tour. Our tour guide was hilarious, and kept saying "bare with me" as he had just studied all the information this morning in preparation.
Well the day ended up being great! It was about an hour drive out to the ruins. Clonmacnoise used to be the "mecca" or Ireland. It's situated in the literal middle of the island, and people used to make pilgrimages here. It all began in the 5th century when Christianity began to become increasingly popular and a group of monks formed a monastery on the grounds. There are 8 other churches on the grounds including the nuns church. It's crazy to think most of these were 1600 years old!
There are over 600 gravestones surrounding the ruins, and they date back to the 5th century as well. Outside of the park was an old anglo norman castle from the 11th century. It was on top of a motte (a steep hill built in the 11th century as a form of defense) and had decayed so much the some of the edges were hanging off the hillside. It's one of the most incredibly pieces of castle remains I have seen here. See my pictures below because I can't begin to explain how cool it was!
Tomorrow is my last Saturday market :( and I may go out to Athenry on Sunday to explore one last city. This trip has gone so fast, I can't believe I will be home on Tuesday evening, and be at work by Thursday morning. It's going to be very bitter sweet coming home, but I'm definitely excited to see my friends and family. Can't wait to see everyone soon!
I've posted pictures below :)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Conquering Clifden
This past week, Chris has his good friend Corey and his girlfriend Krista come and visit. Due to my appendicitis I was not able to do the day adventures, but I was feeling pretty good by Saturday, so luckily I was able to join them for one day.
We took the bus up to Clifden in the morning. The drive is only an hour, and Clifden is located about 1 hour and 15 minutes NW of Galway. It's a quaint little coastal town, with a significant amount of history in it. We had lunch at a little cafe in town, and started walking around. We ended up of Sky Road, which had a cool old gothic church and graveyard. As we continued down the road, it become incredibly scenic so we decided to keep walking down towards the coastline. On our way, we noticed the crest of a castle tucked into the hillside, it was barely visible from the road. There was no house nearby and nothing that said "no trespassing" so we figured we would give it a shot. We hiked down through a few fields of sheep and found ourselves at the basin of an abandoned castle. When we got home I was able to research it, and found that it was built in the early 1700's, and was abandoned during the famine in 1840. Clifden was one of the hardest hit areas by the famine.
We were able to explore inside the castle, and it was really cool because it hasn't been restored, so there were remain of the staircase, and old walls, put many portions had crumbled. There was an incredible view from the castle of the inlet from the ocean that leads into the town of Clifden. Many parts of the castle were overgrown with vines. Adjacent to the castle was the old stone farm and remain of a few smaller houses, probably the servants quarters. It was such a cool adventure because everything was so untouched. After the castle we continued out to the coastline, the view was incredible. We walked back into town later that evening and took the bus back to Galway.
I took the next day pretty easy as I was exhausted, but I'm feeling pretty good since my surgery. I've been studying quite a bit for my psychology exam on Wednesday. After Wednesday I'm officially done with my courses in Galway. I can't believe it, but I fly home next Tuesday. It's going to be very bitter sweet. I'm excited to get home for summer, but am definitely going to miss this place. It is all starting to hit me as my good friends Lauren and Beth departed over the weekend.
I have posted pictures below of the castle!
We took the bus up to Clifden in the morning. The drive is only an hour, and Clifden is located about 1 hour and 15 minutes NW of Galway. It's a quaint little coastal town, with a significant amount of history in it. We had lunch at a little cafe in town, and started walking around. We ended up of Sky Road, which had a cool old gothic church and graveyard. As we continued down the road, it become incredibly scenic so we decided to keep walking down towards the coastline. On our way, we noticed the crest of a castle tucked into the hillside, it was barely visible from the road. There was no house nearby and nothing that said "no trespassing" so we figured we would give it a shot. We hiked down through a few fields of sheep and found ourselves at the basin of an abandoned castle. When we got home I was able to research it, and found that it was built in the early 1700's, and was abandoned during the famine in 1840. Clifden was one of the hardest hit areas by the famine.
We were able to explore inside the castle, and it was really cool because it hasn't been restored, so there were remain of the staircase, and old walls, put many portions had crumbled. There was an incredible view from the castle of the inlet from the ocean that leads into the town of Clifden. Many parts of the castle were overgrown with vines. Adjacent to the castle was the old stone farm and remain of a few smaller houses, probably the servants quarters. It was such a cool adventure because everything was so untouched. After the castle we continued out to the coastline, the view was incredible. We walked back into town later that evening and took the bus back to Galway.
I took the next day pretty easy as I was exhausted, but I'm feeling pretty good since my surgery. I've been studying quite a bit for my psychology exam on Wednesday. After Wednesday I'm officially done with my courses in Galway. I can't believe it, but I fly home next Tuesday. It's going to be very bitter sweet. I'm excited to get home for summer, but am definitely going to miss this place. It is all starting to hit me as my good friends Lauren and Beth departed over the weekend.
I have posted pictures below of the castle!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Adios Appendix
Unfortunately I am not reporting to you about some crazy cool adventure in Ireland, but I can now say I've made my way through the Irish health care system.....
On Saturday morning I woke up just fine, and went to the market like I normally do. That afternoon I was over at Chris's apartment watching TV and noticed a weird stomach ache. I took a nap on the couch, and woke up and noticed that the pain had localized to my lower right side. After a few more hours, he convinced me to go to the ER.... which is know as the Casualties entrance in Ireland (personally I feel like that name sounds like I'm already dead before I even got in there...)
Anyway after seeing a few doctors and having blood work done I was admitted to the hospital very late on Saturday evening/Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon I had an emergency appendectomy. Thankfully, they were able to do it laproscopically, so I have 3 small incisions in my stomach. Oh, they don't call the operating room the O.R. here... it's called the theater... what the heck!? I fell like I should be receiving some entertainment if your going to name it that! Anyway... I spent the next two days in the hospital. While those days were fine... I really wished this would have happened in the United States as we have a little more advanced medicine/hospital rooms. I shared a room with 3 others, who were all very nice, but it made it hard to sleep sometimes.
I was supposed to be in Italy this past weekend, and I'm even more thankful that volcano blew because the language barrier was hard enough with all of the accents! My ER doctor was middle eastern, my surgical team was composed of an Irish surgeon with Nigerian assistants, the nice lady who cleaned the room every day was Polish as well as the people who brought the food. The man who gave me my prescriptions was Korean and my nurses were Irish and British. It was quite the mix of nationalities and all different accents!
Overall the experience was not too bad, and I'm feeling pretty good today. Unfortunately, this cancels my travel plans to Prague next week, but I'm hoping for a speedy recovery as I do fly home exactly 2 weeks from today. Thank you for all of your emails, notes, and prayers over the past few days, and I am excited to get in touch with everyone when I get back to the states.
P.S. Chris so kindly took a photo of my after surgery... I will be sure to post that for everyone's viewing pleasure....
On Saturday morning I woke up just fine, and went to the market like I normally do. That afternoon I was over at Chris's apartment watching TV and noticed a weird stomach ache. I took a nap on the couch, and woke up and noticed that the pain had localized to my lower right side. After a few more hours, he convinced me to go to the ER.... which is know as the Casualties entrance in Ireland (personally I feel like that name sounds like I'm already dead before I even got in there...)
Anyway after seeing a few doctors and having blood work done I was admitted to the hospital very late on Saturday evening/Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon I had an emergency appendectomy. Thankfully, they were able to do it laproscopically, so I have 3 small incisions in my stomach. Oh, they don't call the operating room the O.R. here... it's called the theater... what the heck!? I fell like I should be receiving some entertainment if your going to name it that! Anyway... I spent the next two days in the hospital. While those days were fine... I really wished this would have happened in the United States as we have a little more advanced medicine/hospital rooms. I shared a room with 3 others, who were all very nice, but it made it hard to sleep sometimes.
I was supposed to be in Italy this past weekend, and I'm even more thankful that volcano blew because the language barrier was hard enough with all of the accents! My ER doctor was middle eastern, my surgical team was composed of an Irish surgeon with Nigerian assistants, the nice lady who cleaned the room every day was Polish as well as the people who brought the food. The man who gave me my prescriptions was Korean and my nurses were Irish and British. It was quite the mix of nationalities and all different accents!
Overall the experience was not too bad, and I'm feeling pretty good today. Unfortunately, this cancels my travel plans to Prague next week, but I'm hoping for a speedy recovery as I do fly home exactly 2 weeks from today. Thank you for all of your emails, notes, and prayers over the past few days, and I am excited to get in touch with everyone when I get back to the states.
P.S. Chris so kindly took a photo of my after surgery... I will be sure to post that for everyone's viewing pleasure....
Monday, April 19, 2010
It would have been fun Italy....
Due to the volcano in Iceland, it's now made it so we are unable to fly out tomorrow. I had a week trip planned in Italy. We had booked Rome, Sorrento, and Capri, but maybe another day :( I looked into changing the flights and can't get a flight to Italy until next Tuesday due to the airline mess. Hopefully I will make it here one day!
Anyway, as for my parents they are still stuck in Ireland. I had a final exam all day today and one more tomorrow, but I am going to see them tomorrow evening. We are going to meet in a little town halfway between Galway and Shannon (where they are staying) and explore one more little town and do dinner! Hopefully they are able to get a flight out soon, but on the bright side, it's been really fun having them here :)
Anyway, as for my parents they are still stuck in Ireland. I had a final exam all day today and one more tomorrow, but I am going to see them tomorrow evening. We are going to meet in a little town halfway between Galway and Shannon (where they are staying) and explore one more little town and do dinner! Hopefully they are able to get a flight out soon, but on the bright side, it's been really fun having them here :)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
What a trip!
Sorry I haven't up dated this in so long! I just finished up an incredible 10 day vacation around Ireland with my parents. The first day I met them at the Shannon Airports at 6am, and we went back to the hotel for a bit to take a nap. Late that morning we started on a 5 day bus tour, and our first stop was out to the Cliffs of Moher. I had been twice before, but it was fun to show them the cliffs. The Cliffs are over 700 feet high on the western coastline of Ireland.
The next day we headed down to County Cork to see the Blarney Castle and the Woolen Mills. We spent the afternoon exploring the town, shopping, and toasted our first Guinness. We decided to save 20 euro and not kiss the slimy Blarney stone.... darn! That afternoon we drove to Killarney in County Kerry, which was absolutely beautiful!! That afternoon we went to for a walk down the streets of Killarney and went for a walk in the national park. When exploring the town my dad and I went to this old pub called Jimmy O'Briens. We were some of the only people in there. The bar tender, who happened to be the Jimmy O'Brien got talking with us, and before we knew it we were honorary bar tenders of the day (aka he let us take a picture behind the bar!). That evening we went out for traditional music at a pub up the street and then hit the hay.
On Saturday our tour took us through the Ring of Kerry. This is a loop of highway throughout County Kerry that is incredibly scenic. We viewed the Dingle Peninsula and may other sites in Ireland. We stopped at a bog village, which was reconstructed to display what life was like living in thatched cottages. On the way back into Killarney we stopped at the national park and got to view the Mossruck House. The weather was absolutely incredible that afternoon, I could have stayed in that park all day! That afternoon my dad and I went to a new pub where we watched the horse race and the rugby match... I can honestly say there is no better place to watch a sporting event just because of the people watching....
On Sunday we had a long drive to Dublin. On the way to Dublin we stopped at the Rock of Cashel, in which St. Patrick had visited during his qwest through Ireland. It was an incredibly intricate castle built in the 12th century on top of a steep hill. Down in the valley was an old abbey. Unfortunately we didn't get to tour the abbey, but it was quite a site from the Rock of Cashel. That afternoon we arrived in Dublin and I was able to show my parents Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Temple Bar, Saint Stephens Green Park, and Whelans Pub (where P.S. I Love You was filmed). That evening we went to the Arlington Hotel for Irish music and dancing.
The next day in Dublin we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ's Church, The Guinness Factory, and the Jameson Distillery. The St. Patrick's church was absolutely beautiful inside. From the stained glass windows, to the intricate tiles, tombs, and designs. The Guinness Tour was really well done, as it is incredibly active and you can even pour your own pint! We enjoyed our pint at the Gravity Bar, which has a panoramic view of Dublin. That afternoon my dad and I did the Jameson Distillery tour. They ask for volunteers in the beginning of the tour and I made my dad volunteer....as I knew what they would make him do.... At the end of the tour my dad had to try all 3 whiskeys infront of the group and tell them which one is best, if he said Jameson then he got a certificate.... and well he's coming home with a proud certificate!
On Tuesday we headed back to Galway and explore the city for the afternoon. I was able to show my parents the river that created my kyaking adventures, campus, town center, and my apartment. We spent the afternoon on shop street, and had a great dinner at a wine bar downtown. That evening we went to Taafes pub for live traditional Irish music.
On Wednesday we went up to Connemara and did a tour of the Connemara mountains, fjord, famine villages, and the Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore was built back in 1860, and is known as one of the most "romantic" castles in Ireland. We toured the castle, gothic church, and the gardens. You may recall in a previous blog that I took Emily there.... there are numerous pictures below! That evening I took my parents to the best fish and chips place in the world...McDonaghs! After dinner it was a beautiful sunset so we walked out to the beach.
The next day we west out to the Aran Islands. The Aran Islands are still very traditionally Irish. We toured Inis Mor... The largest of the 300 Islands. The island is inhabited by 800 people. It is one of the most pristine places I've been. Once we got off of the ferry we decided to take a 3.5 hour horse and buggy ride around the island. Our guide, Michael and his horse prince, took us up to Dun Anges, a ring fort built over 4000 years ago in 2000 B.C. at the top of the highest point of the island. The fort overlooks a 500 foot cliff. On the route out to the castle we got to witness the villages, farms, and intricate stone walls of the island.
On Friday we spent one last day in Galway shopping, enjoying the quaint cafes, and enjoyed our last Guinness's before my parents departed for the airport late that evening. They were supposed to fly out today, Saturday, but due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland they were unable to fly out, as all flights in western Europe are grounded. They ended up taking the bus back up to Galway for the day and I got to show them one of my favorite parts of Galway... the Saturday Market. We got fresh produce, and made dinner this evening, and said our goodbyes once again. They are going to attempt to fly out tomorrow but it looks like Monday is more probable. It was one great vacation, and definitely a vacation of a lifetime. I had an absolute blast and hope they did too! It was so nice to show them everything I have been living over the last several months.
This week I have a final on Monday and a final on Tuesday and then it's off to Italy for 6 days.... as long as I am able to fly out... keep your fingers crossed!
The next day we headed down to County Cork to see the Blarney Castle and the Woolen Mills. We spent the afternoon exploring the town, shopping, and toasted our first Guinness. We decided to save 20 euro and not kiss the slimy Blarney stone.... darn! That afternoon we drove to Killarney in County Kerry, which was absolutely beautiful!! That afternoon we went to for a walk down the streets of Killarney and went for a walk in the national park. When exploring the town my dad and I went to this old pub called Jimmy O'Briens. We were some of the only people in there. The bar tender, who happened to be the Jimmy O'Brien got talking with us, and before we knew it we were honorary bar tenders of the day (aka he let us take a picture behind the bar!). That evening we went out for traditional music at a pub up the street and then hit the hay.
On Saturday our tour took us through the Ring of Kerry. This is a loop of highway throughout County Kerry that is incredibly scenic. We viewed the Dingle Peninsula and may other sites in Ireland. We stopped at a bog village, which was reconstructed to display what life was like living in thatched cottages. On the way back into Killarney we stopped at the national park and got to view the Mossruck House. The weather was absolutely incredible that afternoon, I could have stayed in that park all day! That afternoon my dad and I went to a new pub where we watched the horse race and the rugby match... I can honestly say there is no better place to watch a sporting event just because of the people watching....
On Sunday we had a long drive to Dublin. On the way to Dublin we stopped at the Rock of Cashel, in which St. Patrick had visited during his qwest through Ireland. It was an incredibly intricate castle built in the 12th century on top of a steep hill. Down in the valley was an old abbey. Unfortunately we didn't get to tour the abbey, but it was quite a site from the Rock of Cashel. That afternoon we arrived in Dublin and I was able to show my parents Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Temple Bar, Saint Stephens Green Park, and Whelans Pub (where P.S. I Love You was filmed). That evening we went to the Arlington Hotel for Irish music and dancing.
The next day in Dublin we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ's Church, The Guinness Factory, and the Jameson Distillery. The St. Patrick's church was absolutely beautiful inside. From the stained glass windows, to the intricate tiles, tombs, and designs. The Guinness Tour was really well done, as it is incredibly active and you can even pour your own pint! We enjoyed our pint at the Gravity Bar, which has a panoramic view of Dublin. That afternoon my dad and I did the Jameson Distillery tour. They ask for volunteers in the beginning of the tour and I made my dad volunteer....as I knew what they would make him do.... At the end of the tour my dad had to try all 3 whiskeys infront of the group and tell them which one is best, if he said Jameson then he got a certificate.... and well he's coming home with a proud certificate!
On Tuesday we headed back to Galway and explore the city for the afternoon. I was able to show my parents the river that created my kyaking adventures, campus, town center, and my apartment. We spent the afternoon on shop street, and had a great dinner at a wine bar downtown. That evening we went to Taafes pub for live traditional Irish music.
On Wednesday we went up to Connemara and did a tour of the Connemara mountains, fjord, famine villages, and the Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore was built back in 1860, and is known as one of the most "romantic" castles in Ireland. We toured the castle, gothic church, and the gardens. You may recall in a previous blog that I took Emily there.... there are numerous pictures below! That evening I took my parents to the best fish and chips place in the world...McDonaghs! After dinner it was a beautiful sunset so we walked out to the beach.
The next day we west out to the Aran Islands. The Aran Islands are still very traditionally Irish. We toured Inis Mor... The largest of the 300 Islands. The island is inhabited by 800 people. It is one of the most pristine places I've been. Once we got off of the ferry we decided to take a 3.5 hour horse and buggy ride around the island. Our guide, Michael and his horse prince, took us up to Dun Anges, a ring fort built over 4000 years ago in 2000 B.C. at the top of the highest point of the island. The fort overlooks a 500 foot cliff. On the route out to the castle we got to witness the villages, farms, and intricate stone walls of the island.
On Friday we spent one last day in Galway shopping, enjoying the quaint cafes, and enjoyed our last Guinness's before my parents departed for the airport late that evening. They were supposed to fly out today, Saturday, but due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland they were unable to fly out, as all flights in western Europe are grounded. They ended up taking the bus back up to Galway for the day and I got to show them one of my favorite parts of Galway... the Saturday Market. We got fresh produce, and made dinner this evening, and said our goodbyes once again. They are going to attempt to fly out tomorrow but it looks like Monday is more probable. It was one great vacation, and definitely a vacation of a lifetime. I had an absolute blast and hope they did too! It was so nice to show them everything I have been living over the last several months.
This week I have a final on Monday and a final on Tuesday and then it's off to Italy for 6 days.... as long as I am able to fly out... keep your fingers crossed!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
My parents are here!
Tonight I am headed down to Shannon, so that I can meet my parents at the airport early in the morning. They are here for 10 days, and I'm so excited to see them! We are doing a bus tour for 5 days that takes us out to the Cliffs of Moher, to Cork, the Blarney Castle, the Ring of Kerry, Cashel, and Dublin. Althought I've already been to the Cliffs of Moher and Dublin, I have made sure not to go to the other places listed so that I would get to do something new with them. Although, I have no complaints about going back to the Cliffs of Moher, as they are absolutely breath taking! And well as for Dublin, there are always new things to see in a big city :)
After we spend two nights in Dublin, we are taking the bus back to Galway and spending four days on the westside. One day, I am taking them up to Connemara, where I went with Emily a few weeks back, and the other day we are headed out to the Aran Islands. I have heard incredible things about the views from the islands as well as the culture and thatched cottages that dot the landscape. I will be sure to update you when I can!
After we spend two nights in Dublin, we are taking the bus back to Galway and spending four days on the westside. One day, I am taking them up to Connemara, where I went with Emily a few weeks back, and the other day we are headed out to the Aran Islands. I have heard incredible things about the views from the islands as well as the culture and thatched cottages that dot the landscape. I will be sure to update you when I can!
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