A LegenDerry Weekend in Northern Ireland

Today was a perfect fall day in Spiddal! After a three-hour history class, we are done with classes until Monday afternoon. I am already not sure how it is going to go next spring when I will actually have five days of classes a week. I walked to Spiddal with some friends to pick up a few groceries, and because it was such a nice day, we decided to buy ice cream bars and sit by the ocean soaking up the sun while we have the chance! Last week we had a five day trip to Northern Ireland...here's how it went!

After only two days back in Spiddal, we were on the road again! We left for Northern Ireland on Wednesday afternoon after two three-hour classes, and after a four-hour bus ride, I was more than happy to arrive in Derry (or Londonderry, or according to our tour guide Martin, LegenDerry).  We stayed in a hostel that reminded me a lot of Our House in Iceland! A small group of us actually stayed in a different house around the corner from the rest, but it was really nice to just share a room with two other people.  As a group, we got our first glimpse of Derry when we walked to Badger’s pub for dinner.  The dinner was budgeted in to our excursion, so I decided to go all out and get the Guinness and beef stew and the Baihley’s cheesecake. On the way back, we stopped to withdraw some pounds because Northern Ireland is technically a different country and part of the United Kingdom.  It was hard to remember we were actually in a different country.  On Thursday, we went to the Tower Museum about the entire history of Derry. Our tour guide was Jerry from Derry, and he did a great job of explaining each portion of Derry’s history.  The most interesting section for me was the more recent history and the Troubles, the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.  Jackie (one of our professors who joined us)  had some unbelievable stories about what it was like to live there during that time.  After lunch, we went to another museum, the Free Derry Museum, specifically about Bloody Sunday.  I was shocked to learn that some people were killed on the sidewalk literally right outside the building.  The museum followed the events in the years leading up to Bloody Sunday, so we had great context information because I didn’t really know much about the history of it before.  There were also a lot of artifacts from the actual day, including clothes with bullet holes worn by the people who were killed.  We learned that just last summer the British government admitted that the people who were killed were innocent victims and not gunmen, as they had been called in the past.   After the museum, we met Martin, our tour guide for a walking tour of Derry.  We walked all around the area around the museum and the walled area, looking at the many murals painted on buildings.  They all had to do with the Troubles and what was even more interesting was that most of them were painted on or near the spot that they depicted.  On our way back to the hostel, Jackie brought us all to a pub to celebrate Arthur Guinness’s birthday! 

We found some delicious desserts at a cute little cafe. Of course, I had to get the cupcake!

The Free Derry Museum about the Bloody Sunday massacre

The beginning of our walking tour of the city

Our tour guide Martin explaining the murals

The victims of Bloody Sunday

A mural dedicated to a 14-year-old girl who was shot and killed on her way to school during the Troubles

After leaving Derry, we made two stops on the way to Belfast.  First, we had a tour and lunch at the Bushmill’s Distillery.  My favorite part was watching the bottling of the whiskey, and it was pretty amazing to me that the whiskey being produced when we were watching won’t be sold for at least three years, but probably even more! We had lunch and a free drink in the café, and I tried a hot toddy, but I don’t think I am much of a whiskey drinker.  Next, we drove just a few miles to the Giant’s Causeway, a naturally occurring rock formation that was formed 60 million years ago. We had an hour to get out and explore.  It was a really nice day, so it was great to be able to be outside in beautiful surroundings.  We made our last leg of the trip to Belfast and arrived later in the afternoon.  After dinner, a group of us went out to explore a Culture Night festival that we had heard about.  It turned out to be a big celebration for the city and there were many people and families all over the cathedral quarter.  We got there just at the end of a parade featuring drumming pirates, a human hamster wheel and flag twirlers.  There were also puppet shows, live music and art displays all around the streets.  The next day our tour guide Colin joined us for a “hop on-hop off” tour of Belfast.  First, we drove along the more affluent part of Belfast and Queens University before going to the still-divided areas.  In the Catholic area of West Belfast, we saw a wall painted with murals depicting protests during the Troubles but also showing other social issues from the past, showing that the people from that area stood in solidarity with others from around the world being unfairly oppressed.  Driving along the “peace wall” separating the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods was very moving. It is hard to imagine living your whole life on one side and not even knowing anyone in the next neighborhood, separated by just a few feet.  The next stop was the Northern Ireland parliament building.  It was still hard to fathom that we were technically in another country than the Republic.  Our last stop on the tour was at Belfast castle with its gorgeous gardens and view of the city.  Legend has it that if you find all nine cat statues hidden around the garden, you will have good luck.  Not being much of a cat person, however, I decided to risk it and just enjoy the sunshine! We were all happy to notice that it rains significantly less in the North than in Galway!  We got dropped off near the city center for the free afternoon.  A group of us found a Chipotle-like burrito restaurant for lunch that had been highly recommended.  Eating a carnitas fajita burrito was a taste of home that I definitely needed! After church that night, a few friends and I went to Jaipur Kebabs, right across the street from our hostel, that  my brother had told me was a must-do in Belfast.  His word was good and we all devoured our kebabs in record time. What a great end to the weekend :)

Better late than never: Our excursion to Killarney

 Hi everyone!

So sorry it's been a while since my last post, but we have really been on the move lately. Two weeks ago, we went to County Kerry for a long weekend, and it was probably one of my favorite places I have ever been.  We arrived in Killarney to find the whole city decked out in green and yellow.  It turns out the Gaelic Football championship was that weekend and Kerry faced Dublin in the finals (unfortunately we were on the bus during the match, but we heard that Kerry lost).  We stayed at Neptune's hostel, which was  perfectly located in an area of town with plenty of restaurants, shopping and pubs to keep us busy. We spent Thursday night exploring the area and heard traditional Irish music in some local pubs.  On Friday, we left at 9am to start our Ring of Kerry tour. Contrary to what I was expecting, there is no actual "ring" of Kerry! It is, however a beautiful drive along the coast.  In the morning, we went to the Skellig Experience museum about monks who literally carved a monastery out of two giant rocks (or skelligs, in Irish) 8 miles off the coast in the Atlantic.  Throughout the afternoon, we drove a very high and windy road and stopped several times to take pictures of the gorgeous views.  That night, most of the group stayed in and played cards because we were all exhausted and sick (if you stick 29 people together in little cottages, colds are bound to spread).

Some of the group taking a break during a tour of Muckross Castle in Killarney.

Amazing views on the Ring of Kerry

Kelly and Bethany in line for ice cream at the top!

On Saturday, we were back on the bus for a tour of the Dingle Peninsula. There were a few moments of heart-stopping terror as our bus teetered on the edge of a huge cliff leading straight down to the crashing sea. But, it was most definitely worth it when we arrived at one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen! It was a sunny day (finally!) so we took advantage and spent some time wading in the chilly water and taking pictures of the beautiful surroundings. That night, we went back to Tralee for a play about the Blasket Islands, which are no longer inhabited, but had a really unique culture when they were. The play was entirely in Irish, so we didn't understand a word, but the music, dancing and acting was so good, we were all able to follow along...and stay awake! 

The adorable town of Dingle

On the way to the beach!

The lovely residents of Cottage 6

The final stop on our Killarney excursion was a trip to the Cliffs of Moher, which was actually on our way back to Galway.  It was looking a little rainy on the drive, but when we arrived the sun came out and we had perfect weather for viewing the cliffs.  There was a large warning sign, but from the looks of the well-used paths along the edge of the cliffs, not many people stay behind the barrier. We decided to live on the edge and walk a little further.  The views were incredible...although, that is to be expected when there is a 700 foot drop to ocean! After exploring the Cliffs of Moher, we headed back to Galway for some grocery shopping and then finally arrived home at the Park Lodge.

The brave ones (a.k.a Kelly and the boys!)

Kelly, me, Bethany and Meghan enjoying the Cliffs of Moher...a safe distance from the edge!

Lights, Camera, Action! A day in the life of an Irish soap star

Today started out like an ordinary Wednesday, as ordinary as any day can be in Spiddal.  We had our history class from 11am to 2pm, and I was definitely ready for a nap when I got back to Cottage 6. However, about an hour later we got a phone call asking us if we wanted to come to the hotel and be extras in a soap opera. At first, we thought maybe something was lost in translation (even though we were both speaking English!) but when we arrived, we found ourselves on the set of Ros na Run, a soap opera based out of Spiddal in its 15th season.  My cottagemates and I spent the next four hours, with several breaks for tea of course, learning how to be extras on the show.  We even had to run back to our cottage for a wardrobe change! Everyone was super nice and really appreciated us being there. The episode we are in will premiere in November in Ireland and is also shown in Boston- no MN unfortunately! However, the director said there is a link online so we can show people at home our big breaks.  It was quite an experience, and I'm so glad I took advantage of the opportunity, even though it meant giving up my nap!

Last weekend we had our first overnight excursion to Limerick, about an hour and a half away from Galway.  Our theology professor from the Glenstal Abbey came with us and showed us several ruins of ancient monasteries on the way.  We spent the night at the Jamaica Inn (although they served us a traditional Irish dinner and breakfast) in a tiny town of Sixmilebridge. We went to the local pub that night because they had live music, and even though I was beyond tired, we stayed until they finished playing. The locals were really intrigued with us and really enjoyed our dancing! On Sunday, we went to the Glenstal Abbey for mass and a tour.  After church they had a tea/coffee/cookie reception for us and after the tour of the grounds, we had a delicious lunch. I could really get used to that! The abbey was gorgeous, and we also got to see an icon museum and a collection of rare books, some more than 300 years old! We got back to the Park Lodge that evening and settled in for another few days of class. Tomorrow we are leaving for another trip to southern Ireland and we will be back on Sunday.

I hope you are all doing well, and I miss you all!!
Ellen

Cottage 6: Home Sweet Home

Here is a little tour of our little cottage!

The bedroom I share with Kelly...complete with lovely pink sheets and floral comforters and drapes.

The result of our first shopping trip!

Kelly in our kitchen!

Cozy living room

Medieval Galway, Aran Islands and the Hurling Championships: A perfect first weekend in Ireland!

Friday: September 2nd was our first full day in Galway with our whole group. We took a bus into town for a tour with Jeff O'Connell, who works for the Galway Advertiser, the local newspaper.  We walked all over town stopping at various places to look at the different buildings and see how the Medieval influences are still quite prominent in even the newly renovated buildings.  For lunch, we went to the King's Head, a really well-known pub in Galway. I had the famous seafood chowder, and it definitely lived up to its reputation!  We spent the afternoon shopping for groceries and other things for our cottage. That evening, the owner/bartender at the Park Lodge, JP, opened the hotel bar for us. It was really fun getting to know everyone, and I think the whole group got off to a great start!

Satuday: For our first group excursion, we went to the Aran Islands on Saturday for a bike tour around the largest island, Inis Mor. After a bus and ferry ride, we arrived on the island and picked up our bikes.  After exercising a grand total of about five times this summer, it was definitely a work out!  We took a few stops to take pictures and found a beautiful beach along the way. Unfortunately, some people in our group had some bike troubles, but eventually we all made it to Dun Aengus, the look-out spot at the top with a 300 foot drop to the ocean below. The view was incredible! Of course, it started raining a bit on our walk back to the bikes, but when it stopped the sun finally came out! We set off on our way back to the harbor expecting a nice, downhill ride, but unfortunately we missed the paved road and ended up on a rocky mountain path leading directly uphill.  Ooops! The hill was so steep and long we actually ended up walking most of the way, and even though we thought going up was hard, it was nothing compared to doing down!! Good thing the road was so tiny, we didn't have to worry about cars! Even though we definitely took the path less traveled, it was worth it. The views were amazing and we got to take some really great pictures.  We got back to the Park Lodge in the evening, just in time for dinner. There was a huge wedding at the hotel this weekend (270 people...the 4th largest one ever!) so the parking lots were overflowing and there were cars parked right up to the doors of our cottages! That night Rory, our local taxi driver from Spiddal, drove a group of about 16 of us into Galway to explore the Galway nightlife...it's definitely a bit different than St. Joe, but everyone had a good time listening to live music at the pubs!

Sunday: I finally had a pretty low-key day on Sunday after what seemed like a long stretch of being constantly on the go.  A group of us walked into Spiddal for Mass in Irish.  It was interesting to listen too, and we were all surprised when, at Communion, it was a bit of a free for all with the whole congregation standing up at the same time and making their way to the front of the church.  When we got out of church, it was sunny and warm for our walk back to the Park Lodge.  The weather has not been so great lately because the aftermath of Hurricane Irene is now hitting Ireland's west coast!  We stayed around the cottage for the afternoon and watched the national hurling championship match on TV. Kilkenny beat Tipperary, but the most exciting part for us was when the ref's nose got broken! According to Rory, he shouldn't have been sticking his nose in the argument anyway! We had a relaxing night in Cottage 6. I have loved getting to know my cottagemates and am so lucky to have them as roomies!

When In Reykjavik...

After about a week of traveling, I am now sitting in my cozy cottage at the Park Lodge Hotel! First I will get you up to speed on my adventures so far...

On Friday, August 26th, I flew to Reykjavik, Iceland for a pre-study abroad visit.  I traveled with three friends who are also on the Galway program and one who is studying in London.  We were great travel buddies! We arrived in Iceland around 6 a.m. and took a bus into the city. It was a smooth bus ride to our hotel, and we were settled in by 8.  My friend Kelly's neighbor's sister lives in Iceland and greeted us at our hotel with a welcome basket full of baked goods, fruit and maps of the city. We met up with her that afternoon, and she gave us a walking tour around our neighborhood in Reykjavik, which was right in the city center.  On Sunday, we went to a cafe and read some Icelandic magazines...I was happy to find out I can continue one of my favorite pastimes abroad! That afternoon, Elizabeth drove us to the Pearl, a vistor's center in the city, and we hiked around on some beautiful paths. It actually reminded me a lot of MN! Then Elizabeth brought us to a great geo-thermal swimming pool in her neighborhood, where we spent a few hours in the "hot pots." Elizabeth also invited us to dinner at her house that night. Her family was great and very entertaining.  We had a traditional Icelandic meal of grilled lamb, red cabbage, potatoes and salted peas, with a berry pie or dessert.  On Tuesday, we made a stop at the Blue Lagoon on our way to the airport.  The geo-thermal spa is in the middle of a huge lava field, and it was a nice, relaxing way to end the trip.

We finally arrived in Ireland on Wednesday morning, and after a few bus rides we made it to the Park Lodge Hotel outside of Galway at 2 p.m.! We were welcomed by the two sisters who own the hotel, who greeted us with cookies and juice.  After we explored the "roaring metropolis of Spiddal" (as our program director's husband calls it!), they served us a lovely (and huge!) dinner. It was great to have a home cooked meal after eating out and a lot of airport food! I slept really well in our room at the hotel knowing I was finally here! I am already quite impressed with everything here...the people are more than friendly (we got lots of waves and honks on the way to Spiddal because everyone knows when the Americans are coming!), and the land and ocean are gorgeous. What a great start to the semester!!