So Dublin was a lot of fun. We went to Malahide about 30 minutes from Dublin with Hugh, Tarah's sister's friend from Spain who is Irish, and we met his friends and family who were extremely nice and generous. We watched the Hurling game of Dublin vs. Tipperary which was a really intense game! I had never heard of hurling before but it seems to me like a mashup of all the best sports: american football, lacrosse, soccer/football, rugby... great fun! We were told that Dublin hadn't made it so close to the finals in over 40 years so this was very exciting for the locals and jerseys were being sported all over town.
We had the best fish and chips ever and I discovered my new favorite way to eat french fries- with salt and vinegar- so savory!
We went out only once to the bars in Dublin but there was a lot of great things to see and people about at night. We missed Weylan's Pub where the adorable movie P.S. I Love You was filmed so that's on the ol' bucket list now for when I come back... ;).
We sent Jamee off at 3am to the airport to go back home Wednesday after doing our final day of touristy sites and gift-buying (everything still fits!). We then made our way the next afternoon to Kerry County to Ballybunion on the West coast- where Jedward performed only a week before our arrival. We heard that they were a teen Irish singing duo that was not spectacular at singing.
Tarah's cousin Jackie, two or three times removed I think was gracious enough to let us stay at his B&B and Pub on the main drag. Our first night we poured our own drinks then got stuck behind the bar bartending the whole rest of the night! This night was the same night that the Irish secondary students (our high schoolers) get their exams back (like our SAT) so its a very big night to celebrate or mope and therefore Alcohol (can drink at 18 years old here if you were surprised for a second). We got fabulous tips and had some really great company, including a couple honeymooning and some rowdy Americans on a golf trip.
Today we are very tired from closing up the bar at 0130. We plan on going to the seaweed hot baths at the beach here where 'the Iodine in the seaweed really relaxes you' but now we are taking a warm-up nap. Well, I'm being dutiful and sticking to my blog until the end... TOMORROW! We leave at 7am to the Airport about 2 hours away for our 11am flight to JFK together. Then Tarah and I split up to go to our respective California airports and I have a huge layover in JFK of 5 hours! Yuck! Maybe I'll buy a paper and have some good old American coffee again.
I can't wait to be home but I feel the same way as I do away at college sometimes- that I've left some sort of time warp and that everything stopped while I was away but it hasn't! So I'll have lots of catching up to do with all of you while you look at all my photographs! :) As they say in Ireland, "Cheers!" and I'll be seeing you all real soon...
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
DUBLIN!
Hey all! So Dublin has been awesome!! I love it here. The city is beautiful, the weather is unpredictable but fun, the houses are gorgeous, the water is calming, the pubs are lively and fun (I had a Bolmers (sp?) cider, called Magnus elsewhere- was soooo delicious!) and the people are so friendly! Oh, and the food is delicious too, especially the homemade stuff :).
We took a bus to Galway on the west coast, where we got to do some sightseeing along the way of things we didn't even knew existed so that was a nice surprise. The Cliffs of Moher were unbelievable to see and the fog cleared up just as we arrived so it was really breathtaking. The bus got us back in town over an hour later than expected but it was a great way to spend one of Jamee's last days with us.
Today we are doing more tourist things such as the Guiness factory, Jameson factory and private tour of Parliment thanks to Tarah's fabulous connections which have all worked out seamlessly.
We took a bus to Galway on the west coast, where we got to do some sightseeing along the way of things we didn't even knew existed so that was a nice surprise. The Cliffs of Moher were unbelievable to see and the fog cleared up just as we arrived so it was really breathtaking. The bus got us back in town over an hour later than expected but it was a great way to spend one of Jamee's last days with us.
Today we are doing more tourist things such as the Guiness factory, Jameson factory and private tour of Parliment thanks to Tarah's fabulous connections which have all worked out seamlessly.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Louvre
Saw the Louvre today! It rained again while we were inside so it was humid in there. We saw some great things including the Mona Lisa! Ate a croissont for breakfast and bolognese pasta for lunch with, of all things, flan for dessert! Interesting!
In a few hours to will metro with all our belongings to the CDG Paris airport for our 2 hour flight to Dublin where we will check in and meet Tarahs friend.
In a few hours to will metro with all our belongings to the CDG Paris airport for our 2 hour flight to Dublin where we will check in and meet Tarahs friend.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Paris
Evening 1
We walked to the grocery store, bought bread, cheese, salame, a four-pack of red wine mini bottles and lots of fruit then took our feast to the lawn of the Eiffel Tower! It was spectacular- we saw sunset and beautiful clouds in the best view ever. We gorged ourselves then ate gummi bears before we braved the long lines to get to the top of the tower via elevator (we are so over taking the stairs when theyre over triple digits in count!!) Oh, and one GREAT thing here is that there are discount rates almost everywhere for youths under 26 years old! So basically a student discount but better! So we went up at a slant (whoa... not the best feeling) then walked around at the first level before waiting in line for the real-deal elevator straight up to the TOP!
They packed us in like cattle but that also made me feel kind of more safe for some reason (I dont really like elevators ever since the Empire State Building 80 story one... ahhh!). We got to the top and it was so windy on one side- reminded me of OBX with the relatives atop lighthouses, including Kash losing her push-pop over the side only to find it pulverized on the cement below. :) We took lots of pictures of the city of Paris from the top, they even have a map of in what direction countries are located and how far away. Very cool to orient yourself! Theres even a restaurant at the top, cant imagine how expensive or not-tasty that food is- location location location?
Then we walked home, for a big and busy city, Paris felt surprisingly safe to walk at night in our gaggle of girls.
Day 2
So we got off to a rough start this morning with no sheets on the bed and kinks in our necks- only half of us (barely) made it down for a free but so-so breakfast consisting of muesli cereal, coffee, concetrate OJ, break and jam or butter and... nope, that was it. The coffee was plain but heavensent. We had to be out of the room from 11-4pm today for lock-outs so we went out on the town. Stopped at a bakery for more breakfast and first breakfast for those who missed the first breakfast (I sound like a hobbit with their many meals!) There were wasps in the bakery pastry displays so you dont need me to tell you they were good pastries!
We saw lots of things I cannot pronounce, much less spell (my French woes again). We waited two hours in line for the Catacombs which were very cool in an creepy sort of way, got cafe au lait the first hour and then, the second hour got crepes with banana and nutella while we waited in line- delicious!! We walked soooo much!!! I am so tired but also so energized about life! Yay! So much to see!
Prospective
Tomorrow we go to the museum of museums, the Lourve! I am excited but overwhelmed cause rumor has it that it is impossible to see the whole thing in a year so Im not really sure how much I will see just in a few hours... but I will do my best!
Tomorrow night we fly to Dublin!! Yay!! We are going on AerLingus and I am pretty sure that my bag is going to be overweight, I think I am going to dress in many, many, silly layers so as to make my bag lighter...oopsies.
We walked to the grocery store, bought bread, cheese, salame, a four-pack of red wine mini bottles and lots of fruit then took our feast to the lawn of the Eiffel Tower! It was spectacular- we saw sunset and beautiful clouds in the best view ever. We gorged ourselves then ate gummi bears before we braved the long lines to get to the top of the tower via elevator (we are so over taking the stairs when theyre over triple digits in count!!) Oh, and one GREAT thing here is that there are discount rates almost everywhere for youths under 26 years old! So basically a student discount but better! So we went up at a slant (whoa... not the best feeling) then walked around at the first level before waiting in line for the real-deal elevator straight up to the TOP!
They packed us in like cattle but that also made me feel kind of more safe for some reason (I dont really like elevators ever since the Empire State Building 80 story one... ahhh!). We got to the top and it was so windy on one side- reminded me of OBX with the relatives atop lighthouses, including Kash losing her push-pop over the side only to find it pulverized on the cement below. :) We took lots of pictures of the city of Paris from the top, they even have a map of in what direction countries are located and how far away. Very cool to orient yourself! Theres even a restaurant at the top, cant imagine how expensive or not-tasty that food is- location location location?
Then we walked home, for a big and busy city, Paris felt surprisingly safe to walk at night in our gaggle of girls.
Day 2
So we got off to a rough start this morning with no sheets on the bed and kinks in our necks- only half of us (barely) made it down for a free but so-so breakfast consisting of muesli cereal, coffee, concetrate OJ, break and jam or butter and... nope, that was it. The coffee was plain but heavensent. We had to be out of the room from 11-4pm today for lock-outs so we went out on the town. Stopped at a bakery for more breakfast and first breakfast for those who missed the first breakfast (I sound like a hobbit with their many meals!) There were wasps in the bakery pastry displays so you dont need me to tell you they were good pastries!
We saw lots of things I cannot pronounce, much less spell (my French woes again). We waited two hours in line for the Catacombs which were very cool in an creepy sort of way, got cafe au lait the first hour and then, the second hour got crepes with banana and nutella while we waited in line- delicious!! We walked soooo much!!! I am so tired but also so energized about life! Yay! So much to see!
Prospective
Tomorrow we go to the museum of museums, the Lourve! I am excited but overwhelmed cause rumor has it that it is impossible to see the whole thing in a year so Im not really sure how much I will see just in a few hours... but I will do my best!
Tomorrow night we fly to Dublin!! Yay!! We are going on AerLingus and I am pretty sure that my bag is going to be overweight, I think I am going to dress in many, many, silly layers so as to make my bag lighter...oopsies.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Paris!
We took the train to Paris from Lyon today! Only 2 hours so very easy. We werent all sitting together once again but Tarah and I were since we bought our tickets together. Finished the movie Flyboys and started PS I Love You- ah what a good movie- makes me ready for seeing Ireland in 2 days!!
Hotel room is very very lime green, bunk beds, sheets cost extra, towels too, one bathroom for the floor but we are on the first floor (so one level up from lobby) and very close to the Eiffel Tower! Tonight we are going to buy a small, grocery store dinner and take it to the tower to eat on the lovely lawn in front! How exciting! The weather has been great so far, I wonder if our luck will hold, some rain in Paris wouldnt be too bad except I dont have any waterproof shoes... oops. Ive learned its hard to pack for the heat of Rome and the rain of Paris in the same small duffel bag!
Hotel room is very very lime green, bunk beds, sheets cost extra, towels too, one bathroom for the floor but we are on the first floor (so one level up from lobby) and very close to the Eiffel Tower! Tonight we are going to buy a small, grocery store dinner and take it to the tower to eat on the lovely lawn in front! How exciting! The weather has been great so far, I wonder if our luck will hold, some rain in Paris wouldnt be too bad except I dont have any waterproof shoes... oops. Ive learned its hard to pack for the heat of Rome and the rain of Paris in the same small duffel bag!
Lyon
Lyon was so pretty, great walking, lots of shops and great views to see. We had crepes (pronounced crep we learned) for the first time, they were tasty! Especially with nutella which I normally dont like in the US due to the hazelnut..anyways). Getting a little homesick for English- I miss being able to turn on the TV and just have familiar things in the background, even if they are ads. Also not being able to speak French makes the simplest things difficult but I remember why I didnt pursue learning French: it doesnt sound like its written-so many silent letters, its like two languages! Maybe someday I will take the time to figure it out!
Also, theyre are different keyboards here again, confusing!
Also, theyre are different keyboards here again, confusing!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Leon, France
Took the 5 hour train from Milan to Leon, crossed into France in the mountains- so beautiful! Got some photos out the window. We watched Flyboys on the train on Tarah's computer- great movie! Arrived in Leon tonight at 10pm, saw rats running across the parking lot of the train station then took a cab to our hotel that has the tiniest rooms with a queen sized bed and vanity table squeezed into it and a bathroom that rivals an airplane bathroom for size and efficiency of space (much cleaner though). On the 5th floor, tiny elevator so two of us took the stairs up and up and up and up and UP! We rerouted our plane tickets to cut London out of our trip this weekend due to the riots in the city center and tourist areas- a pretty penny. Peace of mind is priceless, one might say? Tomorrow we explore Leon with our newest member, Allison, who was staying in Switzerland before this.
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