Friday in Dublin. The time has really gone quickly. This morning we were off for a tour of Kilmainham Jail, where the leaders of the Easter 1916 Rising were held and many executed. We again had to catch the bus, and had a few stragglers, but we made the bus on-time and were actually early for the tour.
The tour of Kilmainham was really interesting. We entered through the chapel and listened to and looked at pictures of the jail through history. What is striking about Kilmainham, besides the executions of the 1916 leaders, is that the jail often housed entire families or children who had stolen food. The tour guide presented the information with the theory that many of the children who stole food did so to end up in jail so that they had a bed and 3 square meals a day.
After the chapel, we were lead through some of the cell blocks and got to see where the leaders of the rising were held and finally where the executions took place.
When we finished the tour, we had time to wander through the special exhibits to learn even more about the jail. Of particular interest was the display of the final letters written by the uprising leaders to members of their families. Most of the letters were difficult to read, but the display really put a human face on the tragedy of the executions.
After Kilmainham we again had a break prior to our lecture by Dr. Delores McKenna. So, many of us took the bus back to city center and grabbed a bite to eat before meeting Dr. Mack at the hostel. We walked from the hostel to the National College of Ireland and saw more of Dublin than we previously had. The university itself is housed in a very modern building, but the classroom felt a lot like the classrooms at Central: brick walls and a little dark. Dr. McKenna's lecture covered modern Irish Literature: Eavan Boland, William Trevor, Seamus Heaney, and Michael Longley. After our time in Dingle with the more traditional literature, it was interesting to see what modern writers were doing with the culture.
Because the lecture was so interesting, we were able to occupy a little more of Dr. McKenna's time before we left. She did a wonderful job of explaining and pointing out why things were important to the overall meaning of the texts we'd read, that I didn't want the lecture to be over. Really that has been the theme to the trip; each of our lecturers has been so interesting and so amazing that it is a shame that their lectures come to an end.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Dublin-Day 1
After a decent night's sleep and some good food, we were all ready for our first day in Dublin. Going from Dingle to Dublin has been quite a change, though. We walked every inch of Dingle during our four days there, but there is no way to walk every inch of Dublin. Without our feet falling off, that is. We had some free time in the morning, after breakfast, so some of the girls used the time to wander around Dublin shopping and looking around. My roommates and I used the time to sleep in.
The entire group was scheduled to meet at The Abbey Theatre for a noon tour. We were early, as usual, and ended up waiting for the rest of the group. When they arrived, we began the tour and learned about the formation of The Abbey as the national theatre of Ireland. While much of the tour was spent listening to the history and looking at a PowerPoint he eventually took us into the auditorium, onto the stage and behind the scenes. The stage was set for the current production: The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant. It was really interesting to see all of the props and the set.
After our tour, we had a short break and then we were off to Dublin City University for our lecture on Economics by Dr. David Jacobsen. It took us about a half hour to travel from O'Connell Street to DCU by bus. Once we reached the campus, we had a short walk to the Business building and then a hike up the stairs to our classroom. Dr. Jacobsen gave a very interesting talk about the history of the Irish economy leading us to the present day. He also gave us some insight into the policies our own government is putting into place and how they will affect the world economy.
After our lecture, we were free for the evening. Since I still wasn't feeling well, it was nice to be able to hop on a bus and head back for a bite to eat and a chance to rest.
The entire group was scheduled to meet at The Abbey Theatre for a noon tour. We were early, as usual, and ended up waiting for the rest of the group. When they arrived, we began the tour and learned about the formation of The Abbey as the national theatre of Ireland. While much of the tour was spent listening to the history and looking at a PowerPoint he eventually took us into the auditorium, onto the stage and behind the scenes. The stage was set for the current production: The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant. It was really interesting to see all of the props and the set.
After our tour, we had a short break and then we were off to Dublin City University for our lecture on Economics by Dr. David Jacobsen. It took us about a half hour to travel from O'Connell Street to DCU by bus. Once we reached the campus, we had a short walk to the Business building and then a hike up the stairs to our classroom. Dr. Jacobsen gave a very interesting talk about the history of the Irish economy leading us to the present day. He also gave us some insight into the policies our own government is putting into place and how they will affect the world economy.
After our lecture, we were free for the evening. Since I still wasn't feeling well, it was nice to be able to hop on a bus and head back for a bite to eat and a chance to rest.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Dublin
The trip from Dingle to Dublin seemed to last forever! We left at 8am and were scheduled to stop at Muckros house at 10am. The drive from Dingle to Muckros was beautiful; we got to see more of the countryside and the ring of Kerry.
We arrived at Muckros house a little early and had time to take a potty break and wander through the gardens. We spent the most time in the aboretum looking at all of the bushes and trees. As we were walking we noticed a few rock pathways and decided to follow one of them back to the house. We walked through a pathway surrounded by huge boulders and then climbed a stone staircase. When we got to the top of the staircase, we had arrived at the house and a small walled garden. It was beautiful! As we walked to the front of the house, we stopped to look at the view of the lake and to admire the beauty of the scenery.
The tour of the house was interesting. The house was built in the 1840s and has only had three owners. We walked through several rooms and saw the rooms that Queen Victoris stayed in. She only stayed with the family who owned the house for two days before returning to England and when she came, she brought her own bed. SMART!! The amazing thing was that the house had been restored to the way the family who hosted the Queen had decorated it. They had spent six years fixing things up, painting the walls, putting up velvet and silk wall coverings, all so Victoria could spend two days with them. TWO DAYS! I was completely amazed by the amount of effort they'd put forth. Apparently the family had done all of the work in hopes that they would be given a title; however, when Victoria and Albert returned to England, Albert died suddenly and the family never got a title.
After Muckros house we got back on our bus and were headed to a village an hour away to get something for lunch. Our bus driver, Patrick, asked us if we would like to wait for lunch and stop in Cashel instead. Patrick told us that we would be close to Cashel and that if we waited, we could see the Rock of Cashel and eat lunch. We all agreed that seeing a full castle complex, an ancient castle complex, sounded like fun, so we ate a few snacks to tide us over. As we drove into Cashel, none of us were really sure what to expect, ruins, sure, but I don't think any of use expected to see a walled fortress rise above us. Patrick parked the bus in the carpark across from the Rock of Cashel and we all tumbled out. Most of the group headed toward a little cafe at the base of the Rock, but Liz and I decided to try the cafe that Patrick had mentioned as we entered the village. I'd woken up sick that morning and didn't really feel up to climbing the hill to see the Rock of Cashel and my camera battery had died, so after lunch I stayed near the bus and took as much in as I could.
We got to spend about an hour at the Rock of Cashel before getting back on the bus for the drive to Dublin. We all fell asleep on the bus and were awakened by Dr. Mack announcing our arrival into Dublin. We entered the city from the north side of the Liffey and then were forced to take a detour south of the river and then back over to the north side. There had been an accident, so part of the road was blocked off. The detour worked to our benefit though; we were able to see a bit more of the city and the area we would be staying in. We arrived at the hostel a short time later and had a half an hour to ourselves before meeting up with the group for a walking tour of the city.
The walking tour was fast paced and brief. We were all tired and hungry. However, we saw Trinity College Dublin, The Bank of Ireland (former seat of Irish government), Dublin Castle (not really a castle), and then Dr. Mack released us to get food. A few of us went to O'Neills a pub with a carvery (full dinner) and a sandwhich bar. Most of us went for the sandwhich bar, however, we were met with people who weren't very interested in helping us get food. I managed to get exactly what I wanted, but the other girls were treated a little rudely. Once food was procured, we sat around talking and laughing.
Our first night in Dublin, though initially a little rocky, was GREAT!
We arrived at Muckros house a little early and had time to take a potty break and wander through the gardens. We spent the most time in the aboretum looking at all of the bushes and trees. As we were walking we noticed a few rock pathways and decided to follow one of them back to the house. We walked through a pathway surrounded by huge boulders and then climbed a stone staircase. When we got to the top of the staircase, we had arrived at the house and a small walled garden. It was beautiful! As we walked to the front of the house, we stopped to look at the view of the lake and to admire the beauty of the scenery.
The tour of the house was interesting. The house was built in the 1840s and has only had three owners. We walked through several rooms and saw the rooms that Queen Victoris stayed in. She only stayed with the family who owned the house for two days before returning to England and when she came, she brought her own bed. SMART!! The amazing thing was that the house had been restored to the way the family who hosted the Queen had decorated it. They had spent six years fixing things up, painting the walls, putting up velvet and silk wall coverings, all so Victoria could spend two days with them. TWO DAYS! I was completely amazed by the amount of effort they'd put forth. Apparently the family had done all of the work in hopes that they would be given a title; however, when Victoria and Albert returned to England, Albert died suddenly and the family never got a title.
After Muckros house we got back on our bus and were headed to a village an hour away to get something for lunch. Our bus driver, Patrick, asked us if we would like to wait for lunch and stop in Cashel instead. Patrick told us that we would be close to Cashel and that if we waited, we could see the Rock of Cashel and eat lunch. We all agreed that seeing a full castle complex, an ancient castle complex, sounded like fun, so we ate a few snacks to tide us over. As we drove into Cashel, none of us were really sure what to expect, ruins, sure, but I don't think any of use expected to see a walled fortress rise above us. Patrick parked the bus in the carpark across from the Rock of Cashel and we all tumbled out. Most of the group headed toward a little cafe at the base of the Rock, but Liz and I decided to try the cafe that Patrick had mentioned as we entered the village. I'd woken up sick that morning and didn't really feel up to climbing the hill to see the Rock of Cashel and my camera battery had died, so after lunch I stayed near the bus and took as much in as I could.
We got to spend about an hour at the Rock of Cashel before getting back on the bus for the drive to Dublin. We all fell asleep on the bus and were awakened by Dr. Mack announcing our arrival into Dublin. We entered the city from the north side of the Liffey and then were forced to take a detour south of the river and then back over to the north side. There had been an accident, so part of the road was blocked off. The detour worked to our benefit though; we were able to see a bit more of the city and the area we would be staying in. We arrived at the hostel a short time later and had a half an hour to ourselves before meeting up with the group for a walking tour of the city.
The walking tour was fast paced and brief. We were all tired and hungry. However, we saw Trinity College Dublin, The Bank of Ireland (former seat of Irish government), Dublin Castle (not really a castle), and then Dr. Mack released us to get food. A few of us went to O'Neills a pub with a carvery (full dinner) and a sandwhich bar. Most of us went for the sandwhich bar, however, we were met with people who weren't very interested in helping us get food. I managed to get exactly what I wanted, but the other girls were treated a little rudely. Once food was procured, we sat around talking and laughing.
Our first night in Dublin, though initially a little rocky, was GREAT!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
An Daingean-DIngle
After a bit of a blogging break, I am back at it. I left Galway Saturday morning, headed for the Shannon Airport to meet up with the rest of the group. I arrived in Shannon at 10am and was greeted by Liz. Liz had flown in the day before and stayed the night in Limerick; we spent our wait time getting to know each other and then talking to Dr. Mack when she arrived close to 11am.
Dr. Mack had the flight information for the girls, so we checked the arrival board and began our wait. Both flights were on-time and once we had collected the sleepy travelers, we headed for our coach. Once we were loaded, we began the long drive to Dingle. On the way to Dingle we stopped at Ardfert Abbey. Unfortunately, a fierce rainstorm had followed us. We got out of the bus and headed for a bathroom and then walked back to the Abbey. Upon our return the rain went from a light drizzle to a full-on downpour. Luckily the site had an interpretive center where we could attempt to ride out the storm. At the Abbey we also had a tour guide and she was kind enough to get us some umbrellas and we were able to see the main section of the old church and some of the other buildings; however, because the rain didn't stop, we had to end our tour early. We got back to the bus more than a little damp and the twelve of us returned to our seats and prepared for the drive.
The scenery was gorgeous! We drove through green fields, filled with sheep, drove up over Mt. Brendan and then down onto the Dingle Peninsula. As we neared Dingle, we could see islands crop up out of the water. In this area of Ireland the population is rather spread out, so we would see clumps of houses and then nothing for more than a mile, but as we entered Dingle, the buildings got closer together. The first thing I noticed as we drove through Dingle to our bayside cottages were the brilliant colors the buildings were painted. Many of the buildings were deep blues, with only a few in white. The village is beautiful and was less than a 5 minute walk from our cottages.
When we got to the cottages we had enough time to set down our luggage and head out for a tour of the village from our guide, for our stay, Sean Pol. On our walk we saw all of the important landmarks, Diseart (the school where our classes would be), the groceries, and places to get food. After our tour we were on our own to get dinner and to explore the village. A few of us were starving and decided to get food, so we headed to the Pub's to get some "Pub Grub" and found that most places were packed because of the Irish Football game (Cork v. Kerry). We walked into The Dingle Pub and managed to find a table for four, talked, ate, and watched the football game. After eating, we decided to go to a pub that specialized in traditional music (An Droighead Beag). We were lucky enough to find a table and listened to the music for hours. It was beautiful and we decided that Dingle was a pretty great place.
The next morning we were set to have our first class. The class's focus was on the oral tradition and the Blasket Island Writers. The man who led the class, TP, was a wonderful storyteller and I was more than willing to listen to TP for hours. He told wonderful stories about Peig Sayers, who we read before we left, and about Dingle itself. After TP finished, we had a lecture from Nuala ni Dhomnaill's (a poet) uncle. His talk didn't just focus on his neice, he also talked about other writers, specifically from the Blaskets. He too was very interesting and fun to listen to. Dingle is not short on storytellers.
On Monday, we again had lecture, but more importantly it was our day to travel to the Blasket Islands. We left Dingle Harbour at 2pm and arrived forty minutes later. The approach to the Great Blasket Island is amazing. From the Blasket Channel, we could see the island coming into focus and it was huge. The closer we got, the more things came into focus, we could see the upper and lower villages, the beach and the curreagh landing (boat). We had to be transferred from the main ferry to a smaller boat and then dropped at the landing. It was a little scary moving from the big boat to the tiny one and then we had to try to stay upright when climbing from the small boat to the seaweed covered rock landing. The island was evacuated in 1953 and has been left much the way it was then. Some of the houses have fallen into ruins, a sheep farmer has his organic sheep there, and there is a weaver who lives on the island during the warmer months. Thus, the landing is the same one the islanders used, so we had to climb the rock stairs and then the narrow grass paths. Sean Pol accompanied us on this trip and guided our group through the paths and down to the beach. On the way back up to the villages, Sean took part of our group up the rock cliff, while the rest of us climbed back the way we'd come down. Sean continued leading the group on the upward climb and a few of us, decided to forego the climb and spent time exploring the ruins. Our time on the Great Blasket went by too fast and soon the boat was back for us and we were heading toward Dingle Harbour wiht the hope of seeing Fungie, Dingle's local Dolphin. As we headed into the harbour, we saw Fungie and he followed us much of the way.
Monday was by far the best day in Dingle! In the morning we learned about traditional music and learned traditional dance and then spent the rest of the day on the Blaskets. Tuesday would be spent tying all of the pieces together, through a lecture on mythology and the literature created on the Blaskets. The final Dingle lecture was fantastic and I felt that I'd learned a lot and had grown to understand the people.
Dr. Mack had the flight information for the girls, so we checked the arrival board and began our wait. Both flights were on-time and once we had collected the sleepy travelers, we headed for our coach. Once we were loaded, we began the long drive to Dingle. On the way to Dingle we stopped at Ardfert Abbey. Unfortunately, a fierce rainstorm had followed us. We got out of the bus and headed for a bathroom and then walked back to the Abbey. Upon our return the rain went from a light drizzle to a full-on downpour. Luckily the site had an interpretive center where we could attempt to ride out the storm. At the Abbey we also had a tour guide and she was kind enough to get us some umbrellas and we were able to see the main section of the old church and some of the other buildings; however, because the rain didn't stop, we had to end our tour early. We got back to the bus more than a little damp and the twelve of us returned to our seats and prepared for the drive.
The scenery was gorgeous! We drove through green fields, filled with sheep, drove up over Mt. Brendan and then down onto the Dingle Peninsula. As we neared Dingle, we could see islands crop up out of the water. In this area of Ireland the population is rather spread out, so we would see clumps of houses and then nothing for more than a mile, but as we entered Dingle, the buildings got closer together. The first thing I noticed as we drove through Dingle to our bayside cottages were the brilliant colors the buildings were painted. Many of the buildings were deep blues, with only a few in white. The village is beautiful and was less than a 5 minute walk from our cottages.
When we got to the cottages we had enough time to set down our luggage and head out for a tour of the village from our guide, for our stay, Sean Pol. On our walk we saw all of the important landmarks, Diseart (the school where our classes would be), the groceries, and places to get food. After our tour we were on our own to get dinner and to explore the village. A few of us were starving and decided to get food, so we headed to the Pub's to get some "Pub Grub" and found that most places were packed because of the Irish Football game (Cork v. Kerry). We walked into The Dingle Pub and managed to find a table for four, talked, ate, and watched the football game. After eating, we decided to go to a pub that specialized in traditional music (An Droighead Beag). We were lucky enough to find a table and listened to the music for hours. It was beautiful and we decided that Dingle was a pretty great place.
The next morning we were set to have our first class. The class's focus was on the oral tradition and the Blasket Island Writers. The man who led the class, TP, was a wonderful storyteller and I was more than willing to listen to TP for hours. He told wonderful stories about Peig Sayers, who we read before we left, and about Dingle itself. After TP finished, we had a lecture from Nuala ni Dhomnaill's (a poet) uncle. His talk didn't just focus on his neice, he also talked about other writers, specifically from the Blaskets. He too was very interesting and fun to listen to. Dingle is not short on storytellers.
On Monday, we again had lecture, but more importantly it was our day to travel to the Blasket Islands. We left Dingle Harbour at 2pm and arrived forty minutes later. The approach to the Great Blasket Island is amazing. From the Blasket Channel, we could see the island coming into focus and it was huge. The closer we got, the more things came into focus, we could see the upper and lower villages, the beach and the curreagh landing (boat). We had to be transferred from the main ferry to a smaller boat and then dropped at the landing. It was a little scary moving from the big boat to the tiny one and then we had to try to stay upright when climbing from the small boat to the seaweed covered rock landing. The island was evacuated in 1953 and has been left much the way it was then. Some of the houses have fallen into ruins, a sheep farmer has his organic sheep there, and there is a weaver who lives on the island during the warmer months. Thus, the landing is the same one the islanders used, so we had to climb the rock stairs and then the narrow grass paths. Sean Pol accompanied us on this trip and guided our group through the paths and down to the beach. On the way back up to the villages, Sean took part of our group up the rock cliff, while the rest of us climbed back the way we'd come down. Sean continued leading the group on the upward climb and a few of us, decided to forego the climb and spent time exploring the ruins. Our time on the Great Blasket went by too fast and soon the boat was back for us and we were heading toward Dingle Harbour wiht the hope of seeing Fungie, Dingle's local Dolphin. As we headed into the harbour, we saw Fungie and he followed us much of the way.
Monday was by far the best day in Dingle! In the morning we learned about traditional music and learned traditional dance and then spent the rest of the day on the Blaskets. Tuesday would be spent tying all of the pieces together, through a lecture on mythology and the literature created on the Blaskets. The final Dingle lecture was fantastic and I felt that I'd learned a lot and had grown to understand the people.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Connemara and Cong
Today wasn't spent in Galway, it was spent on bus tour through Connemara and Cong.
IT WAS FANTASTIC!
The tour picked us up at 9:45am and was supposed to return at 5:30...We didn't get back until 7pm. We started our tour at Kylmore Abbey. It was beautiful! The house, castle, was built in 1870 by Mitchell Henry. He built it for his wife and our guide said he had more money than sense since he built a house for a woman. In any case the house is now owned by nuns. The nuns are slowly restoring the place, since it was allowed to fall into ruin and they are doing a wonderful job. We got to tour the victorian gardens, and a few rooms in the house, and the gothic church.
We spent a total of two hours at Kylemore Abbey and it seemed like minutes. From there we drove through Connemara and saw a whole lot of sheep...and Connemara marble. The scenery is gorgeous! We saw Lough Nafooey and another lake, narrowly made it across a few bridges and saw The Quiet Man Bridge. For those of you who haven't seen The Quiet Man, go rent it NOW!
From there we drove to Cong and we were given the option of walking to Ashford Castle or walking around the town. I chose the town. It was all you'd expect from an Irish village. I even took a picture of a thatched cottage with an old man walking in front of it.
I walked through Cong Abbey, taking picutres of the high crosses, as you do, and all the while falling in love with this part of Ireland. After waiting for five people who didn't understand the meaning of forty-five minutes, we got on the road again, heading for Ross Errilly Friary. Along the way we see more of the countryside, sheep, and lakes. The friary is gorgeous! We walked all through it, taking more pictures. I'm pretty sure I have 650 left on my memory card. That sould be enough.After the friary, we headed back to Galway.
Everything today was incredibly beautiful and I'm actually sad that I will leave Galway tomorrow. Not horribly sad though!
IT WAS FANTASTIC!
The tour picked us up at 9:45am and was supposed to return at 5:30...We didn't get back until 7pm. We started our tour at Kylmore Abbey. It was beautiful! The house, castle, was built in 1870 by Mitchell Henry. He built it for his wife and our guide said he had more money than sense since he built a house for a woman. In any case the house is now owned by nuns. The nuns are slowly restoring the place, since it was allowed to fall into ruin and they are doing a wonderful job. We got to tour the victorian gardens, and a few rooms in the house, and the gothic church.
We spent a total of two hours at Kylemore Abbey and it seemed like minutes. From there we drove through Connemara and saw a whole lot of sheep...and Connemara marble. The scenery is gorgeous! We saw Lough Nafooey and another lake, narrowly made it across a few bridges and saw The Quiet Man Bridge. For those of you who haven't seen The Quiet Man, go rent it NOW!
From there we drove to Cong and we were given the option of walking to Ashford Castle or walking around the town. I chose the town. It was all you'd expect from an Irish village. I even took a picture of a thatched cottage with an old man walking in front of it.
I walked through Cong Abbey, taking picutres of the high crosses, as you do, and all the while falling in love with this part of Ireland. After waiting for five people who didn't understand the meaning of forty-five minutes, we got on the road again, heading for Ross Errilly Friary. Along the way we see more of the countryside, sheep, and lakes. The friary is gorgeous! We walked all through it, taking more pictures. I'm pretty sure I have 650 left on my memory card. That sould be enough.After the friary, we headed back to Galway.
Everything today was incredibly beautiful and I'm actually sad that I will leave Galway tomorrow. Not horribly sad though!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Rita Ann Higgins
I met this morning with Rita Ann Higgins, the poet who was the subject of my thesis. She is fantastic on many many levels.
We met at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Galway, where we first met three years ago. Today was much more relaxed; I didn't have a series of questions and she didn't have to answer any. We sat and talked for around a half an hour. I gave her my thesis and then she asked if it was alright with me if she passed it along to Salmon Publishing. I was shocked! But told her yes. She made no guarantees that it would be published, but said that the woman in charge at Salmon had long been a supporter of hers. WOW!!
That is all.
We met at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Galway, where we first met three years ago. Today was much more relaxed; I didn't have a series of questions and she didn't have to answer any. We sat and talked for around a half an hour. I gave her my thesis and then she asked if it was alright with me if she passed it along to Salmon Publishing. I was shocked! But told her yes. She made no guarantees that it would be published, but said that the woman in charge at Salmon had long been a supporter of hers. WOW!!
That is all.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Galway!
Greetings from Galway!
I left Dublin at 11am this morning and made it to Galway at 3pm. I'm staying the next three days at the Sleepzone hostel and it is fantastic. Much better than the Jacobs Inn. I'm currently sitting in the dining room watching people prep their food and listening to the modern day tower of Babel.
The Sleepzone is a very communal living space and it is a lot more fun than the Jacobs Inn. It's 7:33pm and the dining room is filled with people prepping food and talking about their day in Galway. To my right are a group of Americans, they just met and one of then is in nursing school. Another is explaining her hand issues to her and asking for medical advice. The nursing student is nodding and smiling, clearly not interested in dispensing medical advice. Standing in front of me is a teenage boy, he looks lonely and a little unsure of himself (but he is a teenager). An older man, presumably his father, just brough pasta to the table and they are about to eat. While the hostel has a strict no alcohol policy, two young French women are drinking red wine with their baguette's and brie (how very French).
I'm sharing a room with five other women, who I have yet to meet. I'm no great fan of sharing a room with people I don't know, but I'm looking forward to this final adventure before I meet up with the rest of my group. I've just moved from the dining room to the tv room, so that I can plug my laptop in...There is a jukebox playing and it's almost louder in this alcove than it is in the dining room. I'm hoping to watch a little tv tonight and to make myself stay awake later than I've been able to the last two nights. I think I'm still sleeping off jetlag; at least that's what I'm telling myself.
After I checked into the hostel this afternoon, I spent about an hour at Eyre Square (http://www.galway1.ie/sights/square.html), watching people pass and buses load and unload. While it may sound boring, it was anything but. Since Eyre Square is in city center, everyone walks through at one point or another. I saw a busload of French tourists arrive, each lighting a cigarette as they left the bus, families, Americans (we truly can spot each other), and everyone in-between.
When Seanse found me, we walked from Eyre Square to the old city wall. The wall is now located inside, Eyre Square center...a mall. It is completely bizarre that this ancient wall sits inside a mall; the wall literally sits next to a bag shop and lingerie store...So imagine looking up at a watch tower, made of stone, and then look to your left and see the Irish equivelent to Victoria's Secret. Insane!
Once we moved past the wall, and took a picture, we headed to the Dunnes Store to get some groceries for dinner. I'm not sure why I love the Dunnes Store so much, but I do. It's Irish, for one, and not a Tesco. we found inexpensive breads and water and I even managed to find some hand soap (hostels rarely provide hand soap for the bathrooms). Since I'd had to leave my extra bag behind in SeaTac, I went into the Bag Shop and found a huge duffle for only 5 Euro. So, now I can be confident that I won't have to pay overweight charges on my return trip.
After we finished our shopping, Seanse and I made plans to meet in the morning to walk to the Jury's Inn, to meet Rita Ann Higgins. I have to say that I'm not nearly as nervous about meeting her this time as I was the first time; however, I'm still nervous. I wonder what she will think of my thesis.
Well, I should end this post. I'll leave you with some parting travel advice and observations on Galway:
1. Although many Americans come to Galway looking for the real Ireland, all they are bound to find are touristy places and more Americans than they can throw a stick at.
2. Never leave home without a mobile phone that works internationally; I learned that despite the money I spent on my awesome phone, it's not that awesome when it doesn't work abroad.
3. It's Birming-Um, not Birmingham
4. It takes 3 hours to cross Ireland--Dublin to Galway--including stops along the way to drop off and pick people up.
5. If you have problems sleeping in noisy situations, Hostel life is not for you!
I left Dublin at 11am this morning and made it to Galway at 3pm. I'm staying the next three days at the Sleepzone hostel and it is fantastic. Much better than the Jacobs Inn. I'm currently sitting in the dining room watching people prep their food and listening to the modern day tower of Babel.
The Sleepzone is a very communal living space and it is a lot more fun than the Jacobs Inn. It's 7:33pm and the dining room is filled with people prepping food and talking about their day in Galway. To my right are a group of Americans, they just met and one of then is in nursing school. Another is explaining her hand issues to her and asking for medical advice. The nursing student is nodding and smiling, clearly not interested in dispensing medical advice. Standing in front of me is a teenage boy, he looks lonely and a little unsure of himself (but he is a teenager). An older man, presumably his father, just brough pasta to the table and they are about to eat. While the hostel has a strict no alcohol policy, two young French women are drinking red wine with their baguette's and brie (how very French).
I'm sharing a room with five other women, who I have yet to meet. I'm no great fan of sharing a room with people I don't know, but I'm looking forward to this final adventure before I meet up with the rest of my group. I've just moved from the dining room to the tv room, so that I can plug my laptop in...There is a jukebox playing and it's almost louder in this alcove than it is in the dining room. I'm hoping to watch a little tv tonight and to make myself stay awake later than I've been able to the last two nights. I think I'm still sleeping off jetlag; at least that's what I'm telling myself.
After I checked into the hostel this afternoon, I spent about an hour at Eyre Square (http://www.galway1.ie/sights/square.html), watching people pass and buses load and unload. While it may sound boring, it was anything but. Since Eyre Square is in city center, everyone walks through at one point or another. I saw a busload of French tourists arrive, each lighting a cigarette as they left the bus, families, Americans (we truly can spot each other), and everyone in-between.
When Seanse found me, we walked from Eyre Square to the old city wall. The wall is now located inside, Eyre Square center...a mall. It is completely bizarre that this ancient wall sits inside a mall; the wall literally sits next to a bag shop and lingerie store...So imagine looking up at a watch tower, made of stone, and then look to your left and see the Irish equivelent to Victoria's Secret. Insane!
Once we moved past the wall, and took a picture, we headed to the Dunnes Store to get some groceries for dinner. I'm not sure why I love the Dunnes Store so much, but I do. It's Irish, for one, and not a Tesco. we found inexpensive breads and water and I even managed to find some hand soap (hostels rarely provide hand soap for the bathrooms). Since I'd had to leave my extra bag behind in SeaTac, I went into the Bag Shop and found a huge duffle for only 5 Euro. So, now I can be confident that I won't have to pay overweight charges on my return trip.
After we finished our shopping, Seanse and I made plans to meet in the morning to walk to the Jury's Inn, to meet Rita Ann Higgins. I have to say that I'm not nearly as nervous about meeting her this time as I was the first time; however, I'm still nervous. I wonder what she will think of my thesis.
Well, I should end this post. I'll leave you with some parting travel advice and observations on Galway:
1. Although many Americans come to Galway looking for the real Ireland, all they are bound to find are touristy places and more Americans than they can throw a stick at.
2. Never leave home without a mobile phone that works internationally; I learned that despite the money I spent on my awesome phone, it's not that awesome when it doesn't work abroad.
3. It's Birming-Um, not Birmingham
4. It takes 3 hours to cross Ireland--Dublin to Galway--including stops along the way to drop off and pick people up.
5. If you have problems sleeping in noisy situations, Hostel life is not for you!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Shakespeare in the Park
Today is my second day in Dublin! Well, I suppose it was my second day. It's a little after 8pm and things are winding down for the day. Tomorrow I leave for Galway and to meet up with Rita Ann Higgins (http://www.ritaannhiggins.com), so I'm going to get some sleep so that I'm ready for the bus journey tomorrow.
I spent most of yesterday relearning the city in a jetlagged haze. I was surprised at how easy it was to get from point A to point B; I hadn't really forgotten my way around the city. I met up with my friend Seanse at Trinty College Dublin and we spent the afternoon wandering the city and I fought the urge to sleep. I finally gave in at around 6:30 and headed back to my hostel to relax and recoup.
The morning came bright and early at 10am. I slept a grand total of 12 hours and it was GREAT! Today I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to explore more of Dublin.
I met up with Seanse and her sister again this morning and we headed, via the LUAS (www.luas.ie) to Collins Barracks (www.museum.ie). Collins Barracks houses the decorative arts and history museum, so we wandered through looking at Irish life past and present, as well as exhibits on Easter1916 and Irish military throughout the years. Without intending to, we were there for over 3 hours.
After the museum, Seanse and her sister wanted to experience lunch in a pub, so I took them to O'Neills (www.oneillsbar.com) and we had a choice between the sandwhich bar or the carvey lunch. We chose the less expensive option and had sandwhichs. The sandwhichs were massive and fantastic!
From there we went to the tourism bureau to find out how to get to Glasnevin Cemetery only to find out it was minutes from closing. I have always wanted to go to Glasnevin, but have never had the time. So, Seanse and I opted to walk up Grafton Street (the major shopping thoroughfaire) to St. Stephen's Green Park.
Today was sunny and gorgeous so everyone was in the park. People were laying in the sun and sitting on the benches enjoying the early evening. Seanse and I wandered through the park taking pictures, looking at the statues and busts and finally made our way over to the WB Yeats Memorial just in time to see Shakespeare in the park.
The acting troupe was performing Antony and Cleopatra and it was a lot of fun. We both remembered the play being longer than it was, but we quite enjoyed ourselves. Neither of us had imagined Antony and Cleopatra having Irish accents, but it worked. At the end of the play, as the audience clapped, a dog began barking...Even Yorkies like Shakespeare in the park!
Well that about covers the first/second day of the trip to Ireland...when next we meet, I shall be in Galway!
I spent most of yesterday relearning the city in a jetlagged haze. I was surprised at how easy it was to get from point A to point B; I hadn't really forgotten my way around the city. I met up with my friend Seanse at Trinty College Dublin and we spent the afternoon wandering the city and I fought the urge to sleep. I finally gave in at around 6:30 and headed back to my hostel to relax and recoup.
The morning came bright and early at 10am. I slept a grand total of 12 hours and it was GREAT! Today I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to explore more of Dublin.
I met up with Seanse and her sister again this morning and we headed, via the LUAS (www.luas.ie) to Collins Barracks (www.museum.ie). Collins Barracks houses the decorative arts and history museum, so we wandered through looking at Irish life past and present, as well as exhibits on Easter1916 and Irish military throughout the years. Without intending to, we were there for over 3 hours.
After the museum, Seanse and her sister wanted to experience lunch in a pub, so I took them to O'Neills (www.oneillsbar.com) and we had a choice between the sandwhich bar or the carvey lunch. We chose the less expensive option and had sandwhichs. The sandwhichs were massive and fantastic!
From there we went to the tourism bureau to find out how to get to Glasnevin Cemetery only to find out it was minutes from closing. I have always wanted to go to Glasnevin, but have never had the time. So, Seanse and I opted to walk up Grafton Street (the major shopping thoroughfaire) to St. Stephen's Green Park.
Today was sunny and gorgeous so everyone was in the park. People were laying in the sun and sitting on the benches enjoying the early evening. Seanse and I wandered through the park taking pictures, looking at the statues and busts and finally made our way over to the WB Yeats Memorial just in time to see Shakespeare in the park.
The acting troupe was performing Antony and Cleopatra and it was a lot of fun. We both remembered the play being longer than it was, but we quite enjoyed ourselves. Neither of us had imagined Antony and Cleopatra having Irish accents, but it worked. At the end of the play, as the audience clapped, a dog began barking...Even Yorkies like Shakespeare in the park!
Well that about covers the first/second day of the trip to Ireland...when next we meet, I shall be in Galway!
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