For those of you keeping up with me to make sure I'm where I am when I'm supposed to be, because of the train traffic of Oktoberfest, I missed my flight to Dublin (which also means I missed dinner with Robert, the Irish boy.)
I switched my flight to fly out of Munich tomorrow to make it home around the same time.
To describe everything I'm feeling requires tons of inappropriate words. So, I'm back safe with friends in Munich, I'm healthy, I'm fine. I have nothing to complain about.
Missing my flight now has been, literally, the only thing that hasn't been pretty great this week. Can't wait to see my dog.
Ah! Ok. Time for a drink. Or, 5.
The only thing I might need prayers for is that I'm staying with my friend who lives in Munich by way of Milwaukee. We're currently watching the Bears/Packers game. If the Bears win- great. But I might have to sleep on the sidewalk if they do. Maybe a tie? ;)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Quick update
Hi all- I'm here in Munich on a Saturday night. I've been packing so much into each day that I've had no time to write. Tomorrow, I go back to Dublin for one night- until I leave for home Monday. Can't believe it but I feel like this trip has been amazing so far.
I will write more later. Cheers!
I will write more later. Cheers!
Friday, September 23, 2011
I'm caught up to Wednesday.
I'm currently on a long bus from Prague to Munich and need to get some sleep. It's currently Thursday night. I've also been typing these on my iPhone. My hand is kind of hurting. I had an amazing trip in Prague. I love that city and will write out the craziness later. I met up and stayed with Ricky, a good friend from high school who was also backpacking, and his two bros from college- Chuck and TK. We did what we could to cross paths on our trips. It was outrageous. Love those guys. So much fun.
Thanks again to everyone for supporting me on my adventure. Hope you're enjoying this. I'm having a great time.
Next stop: Oktoberfest.
Thanks again to everyone for supporting me on my adventure. Hope you're enjoying this. I'm having a great time.
Next stop: Oktoberfest.
Back to Dublin...
I got back to Dublin around 8pm- just enough time to get back to the hostel, do some laundry, and be in bed by 11 for my early flight to Prague to meet up with a very dear friend of mine from high school and his friends. Yeah, because planning stuff like that always works out. Spoiler: it didn't.
So, I got down to the laundry room and did the washer stuff with no problem. I had some decent Internet in the laundry room, so, I grabbed some food, called Mommabear, and caught up on some reading. After my wash, there were only two dryers and they weren't available. So, I waited for one dryer person to come check on their stuff, only to find out that the dryers are horrible and take a few loads to finish. Grr. Luckily, my hostel has a pretty sweet bar in the lobby, so, I let my wash sit until the other dryer was done, found one of my hostel roommates, and started chatting.
-Quick note: in our room was an Anna, an Ana and an Ann. Made it really easy for everyone who was meeting us.-
So, a quick chat turned into, "Sure, I'll have a pint quickly.", *dryer finally available and have 45 more minutes to spare*, "oh, another pint? I couldn't. Well, ok."... Etc. Soon enough, Ana from Portugal and I were talking to a group of Irish guys, German guys and Italian guys. (Bless you, Blarney stone.)
Anyway, we chatted and had some pints and it was great. Once my laundry ended. I told Ana I had to go to bed and be up by 7am to get to the airport for Prague. So, I say goodnight, go back up to the room, change and settle into bed. I swear to goodness, Ana needs to work for the US government. She stormed into the room and gave me every convincing reason in the world to go out with them. "You only get this opportunity once. You can sleep on the plane." She recruited Ann quickly and as much as I politely wouldn't budge, she held strong. So, it's about 11:30. I'm tired and I have to be up in about 8 hrs for a flight. After Ana was done pleading her case, I can't really say that I thought twice about staying at home.
It was great. We went with one of the local Irish guys (our bartender) to his flat around the corner above the Jameson Distillery where we listened to Irish songs, had some beers and laughed a ton.
One of the Irish guys was about 7 ft. tall, so, Ana (small Portuguese girl) kept referring to him as, Giant. "Giant, why are you so tall? Giant, why are you drinking that beer? Giant, how long did it take you to make the Causeway?" I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. He was such a great sport for it all and totally played into it.
Anyway, around 2:30, I was finally done and wanted to leave. So, I looked over at Ana, whose head was suddenly drooping down and I realized she she was Titanicing (going down, about to wreck). As if in slow motion, I say Ana, 'we have to go' and she responds, "buuuttttt I'mmmm noooot drrrrrunk." After watching her drink about 4 beers and a couple shots, I knew this only translated to: I'mmmmm waaaasted.
Oh, no.
So, we packed up and I had to do my best to convince her she was alright and we just had to go to bed. It took about 10 minutes to convince her that we had to leave while she was blaming the bartender, kind of jokingly, for 'doing this to her.' So, we get her down the stairs and start getting her out the door. As she stumbles out, the bartender guy, Robert, who was sooo nice for entertaining us, giving us his beer, and helping with getting drunk Ana out the door, screams! "No! Don't let the door shut!"
Slam. That door was locked good and we were definitely on the wrong side of it.
3am on a Tuesday night when his roommate is out of town and he doesn't have his phone to call neighbors. So, he says it's fine and encourages us to get Ana home safely.
We walk her back, I get her in the door of the hostel safely while a guy and the other Ann get her into the elevator and I have the best spontaneous decision I've had in a long time...
"um, hey, you guys can get her into the elevator, right? I forgot my scarf." Before they could say, "but you didn't have a scarf", I was on my way back out the door to Robert's to keep him company as he sat in his lobby alone waiting for someone to let him in. I mean, come on. He had no phone, was locked out and all he had was a lobby. We sat up chatting til 5 when someone was finally leaving his building for work and I got to sit there listening to Irish guy talk for a couple of hours. *swoon* It was really a win-win. Because hey, you only get this opportunity once, right? I slept a LOT on that plane.
Made it to Prague by 3pm Wednesday afternoon. To be continued.
So, I got down to the laundry room and did the washer stuff with no problem. I had some decent Internet in the laundry room, so, I grabbed some food, called Mommabear, and caught up on some reading. After my wash, there were only two dryers and they weren't available. So, I waited for one dryer person to come check on their stuff, only to find out that the dryers are horrible and take a few loads to finish. Grr. Luckily, my hostel has a pretty sweet bar in the lobby, so, I let my wash sit until the other dryer was done, found one of my hostel roommates, and started chatting.
-Quick note: in our room was an Anna, an Ana and an Ann. Made it really easy for everyone who was meeting us.-
So, a quick chat turned into, "Sure, I'll have a pint quickly.", *dryer finally available and have 45 more minutes to spare*, "oh, another pint? I couldn't. Well, ok."... Etc. Soon enough, Ana from Portugal and I were talking to a group of Irish guys, German guys and Italian guys. (Bless you, Blarney stone.)
Anyway, we chatted and had some pints and it was great. Once my laundry ended. I told Ana I had to go to bed and be up by 7am to get to the airport for Prague. So, I say goodnight, go back up to the room, change and settle into bed. I swear to goodness, Ana needs to work for the US government. She stormed into the room and gave me every convincing reason in the world to go out with them. "You only get this opportunity once. You can sleep on the plane." She recruited Ann quickly and as much as I politely wouldn't budge, she held strong. So, it's about 11:30. I'm tired and I have to be up in about 8 hrs for a flight. After Ana was done pleading her case, I can't really say that I thought twice about staying at home.
It was great. We went with one of the local Irish guys (our bartender) to his flat around the corner above the Jameson Distillery where we listened to Irish songs, had some beers and laughed a ton.
One of the Irish guys was about 7 ft. tall, so, Ana (small Portuguese girl) kept referring to him as, Giant. "Giant, why are you so tall? Giant, why are you drinking that beer? Giant, how long did it take you to make the Causeway?" I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. He was such a great sport for it all and totally played into it.
Anyway, around 2:30, I was finally done and wanted to leave. So, I looked over at Ana, whose head was suddenly drooping down and I realized she she was Titanicing (going down, about to wreck). As if in slow motion, I say Ana, 'we have to go' and she responds, "buuuttttt I'mmmm noooot drrrrrunk." After watching her drink about 4 beers and a couple shots, I knew this only translated to: I'mmmmm waaaasted.
Oh, no.
So, we packed up and I had to do my best to convince her she was alright and we just had to go to bed. It took about 10 minutes to convince her that we had to leave while she was blaming the bartender, kind of jokingly, for 'doing this to her.' So, we get her down the stairs and start getting her out the door. As she stumbles out, the bartender guy, Robert, who was sooo nice for entertaining us, giving us his beer, and helping with getting drunk Ana out the door, screams! "No! Don't let the door shut!"
Slam. That door was locked good and we were definitely on the wrong side of it.
3am on a Tuesday night when his roommate is out of town and he doesn't have his phone to call neighbors. So, he says it's fine and encourages us to get Ana home safely.
We walk her back, I get her in the door of the hostel safely while a guy and the other Ann get her into the elevator and I have the best spontaneous decision I've had in a long time...
"um, hey, you guys can get her into the elevator, right? I forgot my scarf." Before they could say, "but you didn't have a scarf", I was on my way back out the door to Robert's to keep him company as he sat in his lobby alone waiting for someone to let him in. I mean, come on. He had no phone, was locked out and all he had was a lobby. We sat up chatting til 5 when someone was finally leaving his building for work and I got to sit there listening to Irish guy talk for a couple of hours. *swoon* It was really a win-win. Because hey, you only get this opportunity once, right? I slept a LOT on that plane.
Made it to Prague by 3pm Wednesday afternoon. To be continued.
FYI: Local Irish People Pee On The Blarney Stone
Yup. No, I didn't find that out the hard way. Plenty of people had warned me beforehand but I was still on a mission. So, I woke up early. Finally, on my own. I wasn't really up for hiking and I had already been to the Aran Islands. I felt that I could save the Cliffs of Moher for next time. So, I considered going to the Rings of Kerry (a gorgeous county in southwest Ireland) but I knew I had to do laundry and only had time for either that OR the Blarney Stone to make it back in time- so, I made my way to Cork for the afternoon where I could explore the city and take my time at Blarney Castle. As soon as I arrived in Cork, I loved it. I think that as far as Irish cities go, this was the most American. Cork is on the southern coast of Ireland. Very pretty. It, too, has a large river running through it. People were busy, but very nice. Much like Chicago. I took a walk down Oliver Plunkett Street and explored the long strip of stores and boutiques. I walked down the river and through more of the square. It's a somewhat small city, so, it was easy to explore.
I quickly was able to get a good gist of the city and make my way to Blarney Castle. The entire castle grounds are incredibly beautiful with parks, lakes, forests, streams and paths that highlight all the points easily. The Blarney House museum was closed to the public for the season but everything else was so great. The land is believed to be enchanted and famous areas are stamped with what some believe to be fairy circles and areas where witches were believed to have practiced their craft. It was incredible. I took in a lot of nature and just enjoyed long walks. Lots of cool trees.
When I made it to Blarney Castle itself, there was a very spiritual woman sitting on the bench out front doing something... Well... Spiritual. She had what looked like a quartz bowl with something that made it hum when dragged in a circle around the rim. I believe that it's a tool used by spiritual people to tune into and stabilize the natural energy of the universe. I only know this because my mom is a nutjob (love you, mom). But I digress. It was kind of cool to watch. She was doing some chants. Better her than I, I guess.
As I walked through the castle, I learned a lot about the castle structure itself. There were tons of stairs. Tons. All in a spiral to the top where the stone is. For those who don't know, the Blarney Stone is believed to give those who kiss it the "gift of gab", or the ability to be well-spoken. It's a huge tourist lure. However, it's rumored that locals pee on the stone a lot. Deciding to take my chances on a non-porous stone that gets cleaned after each kiss, I stood in line and did it! I am now well-spoken and on my own in Dublin! Look out, Irish boys! But seriously- very cool experience. You actually have to lay down off the side of the castle holding metal bars which allow you to lower yourself down with someone holding you about 2-3 feet to kiss the bottom stone on this wall.
After I kissed the stone, I made my way back through the charming town of Blarney and back to Cork in time for my 4 hour bus to Dublin. On which, I finally slept. And perhaps drooled a little- but I like to think of that more as my newly acquired gift of gab overflowing. Alas, it worked!
I quickly was able to get a good gist of the city and make my way to Blarney Castle. The entire castle grounds are incredibly beautiful with parks, lakes, forests, streams and paths that highlight all the points easily. The Blarney House museum was closed to the public for the season but everything else was so great. The land is believed to be enchanted and famous areas are stamped with what some believe to be fairy circles and areas where witches were believed to have practiced their craft. It was incredible. I took in a lot of nature and just enjoyed long walks. Lots of cool trees.
When I made it to Blarney Castle itself, there was a very spiritual woman sitting on the bench out front doing something... Well... Spiritual. She had what looked like a quartz bowl with something that made it hum when dragged in a circle around the rim. I believe that it's a tool used by spiritual people to tune into and stabilize the natural energy of the universe. I only know this because my mom is a nutjob (love you, mom). But I digress. It was kind of cool to watch. She was doing some chants. Better her than I, I guess.
As I walked through the castle, I learned a lot about the castle structure itself. There were tons of stairs. Tons. All in a spiral to the top where the stone is. For those who don't know, the Blarney Stone is believed to give those who kiss it the "gift of gab", or the ability to be well-spoken. It's a huge tourist lure. However, it's rumored that locals pee on the stone a lot. Deciding to take my chances on a non-porous stone that gets cleaned after each kiss, I stood in line and did it! I am now well-spoken and on my own in Dublin! Look out, Irish boys! But seriously- very cool experience. You actually have to lay down off the side of the castle holding metal bars which allow you to lower yourself down with someone holding you about 2-3 feet to kiss the bottom stone on this wall.
After I kissed the stone, I made my way back through the charming town of Blarney and back to Cork in time for my 4 hour bus to Dublin. On which, I finally slept. And perhaps drooled a little- but I like to think of that more as my newly acquired gift of gab overflowing. Alas, it worked!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Let's Try This Again
I wrote this post originally while sitting in a small smoothie cafe off of Oliver Plunkett Street and Cook Street in Cork, Ireland. I truly believe more streets should have charming names, like Oliver Plunkett Street. It would make the day brighter.
Anyway, I believe I left off right as we took the bus to Limerick. We arrived there and it was a bit cold and rainy. We went there originally only to go to Bunratty Castle but decided to take advantage of the afternoon and explore the city. We walked along the river and through town. Limerick itself is much more of a business town than I expected. There's not much charm as much as there is the hustle and bustle of a big city. It was great though- very familiar.
I kindof tried to keep to myself considering I was still traveling with Charles and Ryan. Ryan, at that point, was a challenge and it wasn't easy to get along. However, simply put, we're different people. So, I just tried to keep to myself and hang out with Charles who was super down-to-Earth and actually cared about the culture and appreciated the surroundings.
We made it to King John's Castle. I thought this was a great place to go because it was kindof a one-stop-shop of all things Limerick; tons of history of the town, beautiful views, archeological excavations and, of course, a castle. Boom.
It was really great. It was nice to notice the smaller details about things- like how flat and straight the old walls are, how much work went into them all, and the years it took to mold the city into what it is today. I love how expansive the views are in Ireland. I have no way of explaining it. Once you think you have a good idea of the perspective, you see a speck move and realize it's a cow. It changes your life.
After the castle, we walked along the other side of the river, back to the hotel to get ready for the castle banquet.
We arrived at Bunratty Castle right as the night was starting, so we didn't get to explore as much at that point. We went straight to our table.
It was AWESOME! Absolutely shamelessly touristic, this medieval dinner show was loads of fun. We sat with a 20-something, Australian guy who was unemployed and traveling for a bit who was so vulgar and entertaining, in his own right. The "Your mom" jokes flew all over. Discussions about South Park and comments about the ladies that were singing made for tons of laughs. Ryan got to talk about himself and how great his job is for a while, which is always a good distraction as this kid was just soaking it in- they were totally on the same level. Charles and I got to relax and enjoy the show.
They had been asking certain audience members to taste the food to 'test it for poison' and Ryan ended up testing the pork. That was funny.
We drank wine after wine after wine. The jugs just kept being filled and I kept filling everyone's cup with an American pour (to the brim). It was so much fun and I'm so glad we went.
After the show, we had to leave the castle and I asked the guard if we could just go in for a moment because Charles really wanted to see it but, of course, no because they were getting ready for the second banquet.
Honestly, Charles is one of those truly good people. He had been so generous, kind and didn't expect anything in return. He missed his family. Plus, he had to tolerate Ryan much longer than I did. I was on a mission: do anything to get Charles into that castle.
So, I found an open door, grabbed Charles and just started heading up some stairs- past kitchens and people, who were not paying attention because they were preparing for the later banquet. I decided to just keep a "naive American" look on my face whenever anyone saw me and they didn't say anything. We made it to this great room that had thrones and some exhibits. We totally nerded out and sat on the thrones and pretended to be kings and queens for a few pictures. It was a lot of fun. Not taking too much advantage of my tigerninja abilities, we headed back down and explored the castle grounds in the rain for a bit. It was such a great rush- not to mention a beautiful castle.
Ryan, being completely allergic to silly, was waiting for us at the bar down the road- the original Durty Nellies. I split off from them there and met a family from Ohio who was on a trip together and asked me to sit with them. I also met a group of old Irish men who, oddly enough, were there after their friends wake. They were so much fun! We were singing traditional Irish songs and drinking Guinness. One of the old men kept grabbing my face and kissing me on the lips- which was not as much fun. When I explained that I have a personal bubble and he has a personal bubble and those shouldn't cross, he would just hug me and scream, "Anna! This girl is the best! Ahlove her!" What can you do? Just go with it.
I was having a great time. When it came time to leave, I tried to get to the bus stop about a block away in time but Ryan was talking with people, etc. We ended up missing the bus and I finally couldn't keep quiet. If I had done that, he'd go insane. Then Ryan said something that made up my mind that I was done traveling with him after I made sure he was safe at home.
So, I walked away. Later, when I went to find them to leave for the last bus of the night, I asked someone where they were and I was told that they left a bit before that in a cab. Bunratty is about 25 min from Limerick and my hotel.
This was a bad moment. I had been drinking, it was late, I was alone (from what I knew), I was tired, and I had no way home in my mind. I didn't really see any cabs around- Bunratty is kind of in the middle of nowhere. And it just kind of all hit me at once. So, I went and took a walk trying to get some focus and came back, sat at the bar with a nice old man and the bartender, trying to figure out how I could get back.
Suddenly, the Australian guy was there and asked me where I had been and I told him what was going on. "What are you talking about? Ryan and Charles are right there." Sure enough, there they were in a back room I didn't even know was there. They had already called a cab and we were to leave shortly. Of course, Charles is the one to tell me.
I just wanted to enjoy the ride back and chill out because we were so tired. So, I chatted with the driver about the Irish language and about who spoke it in which parts of the country. I learned that, really, only foreigners refer to it as Gaelic, most people call it Irish, but if you really know what you're talking about, you'll call it "goo-ale-guh". I don't know how to spell that but now I can sound official in an Irish conversation. :)
I took off from the cab to take a different way back to the hotel and just enjoy some time alone. I randomly hit a cross street at the same time Ryan and Charles did. Charles was like "Anna! Hello!" and that made me smile but when I asked which street I was on in relation to our hotel, Ryan said something unhelpful and sarcastic and I had had it. It was definitely time to part ways.
However, forgetting the fools that trip us up sometimes, this was really the story of one fantastic night with everyone else. It was an unforgettable, crazy, adventure.
Oh, and lesson learned: old Irish men are great kissers. Blaghhhhhh... Grossssss...
Anyway, I believe I left off right as we took the bus to Limerick. We arrived there and it was a bit cold and rainy. We went there originally only to go to Bunratty Castle but decided to take advantage of the afternoon and explore the city. We walked along the river and through town. Limerick itself is much more of a business town than I expected. There's not much charm as much as there is the hustle and bustle of a big city. It was great though- very familiar.
I kindof tried to keep to myself considering I was still traveling with Charles and Ryan. Ryan, at that point, was a challenge and it wasn't easy to get along. However, simply put, we're different people. So, I just tried to keep to myself and hang out with Charles who was super down-to-Earth and actually cared about the culture and appreciated the surroundings.
We made it to King John's Castle. I thought this was a great place to go because it was kindof a one-stop-shop of all things Limerick; tons of history of the town, beautiful views, archeological excavations and, of course, a castle. Boom.
It was really great. It was nice to notice the smaller details about things- like how flat and straight the old walls are, how much work went into them all, and the years it took to mold the city into what it is today. I love how expansive the views are in Ireland. I have no way of explaining it. Once you think you have a good idea of the perspective, you see a speck move and realize it's a cow. It changes your life.
After the castle, we walked along the other side of the river, back to the hotel to get ready for the castle banquet.
We arrived at Bunratty Castle right as the night was starting, so we didn't get to explore as much at that point. We went straight to our table.
It was AWESOME! Absolutely shamelessly touristic, this medieval dinner show was loads of fun. We sat with a 20-something, Australian guy who was unemployed and traveling for a bit who was so vulgar and entertaining, in his own right. The "Your mom" jokes flew all over. Discussions about South Park and comments about the ladies that were singing made for tons of laughs. Ryan got to talk about himself and how great his job is for a while, which is always a good distraction as this kid was just soaking it in- they were totally on the same level. Charles and I got to relax and enjoy the show.
They had been asking certain audience members to taste the food to 'test it for poison' and Ryan ended up testing the pork. That was funny.
We drank wine after wine after wine. The jugs just kept being filled and I kept filling everyone's cup with an American pour (to the brim). It was so much fun and I'm so glad we went.
After the show, we had to leave the castle and I asked the guard if we could just go in for a moment because Charles really wanted to see it but, of course, no because they were getting ready for the second banquet.
Honestly, Charles is one of those truly good people. He had been so generous, kind and didn't expect anything in return. He missed his family. Plus, he had to tolerate Ryan much longer than I did. I was on a mission: do anything to get Charles into that castle.
So, I found an open door, grabbed Charles and just started heading up some stairs- past kitchens and people, who were not paying attention because they were preparing for the later banquet. I decided to just keep a "naive American" look on my face whenever anyone saw me and they didn't say anything. We made it to this great room that had thrones and some exhibits. We totally nerded out and sat on the thrones and pretended to be kings and queens for a few pictures. It was a lot of fun. Not taking too much advantage of my tigerninja abilities, we headed back down and explored the castle grounds in the rain for a bit. It was such a great rush- not to mention a beautiful castle.
Ryan, being completely allergic to silly, was waiting for us at the bar down the road- the original Durty Nellies. I split off from them there and met a family from Ohio who was on a trip together and asked me to sit with them. I also met a group of old Irish men who, oddly enough, were there after their friends wake. They were so much fun! We were singing traditional Irish songs and drinking Guinness. One of the old men kept grabbing my face and kissing me on the lips- which was not as much fun. When I explained that I have a personal bubble and he has a personal bubble and those shouldn't cross, he would just hug me and scream, "Anna! This girl is the best! Ahlove her!" What can you do? Just go with it.
I was having a great time. When it came time to leave, I tried to get to the bus stop about a block away in time but Ryan was talking with people, etc. We ended up missing the bus and I finally couldn't keep quiet. If I had done that, he'd go insane. Then Ryan said something that made up my mind that I was done traveling with him after I made sure he was safe at home.
So, I walked away. Later, when I went to find them to leave for the last bus of the night, I asked someone where they were and I was told that they left a bit before that in a cab. Bunratty is about 25 min from Limerick and my hotel.
This was a bad moment. I had been drinking, it was late, I was alone (from what I knew), I was tired, and I had no way home in my mind. I didn't really see any cabs around- Bunratty is kind of in the middle of nowhere. And it just kind of all hit me at once. So, I went and took a walk trying to get some focus and came back, sat at the bar with a nice old man and the bartender, trying to figure out how I could get back.
Suddenly, the Australian guy was there and asked me where I had been and I told him what was going on. "What are you talking about? Ryan and Charles are right there." Sure enough, there they were in a back room I didn't even know was there. They had already called a cab and we were to leave shortly. Of course, Charles is the one to tell me.
I just wanted to enjoy the ride back and chill out because we were so tired. So, I chatted with the driver about the Irish language and about who spoke it in which parts of the country. I learned that, really, only foreigners refer to it as Gaelic, most people call it Irish, but if you really know what you're talking about, you'll call it "goo-ale-guh". I don't know how to spell that but now I can sound official in an Irish conversation. :)
I took off from the cab to take a different way back to the hotel and just enjoy some time alone. I randomly hit a cross street at the same time Ryan and Charles did. Charles was like "Anna! Hello!" and that made me smile but when I asked which street I was on in relation to our hotel, Ryan said something unhelpful and sarcastic and I had had it. It was definitely time to part ways.
However, forgetting the fools that trip us up sometimes, this was really the story of one fantastic night with everyone else. It was an unforgettable, crazy, adventure.
Oh, and lesson learned: old Irish men are great kissers. Blaghhhhhh... Grossssss...
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
D'oh!
I literally wrote a HUGE blog explaining the insanity of the last couple of days, but I dropped my phone and it turned off without saving. Turns out that doesn't only happen the day before a paper is due in college. Too much to rewrite for now. I'm happy, I'm healthy, I'm having an incredible time. I went ALL around Ireland, back in Dublin now, and I'm pooped. I'll rewrite everything on my plane to Prague tomorrow.
Monday, September 19, 2011
So, Let Me Tell You About The Time I Got Pooped On...
Yes, I got pooped on... By a pigeon in the Dublin train station but let me get there. I met up with Ryan and Charles at about 10 and took them to The Mercantile. On our way, we took a different bridge than I normally take and ended up at a large Church. The name of the church is Gaelic and I don't remember. It starts with an A. it was beautiful- I think I'm enjoying such places because it's so interesting to experience and walk through buildings that date back to 900-1000AD. As Charles would say, it's like jumping into a page of history. At this church, they had tons of old relics on display but but most notably, the gravestone of what is believed to belong to a bishop in the 9th century. This stone has been used to be a source of luck placed next to the town's water well, then a source of luck when rubbed by businessmen, but it has gone through so much. People tried to steal it by carriage but under the weight of the stone, the horses legs broke and it was returned to the church. People tried to smash it but it wouldn't break. It is believed that the ghosts of clergymen protect it and so it will always stay at the church. You're supposed to rub it for good luck.
After this, we made it to breakfast where we met Michael, the waiter I had the previous day. Not going to lie, I have a bit of a crush on Michael. From San Diego, went to Ohio U, lived in Chicago for a while, and moved to Dublin on a whim where he's developed a rather charming Irish accent. (swoon.) Until he moves to Ghana in a few months to teach English. (superswoon.) I had authentic beef stew and, now that Charles and I are Irish soda bread connoisseurs, I believe the best is at this restaurant.
We talked about American football and how great Chicago is until we left. We went to the Dublin castle again to take a chance to see the gardens which commemorate fallen police officers.
Then we went to the Mecca of our journey- the Old Jameson Distillery.
Ryan spoke with the guy at the front desk to let him know who he was and we were able to get discounts and the guy gave us pointers about the tour. We had about a half hour to kill, so we relaxed in the bar there. I had a Brock and Salt- similar to an Irish coffee but more like an Irish latte. Ryan had a warm Jameson and sugar. If these drinks are any indication, it's pretty cold in Ireland. We went on the tour, which is really put together well, and ended up concluding our tour with Jameson and cranberry- delicious.
We decided to not spend the extra night in Dublin and take the train to Galway. Galway is known for being kind of a party town and not too many tourist attractions. There's nothing you 'need' to see in Galway but it's supposed to be a great time. So, we grabbed our bags and headed off. We got to the train station, got our tickets and grabbed some food. With pigeons around us, I suppose I should have been more aware of what was about to happen. I open my sandwich, eat about 1/3 of it when... Plop...
"Oh, my God. That did not just happen."
Right on my head. In an effort to casually transfer his shame to me, the pigeon kindly made sure he got it on the hood of my jacket an my backpack too.
As you can probably assume, I loved my life at that moment. We had 15 min until the train. With my tiger-ninja like reflexes, I grabbed my shampoo and towel and ran to the train station bathroom where I proceeded to take on the role of "that girl" and washed my hair in the sink during rush hour. Soooo gross but my other option was traveling with poop in my hair. Ryan has a picture. Pros of backpacking: always being prepared to be shit on in a train station.
So, when the guys were able to stop laughing, we got on the train and left for Galway. Our train ended up being extraordinarily late but we were able to get settled and make our way to a little restaurant named McSwiggin's where I ate chicken curry with rice (Manisha, of course I had to have Indian food. ;)) and the guys had their meat and potatoes stuff. It was great. Walking down the main strip of bars on our way back was interesting- college town: to the extreme. Loud, drunk, fighting guys and nearly-naked, wasted girls (I swear, I rarely saw girls wearing pants. Just short skirts or jumpers that cut off at their upper thigh.) As long as you're ok with that situation, it was actually kind of great to see Galway in full swing. We ducked into a less crowded bar than the ones we were recommended. It was a lot of fun. I'm on a Guinness kick this week- I don't even prefer it ever but when in Ireland do as the Irish do and grab a pint, I guess. It was a lot of fun. There were tons of hen and stag parties (bachelor and bachelorette). I was lucky enough to meet a (wasted) 21-yr-old guy when I was getting drinks. It was his brother's stag party and he was the youngest of the group but made it the longest. He kept assuring me that it was a pleasure to meet me and that he's extremely faithful and would love to visit Chicago... His name was Darrough, though- that was the only cool thing about him. We left shortly after that.
The next day, we went to the Aran Islands. We rented bikes and went around the island. I'd say the ring around the island is about 8 mi, give or take. It was stunning. Every little detail- the people, the bikes, the trails, the experience- was perfect. I'm so fortunate to be traveling with two great guys. They're very different but they compliment each other very well. It makes the whole situation easier for me. Charles is a very kind-hearted person, easy-going, encouraging and always smiling. The only time he looks distressed is when he talks about his wife and kids. It's obvious that he misses them and this is a two week trip for the guys but he's still able to have a good time. Ryan is well-planned, put together, sometimes funny and very much a great guy to travel with.
We were able to get to the other side of the ring, including exploring, in about 2 hours, I think? However, we realized we were running out of time when we needed to get to these amazing cliffs and back to the ferry in about an 1:15. The walk to the cliffs was about 15 min from the bike dock. So, we booked it. We ended up running up the hill to make good time. (Ryan B- if you thought 30min level 20 on the stairmaster was hard- woah, boy.) Luckily it went by quickly and we were able to get to the cliff's edge in 7 min, give or take. It was spectacular. These views that I can only compare to something out of a CGI heavy movie, like Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean, were so expansive and beautiful, it's too hard to put into words. Ryan made the comment that if this were in America, there would be guard rails and protections everywhere. Here we were about 200m above the ground with nothing separating us from a ride down the smooth face of the cliff to the jagged, crashing mess below us; it was amazing. I have about a million pictures which don't nearly do it justice.
We booked it back, grabbed some celebratory beers for the ferry back and enjoyed it. The ferry and bus through Connemara were also stunning. Especially after watching some sort of sailing regatta pass us. That night, we went to dinner at The Western Bar where we were all so tired and done for the day- but wow. Great day, indeed.
This morning, we met for breakfast and to plan our day. Even though I've been doing research for weeks, it's refreshing to have someone as perfect as Ryan who has all of the answers that you don't even need to talk. So, I'm on a bus to Limerick with them now finishing some writing and being quiet for a bit. It's nice. I'm on vacation and just going with the flow. If I learned anything from yesterday, it's that I can deal with stepping to the edge of a cliff, look at the angry sea, see the beauty of it and still have an extraordinary day.
Banquet at Bunratty castle tonight and hopefully a bit of exploring the streets of Limerick. Staying at the Best Western - Pery. Update again soon.
After this, we made it to breakfast where we met Michael, the waiter I had the previous day. Not going to lie, I have a bit of a crush on Michael. From San Diego, went to Ohio U, lived in Chicago for a while, and moved to Dublin on a whim where he's developed a rather charming Irish accent. (swoon.) Until he moves to Ghana in a few months to teach English. (superswoon.) I had authentic beef stew and, now that Charles and I are Irish soda bread connoisseurs, I believe the best is at this restaurant.
We talked about American football and how great Chicago is until we left. We went to the Dublin castle again to take a chance to see the gardens which commemorate fallen police officers.
Then we went to the Mecca of our journey- the Old Jameson Distillery.
Ryan spoke with the guy at the front desk to let him know who he was and we were able to get discounts and the guy gave us pointers about the tour. We had about a half hour to kill, so we relaxed in the bar there. I had a Brock and Salt- similar to an Irish coffee but more like an Irish latte. Ryan had a warm Jameson and sugar. If these drinks are any indication, it's pretty cold in Ireland. We went on the tour, which is really put together well, and ended up concluding our tour with Jameson and cranberry- delicious.
We decided to not spend the extra night in Dublin and take the train to Galway. Galway is known for being kind of a party town and not too many tourist attractions. There's nothing you 'need' to see in Galway but it's supposed to be a great time. So, we grabbed our bags and headed off. We got to the train station, got our tickets and grabbed some food. With pigeons around us, I suppose I should have been more aware of what was about to happen. I open my sandwich, eat about 1/3 of it when... Plop...
"Oh, my God. That did not just happen."
Right on my head. In an effort to casually transfer his shame to me, the pigeon kindly made sure he got it on the hood of my jacket an my backpack too.
As you can probably assume, I loved my life at that moment. We had 15 min until the train. With my tiger-ninja like reflexes, I grabbed my shampoo and towel and ran to the train station bathroom where I proceeded to take on the role of "that girl" and washed my hair in the sink during rush hour. Soooo gross but my other option was traveling with poop in my hair. Ryan has a picture. Pros of backpacking: always being prepared to be shit on in a train station.
So, when the guys were able to stop laughing, we got on the train and left for Galway. Our train ended up being extraordinarily late but we were able to get settled and make our way to a little restaurant named McSwiggin's where I ate chicken curry with rice (Manisha, of course I had to have Indian food. ;)) and the guys had their meat and potatoes stuff. It was great. Walking down the main strip of bars on our way back was interesting- college town: to the extreme. Loud, drunk, fighting guys and nearly-naked, wasted girls (I swear, I rarely saw girls wearing pants. Just short skirts or jumpers that cut off at their upper thigh.) As long as you're ok with that situation, it was actually kind of great to see Galway in full swing. We ducked into a less crowded bar than the ones we were recommended. It was a lot of fun. I'm on a Guinness kick this week- I don't even prefer it ever but when in Ireland do as the Irish do and grab a pint, I guess. It was a lot of fun. There were tons of hen and stag parties (bachelor and bachelorette). I was lucky enough to meet a (wasted) 21-yr-old guy when I was getting drinks. It was his brother's stag party and he was the youngest of the group but made it the longest. He kept assuring me that it was a pleasure to meet me and that he's extremely faithful and would love to visit Chicago... His name was Darrough, though- that was the only cool thing about him. We left shortly after that.
The next day, we went to the Aran Islands. We rented bikes and went around the island. I'd say the ring around the island is about 8 mi, give or take. It was stunning. Every little detail- the people, the bikes, the trails, the experience- was perfect. I'm so fortunate to be traveling with two great guys. They're very different but they compliment each other very well. It makes the whole situation easier for me. Charles is a very kind-hearted person, easy-going, encouraging and always smiling. The only time he looks distressed is when he talks about his wife and kids. It's obvious that he misses them and this is a two week trip for the guys but he's still able to have a good time. Ryan is well-planned, put together, sometimes funny and very much a great guy to travel with.
We were able to get to the other side of the ring, including exploring, in about 2 hours, I think? However, we realized we were running out of time when we needed to get to these amazing cliffs and back to the ferry in about an 1:15. The walk to the cliffs was about 15 min from the bike dock. So, we booked it. We ended up running up the hill to make good time. (Ryan B- if you thought 30min level 20 on the stairmaster was hard- woah, boy.) Luckily it went by quickly and we were able to get to the cliff's edge in 7 min, give or take. It was spectacular. These views that I can only compare to something out of a CGI heavy movie, like Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean, were so expansive and beautiful, it's too hard to put into words. Ryan made the comment that if this were in America, there would be guard rails and protections everywhere. Here we were about 200m above the ground with nothing separating us from a ride down the smooth face of the cliff to the jagged, crashing mess below us; it was amazing. I have about a million pictures which don't nearly do it justice.
We booked it back, grabbed some celebratory beers for the ferry back and enjoyed it. The ferry and bus through Connemara were also stunning. Especially after watching some sort of sailing regatta pass us. That night, we went to dinner at The Western Bar where we were all so tired and done for the day- but wow. Great day, indeed.
This morning, we met for breakfast and to plan our day. Even though I've been doing research for weeks, it's refreshing to have someone as perfect as Ryan who has all of the answers that you don't even need to talk. So, I'm on a bus to Limerick with them now finishing some writing and being quiet for a bit. It's nice. I'm on vacation and just going with the flow. If I learned anything from yesterday, it's that I can deal with stepping to the edge of a cliff, look at the angry sea, see the beauty of it and still have an extraordinary day.
Banquet at Bunratty castle tonight and hopefully a bit of exploring the streets of Limerick. Staying at the Best Western - Pery. Update again soon.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Trinity College, The Book of Kells, and Yo-Yo's
After my last post, I decided to tough it out and endure sleep deprivation as long as I could. If my Middle Eastern Women's Literature class in college was any indication of how much 'awake' I can take, I could easily predict success- as long as I'm jam packed with caffeine. However, when people discuss true sleep deprivation they're like, "Day 12 - Hallucinations." I'm more like, "Day 1 - Irritated". And all of it is curable seeing as though all things espresso are delicious here. Lattes don't even need to be pumpkin spiced to earn my love.
So, I made my way to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. The line may have been long but the teenage guy I stood behind had a wise persistence and focus about him- better known as 'the nicest way I could think of to describe the annoying ability to Yo-Yo'. And Yo-Yo he did. He made all of the older people in front of him nervous and completely ignored their discomfort- all to my inner-child's pleasure. Ah, personal entertainment.
Quick tangent: I also saw a seemingly-important street fountain by the Bank of Ireland in which someone felt they should take it upon themselves to add dish soap, which made me laugh.
Moral of that story: It's really all about the little things.
Here I am, about to see a monumental literary relic, and I'm giggling about fountain suds and awkward string object magic. Oh, me.
Update: Turns out, there was a foam party on the Trinity College campus tonight. (Big devastation: I wasn't invited.)
But to be honest, the Book of Kells is breathtaking. It's basically Christian scripture made pretty by some of the world's best monk artists/calligraphers, all in one location. The media they used was incredible- drawings of saints had this crazy affect of floating on the page by use of different inks on vellum and the entire process of the art followed biblical beliefs. Past the Book of Kells exhibit was the, "when I'm a billionaire, this is the first room I'm building in my house."- The Long Room. This was an enormously grand and beautiful part of the Trinity College Library. Cathedral ceilings, bookshelves after bookshelves for what looked like a mile; Each one had their own statue and pair of ladders/stairs lined with exhibits of very cool artifacts such as early literature, the oldest human giant skeleton display, and the oldest Irish harp known in existence. I just metaphorically pushed up my taped glasses and snorted shamelessly. Geeking out to this was definitely a highlight of my day.
Past this, I hopped into an Apple store to charge my phone where I sat and talked to the people working there about what I should or shouldn't do for the rest of my stay. More and more people have told me to avoid Cork. Does anyone have input or a reason beside the Blarney Stone to go there?
Let me know.
It was starting to get into the afternoon so I made my way toward the Guinness Storehouse to meet Ryan. On my way, I walked through parts of Dublin Castle and the courtyards of the Dublin Cathedral (St. Mary's? Need to check).
Anyway, after my long walk to the Guinness Storehouse, Ryan ended up not making it so I took the tour with a large group of college guys from England. They were hilarious and made the self-guided tour of the museum a lot of fun. The 7th floor of the Storehouse is a bar and the equivalent to the Sears Tower in Chicago; expansive 360 degree views of the city. The weather was beautiful in the afternoon so I got some great pictures. I just sat there with my free end-of-tour Guinness and took it all in for a while. On my walk back to the hostel, I walked through a small, lower-middle class neighborhood just to see how life is outside of the tourist areas. Just pretty standard; kids playing, people walking their dogs, everyone seemed to know each other. There was a really old man struggling to cross the street so, of course, I offered to help. In the most kind-hearted way, he turned me down saying he only had to go to the building in front of us. So, as I crossed I kept an eye on him as he tottered and slowly made his way but this woman, also kind but stern, was like, "Shove off now, dear. He'll be fine. He lives in this building." She saw my hesitation and was like, "he loves his walks to the store. It keeps him going." the whole thing was so innocent like I had accidentally walked in on a-day-in-the-life of Dublin suburbia, like I shouldn't have disrupted. Cool moment.
I finally got a chance to nap after this. I made plans with Ryan to meet up with him and his friend, Charles, and go to Temple Bar. They came and we walked through town again on a mini-tour of the things I had seen that day on the main strip. My inner-mom came out and made them walk through the Trinity College campus and explained Dublin Castle as we passed for their own good (as if I gave them medicine or something but I knew they wouldn't go themselves. :) ) We finally arrived on the main strip of the Temple Bar area, walked the streets, and Ryan picked a bar called, of course, Temple Bar (I admire his simplicity). It was a bit touristy but the craic singers were actually incredible and we got a nice little nook in the back of the bar where we drank reasonable amounts of Guinness and Jameson/gingers. Besides how much they made fun of my "I've only gotten 5 hours of sleep since Wednesday morning- lay off me" abilities to speak French, I had a really great time out.
I came back to an empty room as one girl from Mexico was out celebrating their Independence Day and the other three girls from Portugal are very to themselves (though, they were great to help me pick out my outfit for the evening.)
Ah, well. Today, I think I'm going to make my way to the James Joyce museum, take Ryan and Charles to the Mercantile, tour Jameson with them and head off to Galway. Sounds like a plan. Ok, more updates later.
So, I made my way to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. The line may have been long but the teenage guy I stood behind had a wise persistence and focus about him- better known as 'the nicest way I could think of to describe the annoying ability to Yo-Yo'. And Yo-Yo he did. He made all of the older people in front of him nervous and completely ignored their discomfort- all to my inner-child's pleasure. Ah, personal entertainment.
Quick tangent: I also saw a seemingly-important street fountain by the Bank of Ireland in which someone felt they should take it upon themselves to add dish soap, which made me laugh.
Moral of that story: It's really all about the little things.
Here I am, about to see a monumental literary relic, and I'm giggling about fountain suds and awkward string object magic. Oh, me.
Update: Turns out, there was a foam party on the Trinity College campus tonight. (Big devastation: I wasn't invited.)
But to be honest, the Book of Kells is breathtaking. It's basically Christian scripture made pretty by some of the world's best monk artists/calligraphers, all in one location. The media they used was incredible- drawings of saints had this crazy affect of floating on the page by use of different inks on vellum and the entire process of the art followed biblical beliefs. Past the Book of Kells exhibit was the, "when I'm a billionaire, this is the first room I'm building in my house."- The Long Room. This was an enormously grand and beautiful part of the Trinity College Library. Cathedral ceilings, bookshelves after bookshelves for what looked like a mile; Each one had their own statue and pair of ladders/stairs lined with exhibits of very cool artifacts such as early literature, the oldest human giant skeleton display, and the oldest Irish harp known in existence. I just metaphorically pushed up my taped glasses and snorted shamelessly. Geeking out to this was definitely a highlight of my day.
Past this, I hopped into an Apple store to charge my phone where I sat and talked to the people working there about what I should or shouldn't do for the rest of my stay. More and more people have told me to avoid Cork. Does anyone have input or a reason beside the Blarney Stone to go there?
Let me know.
It was starting to get into the afternoon so I made my way toward the Guinness Storehouse to meet Ryan. On my way, I walked through parts of Dublin Castle and the courtyards of the Dublin Cathedral (St. Mary's? Need to check).
Anyway, after my long walk to the Guinness Storehouse, Ryan ended up not making it so I took the tour with a large group of college guys from England. They were hilarious and made the self-guided tour of the museum a lot of fun. The 7th floor of the Storehouse is a bar and the equivalent to the Sears Tower in Chicago; expansive 360 degree views of the city. The weather was beautiful in the afternoon so I got some great pictures. I just sat there with my free end-of-tour Guinness and took it all in for a while. On my walk back to the hostel, I walked through a small, lower-middle class neighborhood just to see how life is outside of the tourist areas. Just pretty standard; kids playing, people walking their dogs, everyone seemed to know each other. There was a really old man struggling to cross the street so, of course, I offered to help. In the most kind-hearted way, he turned me down saying he only had to go to the building in front of us. So, as I crossed I kept an eye on him as he tottered and slowly made his way but this woman, also kind but stern, was like, "Shove off now, dear. He'll be fine. He lives in this building." She saw my hesitation and was like, "he loves his walks to the store. It keeps him going." the whole thing was so innocent like I had accidentally walked in on a-day-in-the-life of Dublin suburbia, like I shouldn't have disrupted. Cool moment.
I finally got a chance to nap after this. I made plans with Ryan to meet up with him and his friend, Charles, and go to Temple Bar. They came and we walked through town again on a mini-tour of the things I had seen that day on the main strip. My inner-mom came out and made them walk through the Trinity College campus and explained Dublin Castle as we passed for their own good (as if I gave them medicine or something but I knew they wouldn't go themselves. :) ) We finally arrived on the main strip of the Temple Bar area, walked the streets, and Ryan picked a bar called, of course, Temple Bar (I admire his simplicity). It was a bit touristy but the craic singers were actually incredible and we got a nice little nook in the back of the bar where we drank reasonable amounts of Guinness and Jameson/gingers. Besides how much they made fun of my "I've only gotten 5 hours of sleep since Wednesday morning- lay off me" abilities to speak French, I had a really great time out.
I came back to an empty room as one girl from Mexico was out celebrating their Independence Day and the other three girls from Portugal are very to themselves (though, they were great to help me pick out my outfit for the evening.)
Ah, well. Today, I think I'm going to make my way to the James Joyce museum, take Ryan and Charles to the Mercantile, tour Jameson with them and head off to Galway. Sounds like a plan. Ok, more updates later.
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