Heading Westward

Our trip to Co. Clare was the last in a series of group trips- first Dublin, then Paris, and finally Lisdoonvarna. Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel. We stopped on the side of the road first, in order to get a good photo of course. Then we made our way up the hill. Upon entering, we watched a short introduction and then got to take a look around. Even though it was currently undergoing restoration and was slightly obscured by scaffolding, the architecture was still impressive.

After looking around, we stopped to get a bite to eat before getting back on the bus for the rest of the trip to Lisdoonvarna. Once we arrived, the first thing we saw of the town were the signs for the annual Matchmaking Festival which takes place in Lisdoonvarna every September. Arriving at our hostel, the Sleepzone Burren, we got settled in and then trekked around the town before finding something to eat. We had a quiet first night in order to get ready for the rest of the weekend.

Our second day out west, we took the ferry from Doolin to the Aran Islands. We spent the day on Inis Mor, the Big Island. Ray, Joe and I rented bicycles and headed out for Dun Aonghasa, the large semi-circular fort considered to be the best example of its kind. Taking the shore road, we passed lots of cows and fields on one side, and got beautiful views of the sea on the other. Once we arrived, we climbed up a hill to the fort and looked out over the three-hundred foot high cliffs. The views were amazing! After a little bike mishap, we made it back to the ferry just in time.

The next day was spent on a tour of the Burren. The Burren is characterized by the exposed limestone which was deposited by glacial movement throughout the region. While I know that we've been in Ireland for the past 8 weeks or so, traveling through the Burren was one of the first times that I've really felt connected to this country. Telling my friends about it later, I would say that this area is really what you picture when you think about Ireland. Our first stop was a cliff overlooking the ocean- another breathtaking view. We moved on throughout the area, and then stopped at Corcomroe Abbey and a thousands-year-old Dolmen.

Our last stop was famed Cliffs of Moher. I have to admit, I've never seen so much fog! Somehow, it made the cliffs seem even steeper. My fear of heights came into play a lot here, but the sheer awesomeness of the cliffs made me overcome it. Although, I wouldn't sit on the edge as many people were doing- didn't want to push my luck! The cliffs were my favorite part of the weekend. I've never seen something quite so amazing before. Going to Co. Clare, for me, was a good kind of wrap-up for our trip- the ten weeks in Ireland wouldn't have been the same if we hadn't seen the different sort of beauty that only occurs in the west.

April in Paris, part deux

The next day, we got up bright and early to another gorgeous Parisian morning. We got really lucky with the weather the entire week! We hopped on the metro (now that we'd gotten the hang of it!) and headed to the Musee d'Orsay to look at more amazing artwork. After a few hours, we joined back up with the group, jumped back onto the metro, and made the trek up to Montmartre. In order to get to the center of Montmartre and the Sacre Cour, one must climb up the steepest hill in Paris (more like the world, it seemed like at the time). Montmartre was my number one favorite place we visited in Paris. It was filled with little cafes and local artists doing their work right there on the street. (I loved it so much, I ended up going back on Thursday!)

That night, Ray, Joe and I went back to the Eiffel tower area and took a sightseeing cruise down the Seine- another of my favorite activities we did in the city. Seeing Paris by night is breathtaking!

Wednesday, we went to the Musee Carnivale in the morning, then headed to the Pompidou to see some very modern art. After wandering around a bit (and getting lost in possibly the most confusing museum I've ever been to), we decided that maybe we weren't "deep" enough for modern art and went to find some lunch. Then, we went to the Cluny for a completely different museum experience, looking at medieval art and literature.

Another of my favorite stops in Paris was Shakespeare and Co., an incredibly small bookstore across from Notre Dame. It was packed wall-to-wall with books new and old, as well as people reading and sketching. The atmosphere was so condusive to creativity- I could've sat and read all day in there. I was most intrigued by a little cubby with a typewriter and chair inside (for public use!) There were notes stuck inside books in the little desk, many of them love notes from visitors over the years.

Thursday was the scheduled trip to Versailles, but an alarm clock failure prevented me from joining the group. Instead, Keiko took me, Liz, Dan, Jill, Calvin and Cherie back up to Montmartre to look around and do some shopping. I was able to pick up two paintings for my parents, which was nice. That night, we had our last dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant with Drs. Hosey and McGurk and our friend Fearghal. It was a good end to a wonderful trip.

April in Paris, part one.

After a pretty bumpy flight, we landed on a beautiful day in Paris. Once we had collected all of our belongings, we met our French tour guide, who would regale us with stories about Paris' rich history and various landmarks on our bus ride to the hotel in Montparnasse. We quickly found that the reputation of Paris hotel rooms held true- they were comfortable, but very small! We settled into our rooms, then hurried downstairs to begin exploring the city. Navigating the Paris metro was difficult at first, but I started to get the hang of it pretty quickly.

Our first Parisian destination was Le Tour Eiffel- the Eiffel Tower. Over the course of the week we spent in Paris, I would go back to the Eiffel tower two more times- I guess it was one of my favorite spots that we visited! As I've mentioned (flashback to my post about Blarney Castle!), I am notoriously scared of heights. This being the case, I decided to forgo climbing to the top. We were all excited to see the tower by night- especially the sparkling lights at the top of each hour!

We then took a long walk over to the Notre Dame Cathedral to see it at night. Along the way, we passed many Paris landmarks along the Seine. I have to admit, I was not overexcited to go to Paris- I would've rather stayed in Dungarvan and relaxed- but after the first night in the city I never wanted to leave. Paris just seemed to have some sort of hold on me that would just get stronger as the week progessed.

The next day, we started our day at the Louvre. I was most excited about this, mainly because I was always a big art history fan and couldn't wait to see such a famous museum full of historic works. (And, OK, I love the book The DaVinci Code). Seeing the museum was all that I had expected, however, sometimes the amazing architecture overshadowed the art- in the case of the Mona Lisa, for example, it was impossible to get close enough to even really see it, plus the actual painting is protected by a few sheets of glass.

Next, we took a walk down the Champs Elysee towards the Arc de Triomphe. I was reluctant to climb to the top, but I decided to face my fears this time and give it a go. Boy, am I glad I did!! The view was unbelievable. It was reminscent for me of the view of Dublin from Gravity Bar at the top of the Guinness Storehouse.

A few of us then decided to head back over to Notre Dame to take a look around during the day. The inside of the cathedral was just as interesting as the outside. The massive stained glass windows were very impressive. Since we finally had a moment to relax, we had a seat at a small cafe next to the cathedral and had hot chocolate (with a splash of Bailey's, no less!) before meeting back up with the group.

That night, we all got dressed up for a traditional French meal, complete with plenty of red and white wine. Everyone had an amazing evening to cap off an amazing first few days in Paris.

Daily Life in FUNgarvan

While we've had the opportunity to do some traveling around Ireland while we're here, some of my best memories of Ireland will be from Dungarvan, or "The Garv," as we've nicknamed it. (Another personal favorite nickname of mine is FUNgarvan.) From the minute we arrived, this town has felt like home, which is saying a lot, considering it is halfway across the world.

Dungarvan is the perfect place for our type of program- not too big that we're overwhelmed by crowds or crime, but big enough to prevent us from ever being bored. The people of Dungarvan, especially the town council, have been overwhelmingly kind to us over the past four weeks. They even purchased bicycles for us to use while we're here! Speaking of bicycles, Taylor, Melissa, Jill and I took advantage of a beautiful day recently and had our friend Eoin cycle to the beach with us. Something I've learned while I've been here that has absolutely nothing to do with academics is to just live. While at Mercyhurst, I get so focused on schoolwork and my job and friends that I forget what's really important- life! There's nothing like a day at the (freezing cold/Irish) beach to remind you to slow down and enjoy the ride.

There is an Irish proverb that says "Nil aon tintean mar do thintean fein"- "There is no fireside like your own fireside." Well, now I think it's safe to say that I have two firesides- home, and Dungarvan.

Gaeilge

One of our most important opportunities, in my opinion, is our lessons in the Irish language. As a part of our Irish Cultures class, we meet with Grainne, a teacher from the Gaeltacht region, to learn what we can of the language. The Gaeltachtai are regions throughout Ireland where Irish is the predominant language. We are lucky enough to be near An Rinn- The Ring- one of the smallest Gaeltachts. We took a field trip around the Ring earlier in our trip, and it's nice to be able to connect the language with the location.

In our studies, we've learned some simple Irish phrases such as "Conas ta tu?" -How are you? and "Go maith, go raibh maith agat. Agus tu fein?"- Well, thank you. And yourself? We also learned counting and how to give out our phone numbers (which might end up a useful skill- wink, wink!). We practiced listening, writing and speaking during our three and a half hours with Grainne at the helm. Learning Irish has proven to be no easy feat!

We also listened to the myth of Cuchulainn, which the English majors in our group were familiar with but the rest of us hadn't yet heard. It reminded me of many of Yeats' poems, such as To the Rose upon the Rood of Time as well as The Death of Cuchulain. Since many of Yeats' poetry connects back to Irish folktales, learning about these tales helps connect the language, history, poetry and culture of Ireland.

Dublin, Continued

The rest of our Dublin trip was just as eventful! Since we were staying in the hotel directly across from Christ Church, we took a short walk over to take a look around. The inside of the cathedral was amazing, with vaulted ceilings and plenty of little alcoves to explore. The entire time we were walking around, I couldn't help but think that it looked familiar. Eventually, I realized why- as a fan of the television show "The Tudors," I would've recognized it because they film scenes in the Christ Church cathedral. Walking around the crypts underneath the church, there were exhibits describing important events in Irish history, such as the Easter Rising and the Great Famine.

Our next stop in Dublin was Trinity College to take a peek at the Book of Kells. The grounds of Trinity made me think of being back at Mercyhurst with its pretty building and landscaping. Most of Ireland, to me, hasn't seemed like a foreign place. When we first arrived in Dungarvan I remember feeling like we were home. Looking at the Book of Kells reminded me exactly where we were- in Dublin! Looking at a book produced in the 8th century! Almost too much to think about at once. The rest of the Trinity College library was just as interesting, with levels and levels full of books and busts of famous men.

After gawking at the Book of Kells, we continued on to see the Guinness Storehouse, which has been converted to one of the most creative museums I'd ever seen. When you enter, you are actually standing in the world's largest pint glass! Throughout the museum, we saw the raw ingredients for making the world's best beer. We also got to learn to pour the perfect pint of Guinness (as well as drink it at 11 o'clock in the morning!). Gravity bar at the very top of the storehouse offered the best aerial view of Dublin we'd seen.

After the storehouse, we had a little time left before we had to head home to the place we've now started affectionately referring to as "The Garv." A few of us walked around to see St. Patrick's Cathedral before we left Dublin. Around the outer walls of the cathedral, there were plaques commemorating the great Irish authors- Joyce, Yeats, Synge, and Swift were all represented. It was a good end to a good trip, and I can't wait to go back to see the rest of the city!

Duh-blin, Part One

I know it's been too long since my last blog- we've been busy these past few weeks! We spent last weekend in Dublin, the capital city of the Republic of Ireland. To start off the weekend, we left bright and early on Friday morning to make the 3-hour bus ride up to the city. The sights on the ride there were beautiful, of course, although I have to admit I slept through most of the ride again (just like the ride to Dungarvan from the airport- the rolling hills seem to put me right to sleep!).

When we arrived in Dublin, we checked into our hotel as a group and had a few moments to ourselves before starting the day. Our first stop was Dublin Castle, where our favorite tour guide, Mr. Tom Keith, gave us a short history lesson on the Castle. A few group photos later, we headed to the tourists office and grabbed a quick lunch. After regrouping, we moseyed on down to the National Archaeology Museum and checked out some Bog People- the amazing bodies which were preserved in bogs almost completely intact. After browsing in the Archaeology museum, a few of us walked a few blocks down the street to the National Gallery of Ireland, and stopped on the way to check out an Oscar Wilde monument. Reading the quotes really helped to put a different twist on our Dublin experience.

The last big event for the day was our tour of the Irish Parliament. This was a big deal, because the only way to get a tour is to be invited by a member- in our case, John Deasy, a Mercyhurst Alum, was able to get us in for a tour. I've personally never been to Washington, D.C., but I imagine it would be comparable to what we saw on our tour. While the Irish government seems similar to ours, we learned that there are many differences in the day-to-day operations.

With such a busy schedule, we couldn't wait to get back to our rooms and rest up for the next action-packed Dublin adventure.