“No line on the horizon”

This week I was able to squeeze in two day trips around Ireland that I had been saving for a not-so-rainy day. The first was to the beautiful Aran Islands, which are a few miles off the coast of Galway. Two of my house mates and I took the shuttle from the city that brings you to the ferry, and from there it was about a half hour ride to the main, large island of Inis Mór. We decided to rent bikes to travel around with (instead of going on a guided tour) because it was such a pleasant day. Biking around the hilly island was quite a work out, but completely worth it for the spectacular views. Along the way we spotted plenty of traditional thatched roof cottages, blooming flowers, and even a few donkeys!

The main attraction on Inis Mór is Dún Aonghasa, an Iron Age stone fort perched at the top of a cliff. Climbing the trail offered great views around the entire island, and we had a hard time believing our eyes when we reached the top. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous! There were no barriers on the edge of the cliffs that would prevent you from plunging a few hundred feet into the water below. Putting my fear of heights aside, I got much closer to the edge than I thought I would have! There was even a cool ledge where you could take your picture so that it looks like you’re hanging on to the edge for dear life. At this spot, Amanda and Mary enacted the famous scene from The Lion King where Scar kills Mufasa (they did a great job!).

Before heading back to the ferry we did a little souvenir shopping. The Aran Islands are famous for their hand-knit sweaters, so there were plenty of those to look at. Who knows, one of you readers might be lucky enough to receive such a sweater (but probably not, since I’m a broke college student and they all cost around $100, sorry!). We honestly could not have asked for a better day on the island. Great weather, wonderful people, good times! J

My second day trip this week was to Tullamore! Located in the very center of Ireland (halfway between Dublin and Galway), this town is Chandler’s only Sister City! Prior to leaving the US, I became a student member of Chandler’s Sister Cities program. Therefore, I was really excited to explore the town that we share this special connection with! Amanda and I took the train from Galway (our first train ride in Ireland) early this morning to check out the arts festival that was taking place in the town. After grabbing a bite in a cute little café we set to exploring. We stopped by the Tourist Information Center, where, ironically, the worker was a student at our very own NUIG! She pointed us in the right direction and we continued onwards. Next to the TIC is the famous Tullamore Dew Heritage Center. Unfortunately, it’s closed for the next few months in order to undergo some restorations. We then found the arts festival, which consisted of numerous paintings and photographs on display, as well as a food and crafts market. Our day in Tullamore concluded at a pub (of course), where we got some great grub and the mandatory Tullamore Dew whiskey! All in all we had a very nice time experiencing a smaller, quieter Irish town than what we’re used to in Galway!

I’m rapidly approaching my final days as a student here in Galway. While I’m definitely looking forward to returning home, I also wish I had just a few more days to squeeze in some more trips around the Emerald Isle. I guess that just means I’ll have to come back soon! J On Wednesday I’ll be heading off for a week-long trip to Germany! I can’t wait, as this has been somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a very long time. The bad news is that I have an exam and paper to complete before that day, so send some positive vibes my way that I buckle down and actually get some school work done! Until next time…

Click here for pictures from the Aran Islands

Click here for pictures from Tullamore

“To travel is to live”

Last week I flew off to Copenhagen, Denmark to visit my friend Ebba! Ebba had been an exchange student at my high school junior year, and we had both played on the softball team. Since she has returned home to Sweden we have kept in touch, and she was very kind in inviting me to come for a visit! This was my first solo travelling experience in Europe (aside from getting to Ireland) so I was a little nervous, but it went pretty smoothly. I arrived in Copenhagen and then took a train from the airport for about 30 minutes to the city of Lund, where Ebba met me. Lund is a great town, the perfect size, and with adorable buildings and cobblestone streets. Everyone was also very friendly and most spoke English  J  In the evening, some of Ebba’s friends came over and we watched a movie. It was really interesting to hang out with Swedish people my age to get their perspective on different things. Even though I was only there for a few days, it seemed like the Swedes were a little more similar to Americans than the Irish I’ve met here in Galway. Again though, I can’t really judge a whole country based on a few days’ worth of observations, so it’s just an opinion!

The next day Ebba showed me more of Lund, including the University that she attends. I even sat in on her statistics class, which was still pretty cool since I had no idea what the professor was saying. I also learned that math is terrible in any language! Afterwards we visited the cathedral, which was very impressive. In addition to the crypt (where Finn the Giant can still be seen holding up one of the pillars), the cathedral contains a large clock/calendar. Every day at noon and 3pm it performs a little show, kind of like a cuckoo clock. The amount of detail on the clock was really neat, especially since I had never seen anything like it! That afternoon we headed over to the handball arena for a playoff game! Lund’s women’s team was playing a team from Stockholm in the first game of a series. This was my first time watching a game of handball (an extremely popular sport in Sweden), and I was definitely hooked! The girls were very aggressive, I can only imagine how crazy a men’s game gets! Unfortunately Lund lost, but it was still a great atmosphere and I totally understand the appeal of the sport now. That evening we went out to a nation, which is similar to a fraternity or sorority back home. During the day, nations serve students food at much cheaper prices, and at night they transform into a bar/nightclub. I was able to meet more of Ebba’s friends (all of whom were super sweet!), and we had a great time!

On Sunday we boarded the train I had taken to Lund from the airport and rode it back into central Copenhagen for a day of sightseeing. Our first stop was the Little Mermaid statue! HC Andersen, author of the Little Mermaid (and many other great stories) was from a suburb of the city, so there are many tributes like this to him all over the place. After getting pictures with the statue we walked through a wonderful little park and over to the Danish Resistance Museum. Dedicated to the brave men and women who worked tirelessly to disrupt the Germans as much as possible during World War II, the museum was very touching and informative. The Danes had one of the best underground systems during the war, so it was really interesting to see some of the artifacts of the time and learn more about the individuals responsible for defending their country even after it had fallen. Following the museum, we walked down to Amalienborg Palace, where the royal family of Denmark resides. Along with a few hundred other people, we watched the changing of the guards! It was really cool to see, especially since we had missed it in London. The entire process took about a half hour. Of course the procedure was extremely deliberate, and the guards wore blue uniforms with the big, poofy, black hats (just like at Buckingham Palace). Following our time at the palace, we walked through an adorable waterfront area called Nyhavn. The buildings were very colorful and all of the cafes lining the street made for a great scene. I’m sure it is quite lovely there in the summer time! Next we continued walking through the main shopping district of Copenhagen. There were plenty of American stores (Nike, Foot Locker) and restaurants (McDonald’s, Burger King, 7/11). We ate lunch at a cute little place (where of course I got a cheeseburger, too afraid to try anything traditional), and then found some genuine danishes for dessert (so good!). Our last stop of the day was Tivoli Gardens and Amusement Park. Although it rained off and on, it was still really fun going on rides and walking around the gorgeous grounds of the park. It was the perfect way to cap off a great day in the Danish capital! J

On my last full day in Sweden Ebba treated me to a scenic road trip of southern Sweden! Our first stop was Smygehuk, the southern-most point in the country. Next, we travelled to Ale’s Stones in Kaseberga. Located on a ridge, Ale’s Stones are very similar in looks to Stonehenge. Because the weather was so nice, we decided to have our “fika” (snack/coffee break) on the cliff overlooking the water. Afterwards we continued on to a lovely beach that Ebba said is very popular during the summer. I could definitely see why, as it was really nice with white sand. Next, we drove to Glimmingehus, which is the best-preserved stronghold in all of Scandinavia. After getting some pictures there, we made our way to Stenshuvuds National Park for lunch. A forested area that ran all the way down to the beach, it was certainly a great spot for a picnic! The final stop on our road trip was Kungagraven, the burial site of a Bronze Age king. This giant mound of rocks was pretty odd, and included a door in the middle (that you couldn’t go in of course). We then headed back to Lund, ending a wonderful day of cruising around the country!

All in all I had an incredible time visiting Ebba in her home country! It was really interesting to experience a completely different culture (which in many ways wasn’t all that different actually). I was able to see and do many things that I definitely wouldn’t have been able to if it weren’t for Ebba, so a huge thank you to her and her mom for hosting me! J  Sweden and Denmark were both fantastic, and I wouldn’t hesitate to return! Thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from Sweden

Click here for pictures from Copenhagen

"It's always better on holiday"

                The final stop of our ten day trip through Europe was Scotland. Amanda and I treated ourselves and upgraded to first class for the six hour train trip to Glasgow. Boy, was it worth it! Food and drinks were constantly available, and the seats were much nicer-a welcome relief after travelling for so long. The views throughout the ride were spectacular, especially around sunset. We arrived in Glasgow pretty late, and were content with staying in at our nice hostel (which included putting the sheets on our beds in a really dark room-thanks people for going to bed at 9pm on a Saturday!).

                The next morning (Easter) we set off for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. There were some interesting natural history displays, as well as numerous modern and historic art pieces. Afterwards we walked through the Glasgow University campus, which was really cool to see. Our last sight in the city was the People’s Palace and Gardens. Located in the middle of a large park, this museum contained a very nice exhibition on the history of Glasgow, including its role in World War II and its evolving culture. The garden was a simple greenhouse attached to a café, but it was well-kept and even contained some cacti (Arizona!). We had a great time at the museums (made even better because they were free), and left Glasgow very happy.

                Our hostel in Edinburgh was in a great spot, at about the halfway point of the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is probably the city’s most famous street, with Edinburgh Castle at one end and Holyrood House at the other. After checking in (where we were given a room with a name on it-Little Miss-and bed/locker names-Bossy and Shy-who was who?!), we went out for drinks at some neighboring pubs. Here we had our first good meal of the trip (I had a good old fashioned cheeseburger!), were treated to some nice live music, and sampled the house brew at McGregor’s (oh Ewan!).

                The following day we joined a hop-on, hop-off bus tour. We were given a great, informative tour of the entire city before deciding to disembark at Holyrood House. The palace for the royal family whenever they visit Scotland, Holyrood House has been in operation for hundreds of years. While Amanda viewed its art gallery, I walked around the palace itself with an audio tour. It was very interesting to see, as all the rooms were kept more or less as they were when the royals visited. The palace grounds also included the ruins of an abbey and gardens (which I skipped because it was pouring). Next we wandered around town some more before meeting up with our ghost tour group that night!

                Doing a ghost tour had been at the top of my list for Edinburgh. One of my family’s favorite shows, Ghost Adventures, had taped an episode investigating the Edinburgh vaults and had captured some pretty compelling evidence. But first, some backstory for you. A certain street in Edinburgh is actually not a street at all, but a bridge (South Bridge) that only appears to be a normal street. Beneath the bridge are several levels containing man vaults. Designed as storage areas for the businesses above, the vaults were quickly abandoned due to poor design. This is when the criminals, prostitutes, and impoverished (mostly Irish) moved in. crime and death were a constant, thus creating an extremely haunted area (apparently the most haunted in the UK, according to the BBC). Back to the present now, the vaults were the second part of our ghost tour (the first being a history on torture practices used in Edinburgh-very disturbing). We were lead down creepy closes (alley ways), that the Royal Mile has many of, to the entrance of the vaults. Once inside, we were taken through several rooms and shown what everyday life in the vaults must have been like (terrible!). Finally, we were given drinks and told a few more eerie stories by our wonderful tour guide. Overall it was a very creepy and cool experience, even though I didn’t experience or capture any ghostly presences (sorry you weren’t there, sis!).

                Our last day in Scotland was spent at Edinburgh Castle. It was raining pretty hard, and there was even snow on the mountains in the distance! Since the castle is at the top of the Royal Mile, it offers wonderful views of the city and surrounding area in every direction. Within the castle was the Scottish National War Museum, a dog cemetery, a great hall, the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum, and numerous canon batteries. We were also able to go into the infamous Mary Queen of Scots’ rooms. Finally, there was a reconstruction room of where prisoners of war (including from the American Revolution) were kept for the past few hundreds of years. It was quite an impressive castle overall and I would highly recommend visiting!

                That wraps up our big trip! Amazing and unforgettable, the incredible sights we saw and cities we experienced will always put a smile on my face. Thanks for reading!!

Click here for pictures from Glasgow

Click here for pictures from Edinburgh     

“I woke up today in London”

Our first day in cloudy London was packed with many interesting places. Our first stop was the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Located at the infamous address of 221b Baker Street, it resembled a Victorian-era house more so than a museum. Of course that was the idea, to show precisely what Holmes’ and Watson’s apartment would have looked like. Aside from the household features, there were also mannequins representing some of Doyle’s more popular Holmes stories. Overall the museum was really cool, and once again I had to restrain myself from buying everything in the gift shop. Our next stop was Trafalgar Square. In addition to the large lion statues and famous column, there was also a countdown clock until the opening ceremonies of this summer’s Olympics! We then continued walking down the street until we came to the Horse Guards, which are just like the guards at Buckingham Palace, except that they’re on horseback. After snapping a few photos we kept walking towards Big Ben. Along the way we passed Scotland Yard (the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service), Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives), and the Cabinet War Rooms.

We soon arrived at Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately, it was only going to be available for touring for a little while longer, so we didn’t think it was worth the pretty ridiculous admission price if we weren’t going to get our money’s worth. We instead settled for pictures around the outside. I’ll just have to add that to my list for next time! J Big Ben and Parliament are right across the street from Westminster, so we took the opportunity to get some pictures from that perspective. We then headed across the bridge and over to the London Eye! While I had definitely been excited to go on this, I was also pretty nervous since I absolutely hate ferris wheels. It ended up being really cool, offering spectacular views of the entire city. There were also tablets in which you could look up specific buildings, which would then be highlighted for you so that you could look for them outside. Our final stop of the day was Buckingham Palace. While the famous “changing of the guards” ceremony wasn’t taking place that day (they only do it every other day at this time of year), it was still pretty awesome to see.

Our second day in London began at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Since it was Good Friday we weren’t able to go in the church, but it was still a very impressive building to see from the outside. We then walked across Millennium Bridge, which was “destroyed” in one of the Harry Potter movies. On the other side of the Thames River is Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, which we took a tour of. Although it was built relatively recently (1997), it was designed to look like the original, which burnt down in the 17^th century. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, and the accompanying museum was also pretty interesting. We then made our way to the Tower of London! This had been at the top of my list for London activities, so I was really excited to finally be there. I’ve always been interested in King Henry VII and his many wives, so to see where one of them was beheaded (Anne Boleyn) was really something. The displays on the royal fusiliers and torture chambers were fascinating as well. The crown jewels are also housed at the Tower of London, but the line was much too long and there was an additional charge to see them.

Following our visit to the Tower of London we walked out to Tower Bridge to get some photos. Afterwards we took a river cruise on the Thames that brought us back the London Eye area. The river guide was really funny, pointing out the orange capsule on the Eye that was for gingers only, and the missing capsule that you only had to pay half-price to ride (as long as you hold on tight). The next stop on the agenda was the Ice Bar! Made entirely of ice (including our glasses), about 30 people are allowed to enter at a time. Everyone gets a 40-minute time slot to enjoy their drink while wearing a snazzy parka and gloves. It was a very cool experience (pun definitely intended), and since they apparently exist in many cities I would love to check them out in other areas as well! Following the Ice Bar, we hopped back on the tube to get to our Jack the Ripper tour! Unfortunately, the powers that be decided that 7pm on a Friday night would be the best time possible to begin renovation works on the line we were travelling on (apparently this is going on often and all over the city in preparations for the Olympics). We were forced to get off of the train about three stops early, and had to power-walk/run to make the tour on time. I’m really glad we did because it ended up being awesome (yes, I’m pretty morbid)! We were brought to several locations were murders took place, and given very detailed facts and pictures.it was definitely a great and spooky way to end the day!

Our final day in London began at the British Museum. Sadly, Brianna left us that morning to go meet up with a friend in Rome, so from this point forward it was just Amanda and I. We spent about two hours at the museum, looking at endless amounts of relics that the British have accumulated from conquered territories over the past few centuries. We saw tons of mummies (including Cleopatra), as well as the Rosetta Stone! Afterwards we went back to our hotel to collect our bags, and then ventured over to the British Library. Because of the Easter holiday weekend, though, the library was closed. Another place to visit next time I guess! We then continued on to King’s Cross Station, where our train was departing from. Of course we had to get pictures at Harry Potter’s Platform 9 ¾, which was a nice way to kill some time since our train was delayed.

I had an absolutely incredible time in London! While it’s hard to compare the two because they are so different, I would have to say that I enjoyed London slightly more than Paris. I would definitely go back to either city in a heartbeat! It was cool to see so many places that I’ve seen on TV (Sherlock, the royal wedding, etc) and in the movies. The people were all very friendly too. Hope to be back someday soon! Thanks again for reading!

Click here from my first London album

Click here from my second London album

“In the city of blinding lights”

Following our too-short of a stay in Normandy, we were on a train headed to beautiful Paris! Arriving fairly late, we ate our first meal in the French capital at the one and only McDonald’s. I know, how very pathetically American of us. The next morning began a full day of touring. We took the metro (not as difficult as I had imagined!) to Notre Dame. The cathedral was amazing, especially considering it is approaching its 850^th birthday! There was a service going on, which added to the experience. Afterwards we headed behind the cathedral to the Holocaust Memorial. Unfortunately it was closed, so I’ll have to save that for my next trip to Paris. We then headed across the river to Shakespeare & Company Bookstore. Featured on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson during his week of Paris shows, I figured if it was cool enough for Craig, it was certainly cool enough for me! We then joined a hop-on hop-off bus tour, a great way to see even more of the city that we probably wouldn’t have gotten to on our own.

After taking in some great sites on the bus, we got off at the Arc de Triomphe. Located at the center of a roundabout where several major streets intersect, climbing to the top provided a great viewpoint of the city (and a nice work out!). Following the Arc, we made our way (via the bus) over to the Eiffel Tower! Because it was cheaper (and you got more picture opportunities), we decided to walk halfway up the tower, and then take the elevator from there. Even with my fear of heights it was still really cool, and definitely my favorite thing we visited in the city! Afterward the Eiffel Tower we took a river cruise on the Seine. It worked out perfectly because the sun was beginning to set, so as we made our way from the tower to Notre Dame and back, the views of the tower were incredible! Following dinner at Subway (which included a less-than pleasant encounter with a Frenchman, unfortunately not the only rude Parisian we came across in the city), we headed back to the hotel.

The following day consisted of one magical place: Disneyland! You’re probably thinking “three days in Paris and you spend one of them at Disney? Crazy!” but let me tell you, it was my second favorite thing of our entire trip, behind the Band of Brothers tour of course. Disneyland Paris consists of two parks: Magic Kingdom (like our Disneyland) and Walt Disney Studios (similar to California Adventure). The entire experience was almost exactly what you’d get in California or Florida, just throw in some French signs. The majority of rides were very similar, and I only noticed a few that were missing (Splash Mountain, the Matterhorn). Aerosmith’s Rock n’ Rollercoaster (which is sadly still missing from California Adventure), Crush’s Coaster, and the Toy Story Playland in Walt Disney Studios were my favorites, along with Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railway in the Magic Kingdom. Right before the park closed, a light, music, and water show took place around the castle. It was similar to World of Color at California Adventure, but on a much smaller scale. The weather had been great all day, but of course as soon as the show began it started to pour. It didn’t faze us though, we were in the happiest place on earth after all! J

Our last day in Paris began at the Louvre museum. We didn’t go inside, but had plenty of fun taking pictures around its beautiful grounds anyway. Afterwards we took the metro to Moulin Rouge! I really enjoyed the movie, so it was cool to see where it was set (it was also much smaller than I imagined it would be). Next we walked to the Sacre Coeur, a beautiful basilica built on a hill. Along the way we were walking through what appeared to be the red light district, an interesting part of town to say the least. Once at the basilica, we climbed a good deal of stairs and were rewarded with a fabulous view of the city. Our final stop in Paris was the Du Pere Lachaise Cemetery (no pun intended). The final resting place of many famous individuals (Jim Morrison, Voltaire, etc), this very old cemetery was pretty creepy! It didn’t help that a drizzle began to fall upon our arrival, which certainly added to the ambiance. After spending some time there, we returned to our hotel to grab our bags and head to the train station. Because we were taking the Chunnel to London, we had to go through customs before leaving Paris. Just like at an airport, we got our passports checked and have our bags inspected by security. The train itself was pretty standard, and because it was dark outside I didn’t get to actually see us go into the tunnel. The total journey took about two hours, but only 20 minutes or so of that was actually in the Chunnel. Soon enough, and we had arrived in London!

Overall I had a great time I Paris. There was so much to see and do that it was a bit overwhelming at first, but that just means I’ll have to go back at some point! Thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from Paris

Click here for pictures from Disneyland

“We’re not lost Private, we’re in Normandy”

On March 30^th Brianna, Amanda, and I flew off to Tours, France! Located in the west/center of the country, we were making this our first stop of a ten day journey. The airport was very small, only one plane could be there at a time. For the first time in my life, I boarded and de-boarded a plane using steps (we felt a little like the President arriving in Tours ha). The city was a lot of fun, with an adorable pedestrian area complete with centuries-old buildings and cobblestone streets. That night we went out for drinks and crepes in a cute town square that was exactly as I had pictured France to look like! The next day we explored the city a little more before catching our train for the three hour trip north to the lovely little town of Bayeux. We arrived pretty late which was unfortunate because the town looked wonderful-I definitely plan on going back some day! We were met at the train station by our CouchSurfing host for the evening, Nicole. For those of you who don’t know what CouchSurfing is, it’s a website where people from all across the world are able to connect with one another and literally offer up their couch for a night or two. It’s a fabulous way to meet locals and share travelling adventures with people you may not otherwise meet. People back home probably thinks this sounds a little sketchy (strangers offering you something for nothing, what’s the catch?!), but it is a legitimate organization! I’m happy to report that our hosts in both cities (Nicole, and Julia in Tours) were both very sweet and made our trip much more enjoyable!

On April 1^st we woke up bright and early to go on our D-Day/Band of Brothers guided tour. Anyone familiar with me at all knows that I’m a huge World War II nerd and basically obsessed with Band of Brothers. Ever since I got into history I’d been waiting to go on a tour such as this, so it seemed surreal that the day had finally arrived!

We began our tour at the coastal batteries of Longues-Sur-Mer. These huge guns, high above Omaha Beach, were used to fire on ships, capable of hitting almost any target on the horizon. Next, we moved to Omaha Beach itself. A beautiful stretch of land, it was difficult to fathom thousands of troops struggling to make their way ashore. Little evidence now remains to show that this was one of the bloodiest sites in history. Afterwards we travelled up to the American Cemetery that overlooks Omaha Beach. The only US cemetery in Normandy, there are 9, 387 people buried there. This number, large as it is, does not tell the whole story though, as it is only a proportion of the Americans who died in the region (the others were buried back in the US, as per their families’ wishes). After visiting the museum (which was very well done), we walked outside to pay our respects. The sight of nearly ten thousand white grave markers literally took my breath away. As far as you could look in any direction, there were endless rows of crosses and Stars of David. The only two specific graves we had time to visit were those of two of the Niland brothers (the inspiration behind Saving Private Ryan). I wish we had been able to spend more time there, as a day would have been far more appropriate than only an hour.

Following the cemetery, we travelled further west along Omaha Beach to the sight of a National Guard memorial. Along the way, we passed beach front homes and even a casino, a sight that still confuses and bothers me. While I understand the French wanting to put the past behind them, I think far more respect should be shown with how to deal with these sensitive areas. Off my soap box now, we continued on to Pointe du Hoc. Famous for the Rangers scaling its cliffs on D-Day, the area was heavily bombed prior to the invasion, leaving behind numerous craters and destroyed bunkers. Following lunch, we were brought to the Airborne Museum in Saint Mere Eglise. For about the fifth time that day, I had found a location I could easily spend an entire day in. After restraining myself from buying the entire gift shop (quite a feat, I must say), we drove a little out of town to see the field were Lt. Winters landed on D-Day. We then traced the route he walked out of town, stopping at a few key Band of Brothers locations. First, we saw the field where Lt. Meehan’s (Easy Company’s commander before Winters) plane crashed, along with the plaque commemorating the soldiers who died on board. Second, we visited the farm house where one of the most famous pictures taken on D-Day occurred. A copy of the picture, which features paratroopers holding a captured Nazi flag, was brought along by our guide so that we could pose in the same place as the men did some 68 years ago. Third, we went to Brecourt Manor, where the Germans had hidden several large guns that were firing on the Utah Beach exit. Ordered to take out the guns, Winters and only a few men assaulted the battery and disabled all four guns. The method of attack (you can see Winters’ sketch in my pictures) is apparently still taught at West Point to this day. After viewing the memorial to E Company here, we were allowed to walk into the field and along the trenches where the guns used to be.

Utah Beach was our next stop. Unfortunately we suffered a casualty here, as Desmond, my trusty travel companion, lost an arm. While I found it, this is the reason why he is missing an arm/bat in all of his pictures from this point onwards. After a quick drive through Saint Marie du Mont, we were brought to a tiny church where two American medics treated soldiers from both sides on D-Day. Because of this fact, they were allowed to continue treating the wounded after being discovered by German soldiers. All of the stained glass windows in the church now represent the Airborne, and you are still able to see blood stains in the pews. Our final stop of the tour was in Carentan, the subject of the third episode of the miniseries. Following the tour, we hopped on our train heading to Paris!

To say I had high expectations for the day would be a bit of an understatement, as it had been about ten years in the making. I was more than pleased, that’s for sure! J The places we saw, memorials visited, and museums explored will stay with me for the rest of my life. I hope to one day find myself back in Normandy to continue learning about the sacrifices made there. If you have the opportunity to do something similar, I highly recommend it! Thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from Tours and Bayeux

Click here for pictures from the Band of Brothers tour

“The sun is shinin’ and the road keeps windin’”

Over the weekend our program brought us to the Killary Adventure Centre in Connemara. Connemara is my absolute favorite part of Ireland, so the prospect of getting to do crazy activities in such a gorgeous area was an opportunity not to be missed! When we arrived on Friday we were able to sign up for a session (consisting of two activities) of our choice, so I picked clay pigeon shooting and archery. It was the first time I’d ever used a shotgun, so I didn’t have that great of expectations. By either blind luck or skill (I’d like to think skill J) I managed to shoot 5 of the 15 clay pigeons! Not too bad for a first-timer! Archery was fun too, since I’ve been practicing pretty often with the NUIG archery club. That evening we had a trivia contest, where twelve teams competed against each other for iTunes gift cards. Some of the trivia rounds were broken up by funny challenges, with my personal favorite being the male (dressed in girl’s clothing) fashion show. So hilarious! While we didn’t win, I think our team name (the Craic Fiendz) was pretty great.

On Saturday morning I signed up for the archery and laser combat course. Excited to put my Call of Duty skills to the test, I had high hopes for how I would fare during the challenge. Sure enough, out of the five girls and five guys participating, yours truly was the last one standing! J We played a few more games at the laser course (dressed in camo of course) then headed back to the centre for lunch. Afterwards, I set out to some gorge walking for the first time in my life! What is gorge walking, you ask? Well, it’s basically walking up a waterfall (assisted part of the way with ropes) through freeze water (in a wet suit, though) and a few small ponds. It was seriously one of the coolest things I have ever done! The pictures will do it far greater justice than any words of mine could, and I recommend that if you ever have the opportunity to gorge walk that you take it! The activity combined with the gorge walking was kayaking. After having to switch kayaks out on the water (we were told by our guide that the original ones we had chosen were not right for us based on the states we were from haha), some people chose to dive off of a platform. Being quite a wuss when it comes to heights, I decided to take pictures from my kayak instead. While we didn’t get to go too far out with the kayaks, it was still beautiful and a lot of fun! That night a disco was organized for us at the centre. Although I hate to dance, I decided it would be a great chance to teach my friends the “cat daddy” dance (just for you, football gang! J). I was even sober! Ha

Sunday morning we had time for one more session before returning to Galway. I picked zip lining, which at first I believed may have been a mistake. In order to get up to the platform that you start from, you had to climb a ladder, followed by something resembling a telephone pole with large staples sticking out of it. After about five steps I seriously contemplated chickening out, but realizing it may be awhile before I had the chance to zip line again (and probably never hearing the end of it from my friends), I decided to keep going. Definitely felt accomplished after that! I’m really glad I continued climbing, because zip lining was so much fun! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Afterwards, we headed over to the high ropes course, which was similar to a rock wall but just a bit crazier. Brianna and Kate gave it their best attempts, but unfortunately couldn’t make it to the top. I was way too scared to even try, so props to them! Following lunch and a group picture (all of Butler’s Ireland schools were there), we departed from the centre.

All in all, I don’t think I’ve had a weekend packed full of so many fun things in quite a while! The weather was incredible, the scenery spectacular, and too many great memories to count. This week is our final week of regular classes at NUIG. Where has the time gone?! This Friday I will be headed off on quite an epic adventure: 10 days through France and the UK with Amanda and Brianna! To say I’m getting excited would be quite the understatement! You can expect quite the novel when I return form that trip J Until then, thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from our Killary Adventure Weekend!

“It’s a wonderful night, everybody can see”

St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland: an epic event included in just about everyone’s bucket list that I was luckily able to check off this year! While festivities across the country (and back home for that matter) were great in their own right, I’m glad I decided to spend the day in Galway. The parade in the morning was pretty standard as far as parades go, with the highlights for me being the large trucks with musicians playing trad music on them (accompanied by dancers), the circus animals (horses, a zebra, llamas), the various ethnic societies in traditional outfits, and the Massachusetts State Police (so badass!). There were also many school groups/marching bands that were quite entertaining! We stood at the high end of Shop Street and had a fairly good view most of the time.

After the parade we went out to eat at Couch Potata, where strangely enough I was the only one to order a potato dish! Following lunch I met up with some other friends who were at the Townhouse Bar listening to some live music. The band performing, The Rye, were absolutely brilliant! Coincidentally, we had heard them the previous night at The Crane and had a wonderful time then as well. We hung around at the Townhouse until they were done playing, and then found a place playing the Ireland-England rugby match. I was really hoping for an Ireland win to see if that would kick the St. Patrick’s Day party up another few notches (if that was even possible), but alas, we lost 30-9.

After a brief regrouping session back home, we headed back out to the pubs. It’s all kind of a blur, but I’m sure it was a grand time! Club Supermacs was the conclusion of our pub-crawl that evening, and boy was it club-like indeed! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many drunk people in one place at any given time! All in all, the holiday definitely lived up to my expectations! Everyone should try their best to experience St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland at least once in their lifetime.

On Sunday my lone visitor from the States arrived in Galway! Brooke, who had studied in Maynooth (outside of Dublin) last fall, has been on spring break in Ireland for the past week or so. Some of her roommates and her travelled to Galway for a day, and luckily it was one of the most spectacular days weather-wise we’ve had this semester! We decided to travel to the Cliffs of Moher to take advantage of the sun, and we were not let down. This was my third trip to the Cliffs, and it was by far the best conditions. Just like in Dingle, I believe I said “this is so beautiful” roughly eighty-six times. Afterwards, we headed back to Galway where we did a mini pub-crawl. Like me at the Cliffs, we kept a running tally of how many times Brooke said “I love Galway” and got to about ninety-two J

Monday morning I headed into town to meet up with Brooke again before they headed back to Maynooth. I was so sad to see them go, but really happy that we had finally met! Long story short, our parents work together but we had never actually met in person before. Skype and Facebook are great, but it’s not the real deal! It’s always wonderful to know someone who shares the same love/obsession of Ireland as you do!

This weekend has been crazy (even by Irish standards), so I’m really glad we got Monday off from school to recuperate! This coming weekend Butler is taking us to the Killary Adventure Centre, so until then I need to buckle down and get some actual school work done (what is this school I speak of?!), which should be an interesting change of pace! Until then, thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from St. Patrick’s Day!

Click here for pictures of the Cliffs of Moher/Galway!

“On the rocky road to Dublin”

Last Wednesday night a group of us travelled to Dublin in order to see some of the more touristy sites that we were unable to during Orientation. We were incredibly fortunate to be able to spend the night at the Four Seasons hotel, thanks to Brianna’s uncle who was in town on business. It was definitely the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in! Thanks to the amazing room, delicious breakfast, and relaxing spa, we all had a wonderful time and hated to leave in the morning. We went out to dinner in the Temple Bar district, where I experimented with a goat cheese soufflé (aren’t you proud, family?!) that was very tasty. Afterwards we found ourselves in the Temple Bar, where we enjoyed the best traditional music I’ve heard since arriving in Ireland. After a pint of Guinness I returned to the hotel, where to my amazement, the Penguins were on tv! We won, capping off a wonderful day J

On Thursday we checked out of the hotel and made our way to our hostel for the next two nights. Considering our accommodation for the previous night, we were just a little bit depressed ha. After dropping off our bags, we walked down the infamous O’Connell Street and into the southern part of the city (which is split in two by the River Liffey). The only thing on the agenda for the day was a ghost tour on the Gravedigger bus! The guides were great, portraying different characters from Dublin’s history (plague victim, grave robber etc.). We were definitely entertained (and maybe a little scared) and had an all-around great time! After the ghost bus, we ventured back to Temple Bar, where once again we heard some fantastic trad music.

On Friday morning our group added another, when Brianna’s boyfriend, Sean, arrived from the US. The four of them began their day touring Trinity College and looking at the Book of Kells. Meanwhile, since I had already done both of those activities, I went over to the nearby Museum of Natural History and Archaeology. I was being a typical tourist, snapping away with my camera, until I noticed just before leaving that cameras weren't allowed. Oops! One of the main attractions of the museum are bog bodies, which were kept intact in Ireland’s numerous bog lands and preserved incredibly well for hundreds of years. After meeting back up with the group at Trinity, we all hopped on one of the red double-decker sightseeing buses. Just like the bus I had taken my first day in Dublin way back in January, this bus lets you hop on and off wherever you want in the city. We took the bus to Kilmainham Gaol (jail), which had been at the top of my must-see list for some time. Erected in 1787, the jail has played an integral part in Ireland’s history, especially during its civil war. The tour was incredibly interesting, and it was hard to try to picture people living in the conditions described by our guide. The museum inside the jail was also very enlightening, and my criminal justice nerdiness took over a bit at this point. Unfortunately since we were on the last tour of the day museum was closed when we finished and I was only able to see half of it. I think I will be returning in the very near future! Once again we concluded our day in the pubs, first at The Brazen Head (Dublin’s oldest pub) and then back to Temple Bar.

We began Saturday by hopping back on the tour bus and taking it to Christchurch Cathedral. The history and design of the building is amazing! Relics lined the walls (just like at St. Patrick;s down the road) as well as the crypt (basement). Included in the gallery are costumes from the show The Tudors, which used the cathedral for numerous scenes. I want to watch that show even more now! Next, Ashlee and I went to St. Michan’s, which is the oldest parish church in Dublin. Aside from being ridiculously old, it is home to some mummies! Our small tour group (last one of the day, so lucky!) ventured into the super creepy crypt, where we were given a history of some of the families who are interred there. At the conclusion we were allowed to touch a finger on each hand of an 800 year-old Crusader mummy! Supposedly, doing so brings luck, so we shall see J

Following St. Michan’s we toured the Jameson whiskey distillery. I thought it was a really cool tour (not as much info shoved down your throat, like at Guinness), although I wish I had volunteered to be a tester (I failed you, Rick Steves!). After Jameson’s, we walked back across the river and over to Dublin Castle. We didn’t take the official tour (it was too late by this point), but just walked around enjoying the architecture and An Garda Síochána memorial garden. Our last stop of the day brought us to City Hall, another beautifully-designed building.

Our trip to Dublin was packed with great sites and good craic! I hope to find myself in the charming city once more before I leave to visit some of the places I haven’t yet (and the jail again). Thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from our Dublin weekend!

“I smelled the spring on the smoky wind”

This past weekend a group of us set out for the charming little town of Doolin. I had visited this area over the summer with my family and had gone horseback riding there for the first time, so naturally I couldn’t wait to get back! Luckily, Doolin is the lunch stop on the Galway Tour Company’s Cliffs of Moher/The Burren tour, and thus we were able to get a free bus ride there and back! I know I said last week that our hostel in Dingle was incredibly adorable, but I think the one in Doolin was even cuter! The renovated 300 year-old cottage was right next to a river and had a very warm feeling (both literally and figuratively) to it. After dropping our stuff off we walked about ten minutes into town. Only a few stores were open since it is still the off-season, but one of them was having a sale on wool sweaters. Deciding I probably wouldn’t find one for a better price while I’m here, I caved and bought one. This is one souvenir that is at the top of everyone’s list when they come to Ireland, so I was really happy to find one that I liked that wasn’t too expensive!

After some shopping we walked a little way up the coast to Doonagore Castle. The walk was very tranquil, as the sun was beginning to set behind the Cliffs of Moher in the distance. When we arrived at the castle the gate was unfortunately locked, as it is apparently private property. That didn’t stop three of our group members (who shall remain nameless), who proceeded to hop the fence to get some better pictures of the castle up close (at one point, I believe the words “do the garda even exist out here?” were spoken haha). While these shenanigans were taking place, our friend Brianna was visiting with family members whom she’d never met before that still lived in the area. To say I was a bit jealous would be quite an understatement!

Since it was getting dark out, we headed back into town and eventually made our way to the Russell Cultural Center. The reason for our visit to Doolin this particular weekend was to experience the Russell Music Festival. Micho Russell was one of Ireland’s best-known traditional musicians in the latter half of the 20th century. He was born in Doolin, where he lived all his life. Around the anniversary of his death, musicians from all over come together in Doolin to celebrate his music and legacy. Friday night’s event was a large music and dance performance by multiple groups. It was really interesting to listen to all the different songs, and it was a great indicator of what we would be enjoying the rest of the weekend.

On Saturday we sat in on a traditional (trad) music session. These sessions were taking place in all three of Doolin’s pubs throughout the entire weekend, so odds were good that if you happened to wander into one that some good music would greet you! After listening for a while, we decided to rent bikes in order to explore the area better. We rode them down to one side of Doolin’s beach, where Brianna and Amanda insisted on putting their feet in the water. I can’t even imagine how cold that must have been. This is also where Kate played hero of the day and saved the cameras from a wave! Good job Kate J We spent about an hour there and then rode out bikes over to another side of Doolin’s shoreline. It was really pretty since the sun was close to setting, with the Cliffs of Moher once again providing a beautiful backdrop.

Saturday night saw us pub crawling between a whopping two locations that were literally right across the street from one another. Both places (McGann’s and McDermott’s) were really crowded due to the festival, but the music was great! We were all having such a great time that we ended up staying until 4am, when we were finally kicked out. Sunday morning we went back to the pubs for some brunch. It is quite an interesting experience to recognize people from much earlier in the day right back in the same spot a few hours later, complete with Guinness in hand! What some champs. After a little more shopping we caught the bus back to Galway (driven by none other than Desmond!). We had a great weekend in Doolin listening to some amazing music, and all of us hope we have time to get back at some point this semester! J

Click here for pictures from Doolin!

“This could be para-para-paradise”

This past weekend a group of five of us travelled southwest of Galway to the town of Dingle for its annual Walking Festival. We set off on Friday afternoon with a walk to the bus station in the rain (gotta love Galway!). This was the first time I was going to be travelling via bus (that hadn’t been chartered), so I should have anticipated the adventure that was to follow. First, after arriving at the bus station, we were notified that Bus Éireann (the company we were taking) actually had its own terminal around the block. Surprise! We hustled over and made it in plenty of time. The same could not be said of our first connection, unfortunately. There was an unusual amount of traffic leaving Galway and therefore we were stuck in Limerick for an extra two hours. We got lunch in a cute pub to kill some time and ended up meeting an, um, interesting man. Part two of our bus ride brought us to Tralee and then after a quick switch we were finally on the road towards Dingle!

Our hostel, the Dingle Gate Hostel, was actually about a 20 minute drive east of Dingle. The bus dropped us off right in front (so convenient!) and we were soon greeted by the manager, Brian. We were originally supposed to have seven people in our group, but since we were down to five Brian graciously upgraded us to an en-suite, 6-person room (score!). Being that this was my first stay in a hostel I was a little nervous, but I was very pleasantly surprised! We basically had the place to ourselves for two days and breakfast was even included.

We woke up to the sun shining on Saturday morning. Brian drove us into Dingle, and along the way we saw a rainbow-a sure sign that it was going to be a wonderful day! Amanda and I were the only ones doing the hike, so we went off to register at Danno’s (Hawaii Five-0 shout-out!) while the other girls began to venture around the town. We decided to do the easy hike and it was just that-a leisurely stroll up a hill through a charming neighborhood before eventually going off into the wilderness. Aside from the very muddy path and some of the most intense winds I’ve ever experienced, it was absolutely beautiful! Luckily the weather cooperated with us and the sun stayed out for the vast majority of the day (first time that’s happened since I’ve been in Ireland I think!). When we made it to the highest point we were going to be climbing to that day we were able to see to both ends of the peninsula (north and south)! The landscape changed slightly depending on which way you were facing, snd it was all absolutely incredible. I think I said “this is so pretty!” roughly eighty times during the hike, and I meant it every time J

After our hike (about 3 hours total) we got some ice cream (cinnamon and dark chocolate-delicious!) and decided to explore the town. We followed a self-guided historical walking tour in Rick Steves’ book from the harbor and all around Dingle. It was really interesting because we were able to see some off-the-beaten-path things that normally wouldn’t catch a tourists’ eye. Thanks Rick! It didn’t take too long to cover the entire town as it’s probably closer to a village in size. Our three other group members, Anna, Kate, and Brianna, had finished their boat tour to see Fungie, the Dingle dolphin, by then so we met back up with them for some food. After dinner we did a mini pub-crawl (only two places) and got to see some great traditional music. While there I ordered my first Hot Toddy in Ireland! It was pretty good but could have used more cinnamon. After we’d had our share of fun and drinks we caught a cab back to the hostel. When we were dropped off we noticed how incredibly starry the sky was. It’s been so long since I’ve spent the night in a place so remote that it was quite the sight to behold! After looking up for only a few seconds I even saw a shooting star! So corny I know, but cool nonetheless J

On Sunday morning we had some time to spare before the bus was scheduled to pick us up. I really wanted to wander into the countryside surrounding the hostel because it was so beautiful. Brian instructed us to take a country road that would lead us to up a hill overlooking the bay. Sounded perfect! We set out in the direction I thought he had described…wrong! Pretty soon we were wandering through some farmer’s property and waiting for a crazed Irishman to coming chasing after us with a shotgun. So I didn’t get to do the countryside exploring I had wanted, but I did get to see (and smell) about 20 cows really close up!

We successfully flagged down the bus back to Tralee, I’m sure looking like a bunch of awful hitchhikers in the process. The ride from the hostel to Tralee was probably the most gorgeous bus ride I’ve been on in my life! It had been pitch black out when we were travelling through the same areas on Friday, so we had missed the amazing scenery. On one side were mountains, while the other side was the coast line. Again, it definitely helped that the sun was shining! Since we had a long connection time in Tralee we were able to grab lunch at a pub and walk over to the city park before having to head back to Limerick. That ride was almost as pretty as its predecessor! Overall, the travelling on Sunday was much less stressful than Friday, and we made it home safe and sound in time for dinner.

Thanks to the amazing weather and great group of friends the trip to Dingle was quite the success! I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to explore more areas of the Emerald Isle! Thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from my trip to Dingle!

“How long must we sing this song?”

Happy Valentine’s Day! Also, happy Centennial to my home state of Arizona! J

On Thursday morning we set out for Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the first of two trips organized by IFSA-Butler for the semester. Not only did the Galway students get to participate, but all of the Irish schools with Butler students were brought along. Thursday consisted of driving to Belfast via Dublin. We stayed at the Jury’s Inn, a nice hotel that was located in the heart of the city and thus great for exploring. We were given dinner at the hotel that night and then were free to do whatever we wanted. A group of us walked over to City Hall in the hopes that it might still be open. It wasn’t, but we got some great pictures of it all lit up anyway. We then walked to the Crown Liquor Saloon, one of the oldest pubs in Belfast. The saloon was gorgeous, with amazing detail everywhere from the bar to the ceiling. It also had private booths with little doors on them! Not great for meeting people, but interesting nonetheless. I ordered a Magners, which is Northern Ireland’s version of Bulmers cider. When we returned to the hotel my roommate (Tiffany) and I decided that it would be a great idea to stand in the window sill and try to get the attention of our friends across the way (the hotel was in a U shape, so they were about 100 feet away from us). Even though one of our friends (Kate) was sitting on the bed with the window open, it took her twenty minutes to finally notice us! All the while we were dancing around (at least as much as you can dance around on a 6-inch wide window sill) acting like complete dorks. Good times J

Friday morning we began heading north along the Antrim Coast Road. We were accompanied by a member of the Northern Ireland Tour Guide Association, who told us little factoids and stories about the areas we were travelling through. For instance, the Antrim Coast Road was originally constructed by the British Army. To build it they needed to blast parts of the mountains out, which explains why the beaches below the road contain black rocks (from the cliffs) and lighter rocks. There had been a rock slide just a few days prior, so we needed to take a little detour. The weather was pretty foggy around Belfast, but it cleared up a little bit as we got further north. We still weren’t able to see Scotland like we could have if it was clear, but it was very scenic regardless!

Our first stop of the day was the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. The bridge is located at the end of a beautiful coastal trail and takes you out to a small island. Even though it’s only about 20 feet long, it’s pretty high over the water and thus can be quite scary for those of us who are afraid of heights. Not to worry though, I crossed it just fine and was rewarded with getting a glimpse of a seal who was hanging out down off the island’s shores. Our next stop was Dunluce Castle, an impressive sight since some of it has fallen from the cliffs into the sea. After lunch in Portrush, we concluded our North Coast trip at the Giant’s Causeway. There are very few places in the world (Scotland, Japan) that have this type of odd rock formation, and it was named Ireland’s only World Heritage Site in 1986. Millions of years ago, rapidly-cooling lava created thousands of hexagon-shaped columns, thereby creating the Giant’s Causeway. The area got its name from a legend in which the giant Finn McCool (what an awesome name!) built the causeway to fight his Scottish counterpart, Benandonner. I think the latter is a much more interesting story than boring geology! Although I had been to all three sites over the summer, it was still a lot of fun to visit them again with a great group of friends!

Saturday was the day I was looking forward to most on our trip. We began by taking a Black Taxi Tour around west Belfast, which showcased the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods most-affected during the Troubles. The main feature of the tour is getting to see many of the murals around both neighborhoods (the tour guide called them one of the largest open-air museums in the world). In addition, we got to sign our names on the Peace Wall, an extremely high barrier that will only come down when both sides want it to come down. The guide also showed us where Rihanna had signed the wall (“We found love in a hopeless place”) when she had been there a few months ago to shoot the music video for that song! We learned that there are 59 streets going between the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, and that the gates put up on each end of the streets by the British are still closed every night by 10pm. It’s extremely hard for an outsider to fathom how both groups wish to remain so segregated. Finally, our guide told us that the crime rate in the Protestant neighborhood (it might have been the same with the Catholic, too) was 0.0%. How is that the case? Well, it turns out that people like to deal with issues themselves and only very rarely get the police involved. Such a different world! The tour lasted just over an hour but it seemed to go by so fast! I easily could have spent all day driving around the area and listening to the history of it. One of my favorite classes this semester is Northern Ireland: The Politics of a Divided Society, so it makes sense that I find this issue so fascinating!

For lunch we headed over to Victoria’s Square Mall, since Butler had given us 10 Pound vouchers. I managed to use 9.55 of mine, score! After some delicious mint Aero pie and a trip up to the observation deck, we jumped in a taxi and went to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The main draw here was the Titanic exhibit in the Transport Museum. I spent about an hour looking at old papers and relics from the Titanic and her sister ships. The Transport Museum also housed many old streetcars, trains, and cars from over the past hundred years. We climbed around on everything for about two hours taking pictures (sometimes in places we shouldn’t have been-I’m looking at you, Tiffany!). Since the museums closed at 4pm we only got about an hour at the Folk portion of it. I wish we had more time to spend there because it was so adorable! It was a very historically-accurate representation of a traditional Irish village from about a century ago. There were cobblestone streets, a church, houses, stores, and sheep in the “rural area.” We even saw a couple who had just gotten married, hope we didn’t end up in the background of any of their pictures! The museum workers were all dressed up in period costumes and told us information about the characters they were playing (riveter, homemaker, etc). My favorite part of the little town was finding a police museum in the constabulary! I’m so glad I wandered into that random building because it really brought out the criminal justice nerd in me! ;)

Instead of taking a taxi back into town we decided to catch the train. Since this was my first time travelling on a commuter train (the Phoenix light rail doesn’t count) I was really excited, especially since we had just spent the past hour looking at old trains. It was a fun ride, and very pretty too since we travelled next to the water for a portion of it.

That concludes our Northern Ireland trip! I would love to get back up to Belfast before I return home. It is such a nice city and even though I’m lucky enough to have already been there twice there is still plenty of things I haven’t visited (Stormont Castle, the new Titanic museum etc.). We had a wonderful time and got to experience so much in such a short span of time. Thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from the weekend! Sorry if they're out of order, Facebook was being goofy.

Click here for more pictures of Desmond's travels!

“I’m at a place called vertigo”

Sunday was my first adventure with the NUIG Mountaineering Club. We hiked the South Bens, a pretty impressive ridge of mountains in Connemara. Now when I say hike, most of you probably imagine a nice trail up the steep mountains. This could not be further from the truth. After a glorious ten minutes walking on a road, we turned into a field and proceeded to head right on up the mountain! We were actually following the sheep through the boglands! Since it was raining (as it did for the entire duration of the six hour trip), I felt like a little kid tramping through the puddles and mud. Along with the rain, it was also pretty cloudy. On the one hand, this meant that most of my pictures didn’t turn out very well, but on the other hand, my height-fearing self wasn’t able to fully grasp how high we were! To give you an idea, we ate lunch on the summit of the first peak (520 meters) and were literally inside a cloud! I’m sure the views from atop the mountains would have been incredible, had we been able to see anything beyond the grey mist. Because we forged our own trail, it was fairly demanding physically at times. On a few occasions we needed to navigate straight0vertical ascents or declines, which, again for my height-fearing self, was pretty scary! Even though my legs are still recovering from that day, I can’t wait to go back. We met so many interesting people from all over the world and even got to end our evening at a pub (we are in Ireland after all), where Tiffany and I chatted with some adorable older Irish ladies. J

Sunday night was of course the Superbowl. As I’m sure most of you know, I am a huge football fan. Therefore, it pains me to say that I could not have cared less about this particular game. Not only do I despise both teams (the Giants found their way onto the naughty list after knocking out my beloved Packers), but I knew we wouldn’t get to see the infamous commercials here either. And Madonna for the halftime show? No thanks. The game also didn’t begin here until almost midnight. Being that I had a morning class (11am, but that’s still morning in my book!), I was not about to stay up late watching that nonsense. Turns out that was a wonderful decision, as I read the next morning that the game and commercials were both pretty lame. What a great Superbowl to miss!

Being that this is my sixth blog entry, I figured that most of you would have noticed a theme to each posts’ titles. I’ve also enjoyed the Facebook competitions to guess their origins (Ashley’s in the lead, Nicole needs to stop cheating). Since the majority have been about the weather, I didn’t think they really required explanations. I’ve clearly broken the trend with this one though! Last Tuesday I began experiencing some odd dizziness. Not too intense, but it lasted all day. It was sort of like being drunk, minus the drinking! After no improvements, I finally went to the Student Health Center (never thought I’d be visiting there!) and was diagnosed with labyrinthitis. Basically, it’s an inner-ear disorder that affects your equilibrium and probably stemmed from a cold I’d had a few weeks prior. Since I honestly can’t recall the last time I was sick, this has been quite a weird experience! The doctor prescribed me some pills that hopefully will help clear it up, but it could be a few weeks before it’s completely gone. Luckily Sunday was a good day, and thus I was able to go on the hike. Monday, though, was by far the worst I had done some reading for school on Sunday night (see kids, never do your homework, it literally makes you ill!), so I’m pretty confident that that is what caused Monday to be so bad. It’s been more of an annoyance than anything, so I just hope that it goes away permanently soon!

Tomorrow IFSA-Butler is bringing us on a trip to Northern Ireland! We’re all really excited to be getting away from school for a few days and enjoying the wonderful scenery of the north coast. Since I’ve already been to most of the sights they were taking us to, I’m most looking forward to the Black Taxi Tour in Belfast, which takes tourists around the parts of the city most affected during the Troubles. One of my favorite classes this semester has been Northern Ireland: The Politics of a Divided Society, so it will be really interesting to witness first-hand some of the issues that we have been learning about in class.

Speaking of politics, I forgot to mention that a few weeks ago I had to register with the Garda. The Garda are the police force in Ireland, but they also deal with Immigration issues. Since I will be in the country for longer than three months, I was required to register and pay a fee. The process went very smoothly (he told me I was by far the most organized student to come through there, thanks Dad!) and they were all very nice. The officer I was with even called me a Cheesehead when he saw my passport! Not only did he say he follows American football, but the Packers are his favorite team. What are the odds?! I love this country J

The Gaelic Girls posted their second video from their time in Galway, so I will attach that below. Thanks for reading!

Click here for Part 2 of the Gaelic Girls video from Galway!

Click here for pictures of my first Mountaineering Club hike!

“Oh rainy day come around, sometimes I just want it to slow down”

It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been living in Ireland for a month! It’s even weirder to think that we only have two full months left of classes! I’ve gotta say, I love how the Irish do things J Following the conclusion of classes, we have spring break and then finals. Our exams could fall over quite a large time span (about a month and a half), and they won’t let us know when they are until sometime in March. Needless to say, this is a rather annoying fact for the trip-planner in me. Therefore, I’ve decided to use the weekends between now and spring break for small getaways around Ireland and possibly the UK. Then, once I know when all of my exams are, I can plan my big trip to France and Germany. I’m not sure yet if that is going to be one big trip (the best case scenario) or two smaller ones. Either way I can’t wait!

We’ve planned our first long weekend trip for next weekend. We’ll be headed down south to Dingle (get your minds out of the gutters people!) for the annual Walking Festival. Walking in this case actually refers to hiking, and since Dingle is one of the prettiest areas of the country this sounded like a great idea!

This weekend a group of us are headed over to Dublin for a night. It’ll be our first time back since Orientation, so I’m hoping to squeeze in a few of the touristy sights I wasn’t able to catch then. Two of those places I’m really looking forward to getting to are the National Archives and the National Library. Before you judge my incredible level of geekiness, hear me out! Yesterday I began a free 14 day trial of Ancestry.com and it’s been insanely hard to pull myself away from the computer ever since. For those of you who have never used it, one simply enters a few family facts into the website (creating a tree in the process) and then it takes off from there! Little hints (like census records, draft cards, pictures etc.) pop up for each family member. It’s incredible how quickly you can discover information on people who lived over 200 years ago! Luckily someone in my family had passed down a booklet of research, so I had a great head start to work with. Going off that, I learned that my great-great-great grandfather immigrated to the US in 1865. He was born in 1847 in County Cork, Ireland during the height of the Famine (so it’s a miracle I’m even here!) and moved to the area in Wisconsin that he lived and worked in his entire life as a farmer. Interestingly, Irish was his first language, not English! My ultimate goal in doing all of this research is to hopefully find some long-lost cousin who is still living in Ireland and go meet them before the end of the semester. I’ve been fascinated by genealogy for a long time (weren’t those some fun classes at the library, Julie?! ;) so the prospect of finding someone over here who’s even a teensy bit related to me is amazing!

On a completely unrelated note, I found something the other day that made me far happier than it should have. As most of you know, I am in love with the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Ok, obsessed would be a more accurate word. For those of you have seen it, you may recall that Captain Nixon’s drink of choice throughout the show was Vat 69 whiskey (“Only the best for Mrs. Nixon’s baby boy!”). So you can only imagine my surprise when, sifting through a clearance bin in a nice wine and cheese shop in Galway City, I came across the very same Vat 69! I can neither confirm nor deny that I had a mini freak-out session right there in the store.

The only other noteworthy event of the week was on Wednesday, when Tiffany and I went to our first beginning archery class. We had a lot of fun, hit a few bull’s-eyes, made some Irish friends (finally!), and are looking forward to going back this Wednesday! So far archery has been the only club I joined that’s actually had meetings. That’s been disappointing, as I was particularly excited for softball and badminton but have yet to hear from them. Maybe I’ll just show up when they’re supposed to be practicing and hope for the best! We’ve learned that societies and clubs really are the best way to meet Irish students, so I don’t want an entire semester to slip by without meeting a bunch of Irish people!

Some random tidbits that don’t really fit in anywhere else and thus get a paragraph to themselves: it really can rain 24/7 (I’ve now witnessed it on several occasions); haven’t seen the horses Fred and George in awhile (I guess they really did belong to Travellers!); Jiff peanut butter is a precious commodity and those of you lucky enough to have some should treat it as such; I am capable of watching just as much of my ridiculous amount of American TV shows over here as I would be back home; Friends is broadcast here 24/7; Spongebob Squarepants has been translated into Irish (saw it on the Gaelic channel today!).

Below I’ll be posting the link to the Gaelic Girls video (along with some cool other ones posted by the NUIG International Office) that was shot a few weeks ago and features yours truly. I think they still may be editing a second video because we were interviewed for about ten minutes, so I will post that too when it’s available! Thanks again for reading! J

Click here for the Gaelic Girls video!