The View
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I guess I'll tell you a little about where I live. I live in a great house attached to a crappy apartment complex where other international students live. The reason my place is great is because of the location. We live in front of a bay, or quay as the Irish call it, where huge ships come in and out of daily. I have never lived so close to the ocean and to be quite honest, the view amazes me every time I look out of the huge semi-circle window that takes up the wall.
One of the best parts of my day is between 8:30-9:00 a.m. At this time, if I'm lucky, I wake up before my roommates to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise over the bay and peak over the Aran Islands while eating a piece of toast or drinking a cup of tea, welcoming the new day. Watching the sun rise gives me the same awe inspiring satisfaction that living near the ocean gives me because I'm never up early enough (unless the night before was a long one) in Chicago. Due to Ireland's position on the globe however, in January the sun rises late and sets early. In a few months the sun won't set until 11:00 p.m. though. That will be a hoot. Yes besides malfunctioning kitchen appliances, constantly dirty bathrooms, very limited personal space, and six other roommates, my place in Galway is pretty sweet.
One of the best parts of my day is between 8:30-9:00 a.m. At this time, if I'm lucky, I wake up before my roommates to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise over the bay and peak over the Aran Islands while eating a piece of toast or drinking a cup of tea, welcoming the new day. Watching the sun rise gives me the same awe inspiring satisfaction that living near the ocean gives me because I'm never up early enough (unless the night before was a long one) in Chicago. Due to Ireland's position on the globe however, in January the sun rises late and sets early. In a few months the sun won't set until 11:00 p.m. though. That will be a hoot. Yes besides malfunctioning kitchen appliances, constantly dirty bathrooms, very limited personal space, and six other roommates, my place in Galway is pretty sweet.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Dublin
This past Friday my friends and I woke up before the sun came up to catch a bus headed for Dublin. We had originally planned on going to the south of Ireland but bad weather forecasts (we looked this time) did not leave us optimistic. Dublin was our next choice. Although I have heard from numerous sources that Dublin did not have much to offer, we figured it had to be visited at some time and now was as good of a time as any.
We arrived in the capitol city early in the morning and were eager to hit the streets to see what they offered. We spent the day walking around, stumbling upon the sights we most wanted to see and took in the differences a big European city has compared to those in the states. I myself have been to other European metropolises so the culture shock wasn’t that great and I wasn’t that impressed. It was a new experience for most of my friends however so I was okay with wandering.
As I could have easily predicted, the college attitude of my friends was in full gear which meant our very first stop had to be at the Guinness factory. Like an eager dog going on a walk, we bolted across town to the sight. The tour itself was corny and was more of a museum and marketing ploy rather than a brewery tour. It did however give us interesting information on the history of the brew and how it had helped shape Dublin for the last 250 years. At the end of the tour we enjoyed a complimentary pint of Guinness at a bar on the top of the building that had a great view of the city which was impressive.
Also that day we went to Trinity College to see the legendary Book of Kells which is known for being one of the oldest surviving books and for its beautiful illustrations. When we got there though, we found out the actual book was off display but we could enjoy a replica for only 7 Euro! Of course we didn’t pay this and we went along our merry way. Also that day I saw St. Nicholas Park, The National Museum of Archaeology and History, and the Four Courts, none of which were interesting enough to write about.
The next day we took a tour of Croke Park, the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association and the largest amateur stadium in the world. The stadium itself was boring but learning about the GAA and the national games of hurling and Gaelic Football at an attached museum was riveting. The 32 counties play each other each year and it is way more than sport to them. I have never seen such devotion to sport as these people do. It is more than sport to the Irish It is their culture, pride, family, and tradition they play for. That day I also went to Dublin Castle (uninteresting), Bennett’s Barracks which houses the National Museum of something (a pretty good museum about the history of Irish soldiers), and the Jameson distillery tour (an even more painful tour than Guinness’s but I got a bunch of free whisky and stole a Jameson glass one of the shots came in so I was happy.)
What the sights lacked however, the companionship I experienced at the youth hostel we stayed in more than made up for it. I had heard that the youth hostel experience was unique, but I did not know it was so fun, inclusive, and that accessible to my experience. At the hostel, we met and instantly became friends with people from Germany, Belgium, Paris, and other parts of the world. We were all young travellers looking to have a great time and to meet new people and that is exactly what we did. We shared travel tips, experiences, and information about our homes while getting absolutely smashed in the process. We hit the streets of Dublin together to tackle the nightlife and after the bars closed headed back to the hostel to keep partying until the early hours of the morning. And in the morning, we ate breakfast together, relived our experiences of the previous night, and said goodbye, hoping to run into each other at some future exotic destination. I learned this weekend that there is no such thing as travelling alone in Europe when you take advantage of the timeless tradition of the youth hostel lifestyle. I can’t wait to do it again.
We arrived in the capitol city early in the morning and were eager to hit the streets to see what they offered. We spent the day walking around, stumbling upon the sights we most wanted to see and took in the differences a big European city has compared to those in the states. I myself have been to other European metropolises so the culture shock wasn’t that great and I wasn’t that impressed. It was a new experience for most of my friends however so I was okay with wandering.
As I could have easily predicted, the college attitude of my friends was in full gear which meant our very first stop had to be at the Guinness factory. Like an eager dog going on a walk, we bolted across town to the sight. The tour itself was corny and was more of a museum and marketing ploy rather than a brewery tour. It did however give us interesting information on the history of the brew and how it had helped shape Dublin for the last 250 years. At the end of the tour we enjoyed a complimentary pint of Guinness at a bar on the top of the building that had a great view of the city which was impressive.
Also that day we went to Trinity College to see the legendary Book of Kells which is known for being one of the oldest surviving books and for its beautiful illustrations. When we got there though, we found out the actual book was off display but we could enjoy a replica for only 7 Euro! Of course we didn’t pay this and we went along our merry way. Also that day I saw St. Nicholas Park, The National Museum of Archaeology and History, and the Four Courts, none of which were interesting enough to write about.
The next day we took a tour of Croke Park, the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association and the largest amateur stadium in the world. The stadium itself was boring but learning about the GAA and the national games of hurling and Gaelic Football at an attached museum was riveting. The 32 counties play each other each year and it is way more than sport to them. I have never seen such devotion to sport as these people do. It is more than sport to the Irish It is their culture, pride, family, and tradition they play for. That day I also went to Dublin Castle (uninteresting), Bennett’s Barracks which houses the National Museum of something (a pretty good museum about the history of Irish soldiers), and the Jameson distillery tour (an even more painful tour than Guinness’s but I got a bunch of free whisky and stole a Jameson glass one of the shots came in so I was happy.)
What the sights lacked however, the companionship I experienced at the youth hostel we stayed in more than made up for it. I had heard that the youth hostel experience was unique, but I did not know it was so fun, inclusive, and that accessible to my experience. At the hostel, we met and instantly became friends with people from Germany, Belgium, Paris, and other parts of the world. We were all young travellers looking to have a great time and to meet new people and that is exactly what we did. We shared travel tips, experiences, and information about our homes while getting absolutely smashed in the process. We hit the streets of Dublin together to tackle the nightlife and after the bars closed headed back to the hostel to keep partying until the early hours of the morning. And in the morning, we ate breakfast together, relived our experiences of the previous night, and said goodbye, hoping to run into each other at some future exotic destination. I learned this weekend that there is no such thing as travelling alone in Europe when you take advantage of the timeless tradition of the youth hostel lifestyle. I can’t wait to do it again.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Adventures at Connemara National Park
This past Saturday some friends and I went on our first trip outside of Galway. Although Galway is a beautiful, vibrant city, there aren't many significant historical attractions to see and we were all getting anxious to see the natural beauty of Ireland. We decided a hike two hours south of Galway would be a good place to get our traveling feet wet.
We got up early and caught a bus towards the town of Letterfrack where the Connemara National Park is located. We had a long days worth of hiking planned. Being the inexperienced hikers we are however, we forgot to see if the park was open or, more importantly, what the weather forecast predicted. The bus ride to our destination was beautiful with plenty of mountains, lakes and small towns along the way to keep us occupied. We were weary of the ominous storm clouds overhead and the bouts of heavy rain we drove through though.
When we arrived in Letterfrack we stocked up at the local grocery store and walked to the park entrance which informed us that the visitor's center was closed from January through March which left us on our own. There were trail maps posted though so we had an idea of where to go.
As soon as we started on the trail the rain came. It started light at first and our attention was focused on a bunch of mountain goats on our path anyways. As we started hiking further and farther, the rain picked up and half way up the mountain it started hailing. The wind was so strong we could barely stand. The rain was coming down in sheets and pelted our faces so hard we couldn't look forward. Rarely in my life have I been as helpless to the forces of nature as I was then. It was obviously time to turn around. Finally, we made it to the bottom completely drenched, cold and relieved. The next bus wasn't leaving towards Galway for another five hours so we were forced to drink and loiter in one of the small towns two pubs.
We sat around for two hours until the rain passed. Not wanting to stay at the pub any longer, three of us went out to find the sea. It was a great adventure. We knew the general direction so we headed down a road and cut across fields for a few miles until we reached the rocky shores. Although the rain had stopped, the wind was as strong as ever which made climbing over the rocky wet hills pretty dangerous, especially since I wasn't wearing proper hiking shoes. We also had to watch out for bogs. I was the first victim. I made one wrong step crossing a field and my foot sunk into a freezing hole up to below my knee.
The adventure was a blast and the trip showed us the beauty of Ireland and some of the landscape it had to offer. Later, as we had one final beer at the pub before leaving, the bartender told us the storm was as bad as it gets for those parts. We got back to Galway that evening exhausted, cold, and wet but I had a great time and it was well worth it.
We got up early and caught a bus towards the town of Letterfrack where the Connemara National Park is located. We had a long days worth of hiking planned. Being the inexperienced hikers we are however, we forgot to see if the park was open or, more importantly, what the weather forecast predicted. The bus ride to our destination was beautiful with plenty of mountains, lakes and small towns along the way to keep us occupied. We were weary of the ominous storm clouds overhead and the bouts of heavy rain we drove through though.
When we arrived in Letterfrack we stocked up at the local grocery store and walked to the park entrance which informed us that the visitor's center was closed from January through March which left us on our own. There were trail maps posted though so we had an idea of where to go.
As soon as we started on the trail the rain came. It started light at first and our attention was focused on a bunch of mountain goats on our path anyways. As we started hiking further and farther, the rain picked up and half way up the mountain it started hailing. The wind was so strong we could barely stand. The rain was coming down in sheets and pelted our faces so hard we couldn't look forward. Rarely in my life have I been as helpless to the forces of nature as I was then. It was obviously time to turn around. Finally, we made it to the bottom completely drenched, cold and relieved. The next bus wasn't leaving towards Galway for another five hours so we were forced to drink and loiter in one of the small towns two pubs.
We sat around for two hours until the rain passed. Not wanting to stay at the pub any longer, three of us went out to find the sea. It was a great adventure. We knew the general direction so we headed down a road and cut across fields for a few miles until we reached the rocky shores. Although the rain had stopped, the wind was as strong as ever which made climbing over the rocky wet hills pretty dangerous, especially since I wasn't wearing proper hiking shoes. We also had to watch out for bogs. I was the first victim. I made one wrong step crossing a field and my foot sunk into a freezing hole up to below my knee.
The adventure was a blast and the trip showed us the beauty of Ireland and some of the landscape it had to offer. Later, as we had one final beer at the pub before leaving, the bartender told us the storm was as bad as it gets for those parts. We got back to Galway that evening exhausted, cold, and wet but I had a great time and it was well worth it.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
My First Post!
Hello all,
I have been in Galway for almost two weeks now and have loved every second of it. Truth be told, I have very few responsibilities to worry about which leaves me plenty of time to do whatever I want. That mainly entails wandering the vibrant city streets, going on long runs along the always windy Galway Bay or the rolling countryside, reading books for pleasure or travel books about Ireland, and of course, going out nearly every single night to the countless number of pubs Galway has to offer. Since I am a college student enjoying the time old tradition of a year abroad, I find it fitting to make my first post about drinking.
Drinking is a part of life for the people of Galway. I consider myself to be a smart traveller. One aspect of being a smart traveller is to visit places with an open mind and to dismiss stereotypes you have regarding the places you go. Coming here I did my best to down play the importance of this social scene to the Irish people, but after one night I knew it was hopeless. Pub life (as I like to call it) is infectious. Pubs are places to meet with friends and share stories about daily occurrences or life while enjoying a pint of Guinness. There is a wide range of pub settings and each one is unique and has something special to offer. It would be impossible to pick a favourite because there is a pub for every occasion. There is no pressure to get drunk at the pub and my friends and I often go there for only one or two drinks just to relax although the temptation to stay and drink more is always there.
In my humble opinion Guinness is the greatest beer in the world. I can't imagine a drink more enjoyable. It tastes different then the Guinness offered in the States for sure. It’s rich and creamy and doesn't have much carbonation. To me, the taste seems like the perfect mixture of beer, coffee and chocolate, but I am not a beer connoisseur so I could be getting that completely wrong. Either case, I could drink them all day and would enjoy every one of them. They are kind of expensive though. Generally, we have been getting them between 3.80-4.25 Euro. With the exchange rate it comes out to around $5 each. There are cheaper beers we have been getting to save our wallet a little but they are never as enjoyable. Well, all this talk has been making me thirsty. I better go have a beer.
I have been in Galway for almost two weeks now and have loved every second of it. Truth be told, I have very few responsibilities to worry about which leaves me plenty of time to do whatever I want. That mainly entails wandering the vibrant city streets, going on long runs along the always windy Galway Bay or the rolling countryside, reading books for pleasure or travel books about Ireland, and of course, going out nearly every single night to the countless number of pubs Galway has to offer. Since I am a college student enjoying the time old tradition of a year abroad, I find it fitting to make my first post about drinking.
Drinking is a part of life for the people of Galway. I consider myself to be a smart traveller. One aspect of being a smart traveller is to visit places with an open mind and to dismiss stereotypes you have regarding the places you go. Coming here I did my best to down play the importance of this social scene to the Irish people, but after one night I knew it was hopeless. Pub life (as I like to call it) is infectious. Pubs are places to meet with friends and share stories about daily occurrences or life while enjoying a pint of Guinness. There is a wide range of pub settings and each one is unique and has something special to offer. It would be impossible to pick a favourite because there is a pub for every occasion. There is no pressure to get drunk at the pub and my friends and I often go there for only one or two drinks just to relax although the temptation to stay and drink more is always there.
In my humble opinion Guinness is the greatest beer in the world. I can't imagine a drink more enjoyable. It tastes different then the Guinness offered in the States for sure. It’s rich and creamy and doesn't have much carbonation. To me, the taste seems like the perfect mixture of beer, coffee and chocolate, but I am not a beer connoisseur so I could be getting that completely wrong. Either case, I could drink them all day and would enjoy every one of them. They are kind of expensive though. Generally, we have been getting them between 3.80-4.25 Euro. With the exchange rate it comes out to around $5 each. There are cheaper beers we have been getting to save our wallet a little but they are never as enjoyable. Well, all this talk has been making me thirsty. I better go have a beer.
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