This is a quick Irish culture/pub culture post. I have definitely decided that the Crane Bar is my favorite pub in Galway. This is mostly because of the amazing trad music that is played there nightly. It has an upstairs and downstairs and there are usually trad artists doing sessions in both parts. I think I've mentioned this, but trad sessions are basically people getting together and playing traditional Celtic music.
But one of the best aspects about the Crane isn't just its trad music, but the sean-nós. In the Irish language sean-nós means "old-style." Sean-nós singing is a highly-ornamented style of solo singing. Basically what happens, or at least what I've experienced at the Crane, is the trad artists will be playing for a bit and then "shhhs" will make their way around the pub until everyone falls silent. After that, most often a man, will start singing a sean-nós song. The singing is always done a Capella and is very beautiful. They are usually slower songs or ballads, and can be sung in Irish or English (I've heard both). I've only heard this a few times, and always at the Crane. But that makes it even more special every time it happens. The music is definitely my favorite part of the pubs.
This is a great video of a trad session -- at the Crane!!
(This is actually a session by the Trad Soc, which is the Traditional Music Society of NUIG, so it's all college students playing.)
29 March 2009
I'll be taking a whirl down to Salthill prom with a Galway girl
Nothing really thrilling to write about for this weekend, but it was still pretty nice. And the weirdest thing is that tomorrow begins our last week of class, and then Friday I'm on my way to Paris!!
This Friday since I didn't have classes I took a walk into town just to get some fresh air and exercise. But since the weather was behaving (or so I thought) I decided to take a walk through the Claddagh ... and kept going. The Claddagh is basically part of Galway city that used to be a small fishing village. It is now sort of a park with benches and walking/biking paths. It is right on the edge of Galway bay. So I decided to follow the coast and find Salthill. Some of my friends went out to Salthill the week of St. Patrick's Day, aka the week of actual sunny days.
Salthill is a 'suburb' of Galway, although not quite like the suburbs of NJ. I sadly did not bring my camera so I have no pictures, but it's a really cute town. I don't know if you'd even call it a town because it looks like it is still part of Galway city. But anyway, it's along the coast making it a sort of beach resort. Although, the temperature doesn't get above 65 very often here so I couldn't imagine laying out on the beach. It was about a 20 minute walk from the Claddagh right alongside the bay and the beach. I really enjoyed it. The town has lots of shops and restaurants in it, and there's even some sort of amusement center there. (Think Funplex). I got rained on and wind blown during the walk, which ended up lasting four hours, but am definitely going to head back to Salthill soon. Hopefully on a day that's a little warmer and sunnier -- and with my camera.
Other than that little adventure I've just been working on the three essays I have due at the end of the week. And planning for spring break!! Andy didn't seem really to have much of a plan yet for Paris, so I took it upon myself to do some planning. So far on the itinerary is the Louvre, Champs Elysee's, Eiffel Tower during the day and at night(of course), Notre Dame, Versailles and then we're going to try to take a day trip to the beaches of Normandy. And also, coffee or exploring with a friend from high school, Sam!! As far as Madrid and Barcelona go, I think we will just play it by ear and explore. I'm excited to just see some of Spain, but there's no place in particular I want to go. I simply cannot wait!! Less than a week!
(Also, daylight savings time started today so I am once again 5 hours ahead. It's just turning dark at 8:30, weird.)
And another picture of the Claddagh from a month or so ago. It's probably my favorite place in Galway.
This Friday since I didn't have classes I took a walk into town just to get some fresh air and exercise. But since the weather was behaving (or so I thought) I decided to take a walk through the Claddagh ... and kept going. The Claddagh is basically part of Galway city that used to be a small fishing village. It is now sort of a park with benches and walking/biking paths. It is right on the edge of Galway bay. So I decided to follow the coast and find Salthill. Some of my friends went out to Salthill the week of St. Patrick's Day, aka the week of actual sunny days.
Salthill is a 'suburb' of Galway, although not quite like the suburbs of NJ. I sadly did not bring my camera so I have no pictures, but it's a really cute town. I don't know if you'd even call it a town because it looks like it is still part of Galway city. But anyway, it's along the coast making it a sort of beach resort. Although, the temperature doesn't get above 65 very often here so I couldn't imagine laying out on the beach. It was about a 20 minute walk from the Claddagh right alongside the bay and the beach. I really enjoyed it. The town has lots of shops and restaurants in it, and there's even some sort of amusement center there. (Think Funplex). I got rained on and wind blown during the walk, which ended up lasting four hours, but am definitely going to head back to Salthill soon. Hopefully on a day that's a little warmer and sunnier -- and with my camera.
Other than that little adventure I've just been working on the three essays I have due at the end of the week. And planning for spring break!! Andy didn't seem really to have much of a plan yet for Paris, so I took it upon myself to do some planning. So far on the itinerary is the Louvre, Champs Elysee's, Eiffel Tower during the day and at night(of course), Notre Dame, Versailles and then we're going to try to take a day trip to the beaches of Normandy. And also, coffee or exploring with a friend from high school, Sam!! As far as Madrid and Barcelona go, I think we will just play it by ear and explore. I'm excited to just see some of Spain, but there's no place in particular I want to go. I simply cannot wait!! Less than a week!
(Also, daylight savings time started today so I am once again 5 hours ahead. It's just turning dark at 8:30, weird.)
And another picture of the Claddagh from a month or so ago. It's probably my favorite place in Galway.
26 March 2009
Four Seasons, One Day
They say that Ireland can contain the four seasons in one day, sometimes even in one hour. And today was the perfect example.
I woke to party sunny blue skies, a light breeze and temperatures around 50 degrees. Pretty good for Ireland. Then about an hour later light clouds zoomed in dimming the light of the sun. I headed to class around 1:30 p.m. to OK weather. But as I got onto the bridge that leads to class I saw dark ominous grey clouds by the university. Too late to turn back for the hood part of my coat (you can take the lining out to wear as a light jacket, but it has no hood) all was fine until I got off the bridge, because it started raining. Or so I thought. A few minutes onto campus I realized that it was not peculiarly large rain drops falling on me, but small pieces of sleet. Yes, sleet. Then that turned to rain as I headed into the building where my classes are. Throughout class I watch the sky go from grey to blue to white to grey with rain and sun dispersed in between.
On my way to my third lecture of the day, the clouds had gone and the sun was shining beautifully. After class I went to my friend Andy's apartment to figure out details for spring break and it started pouring. I looked like a wet dog. BUT on our way into town we turned off the main street to where the harbour is and there was a MAGNIFICENT rainbow. It was gorgeous going past all the boats and the water (it was actually a double rainbow, but the second one was very faint) Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me, but it was really neat.
I'm starting to get insanely excited for break! Plans are slowly coming together for break, though I seem to be the more apt one at planning. But that's OK because then I get to put all the things I want to do into the plans! Which are: Paris for four days and then the rest of the time spent in Spain with about two/three days in Madrid, Alicante and Barcelona! I cannot wait!
I woke to party sunny blue skies, a light breeze and temperatures around 50 degrees. Pretty good for Ireland. Then about an hour later light clouds zoomed in dimming the light of the sun. I headed to class around 1:30 p.m. to OK weather. But as I got onto the bridge that leads to class I saw dark ominous grey clouds by the university. Too late to turn back for the hood part of my coat (you can take the lining out to wear as a light jacket, but it has no hood) all was fine until I got off the bridge, because it started raining. Or so I thought. A few minutes onto campus I realized that it was not peculiarly large rain drops falling on me, but small pieces of sleet. Yes, sleet. Then that turned to rain as I headed into the building where my classes are. Throughout class I watch the sky go from grey to blue to white to grey with rain and sun dispersed in between.
On my way to my third lecture of the day, the clouds had gone and the sun was shining beautifully. After class I went to my friend Andy's apartment to figure out details for spring break and it started pouring. I looked like a wet dog. BUT on our way into town we turned off the main street to where the harbour is and there was a MAGNIFICENT rainbow. It was gorgeous going past all the boats and the water (it was actually a double rainbow, but the second one was very faint) Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me, but it was really neat.
I'm starting to get insanely excited for break! Plans are slowly coming together for break, though I seem to be the more apt one at planning. But that's OK because then I get to put all the things I want to do into the plans! Which are: Paris for four days and then the rest of the time spent in Spain with about two/three days in Madrid, Alicante and Barcelona! I cannot wait!
24 March 2009
A Little of This and a Little of That
Everything is getting greener day by day, which is extraordinary because it is already so green here. I have to schedule for classes soon, it's very weird to even think about taking classes at Penn State again because they are so different here.
But here's a few things of note that didn't fit into other posts about Ireland:
Wordplay
They use British grammar here so there are a few things that are spelled differently. Like flavour and colour. They also don't seem to like the letter 'z.' It's rarely used. So words that end in 'ized' are actually spelled 'ised.' To wit: theorise, socialise, and realise.
TV
It's awful. Awful. In the apartments we only have about 15 channels, so maybe if we had more there would be better shows to watch. But, basically all we have is early 90s sitcoms and dramas. These shows are always on: Scrubs, Friends, Seinfeld, Two and a Half Men, Fraser, Simpsons, One Tree Hill, and Gilmore Girls. Occasionally there's Lost, House and ER. That's pretty much it. There's MTV, too and Nickelodeon. A few sports channels and two news channels. There's also a channel all in Irish. Most of the Irish shows are like soap opera dramas, they're kind of weird.
Recession
The word is every where, on commercials, signs and in the news. America is certainly not the only country suffering from economic woes, most of Europe is as well. There's all sort of recession buster deals, and talk of the economic problems is everywhere.
Newspapers
It seems so far newspapers here aren't suffering as badly as they are in the states. I like the Irish Independent a lot, it has a good mix of national and international news, and prints in a compact form (which is basically like any US paper). However, most papers here seem to be in broadsheet form and are also very tabloid-y, including the Irish Independent. I haven't read too many papers so I can't say if their content is tabloid like, but the layout of the papers definitely is, from the large headlines and photos to ads on the front page.
Common Irish misconceptions
*They all have red hair and freckles. This is SO untrue. The majority of Irish have very dark brown hair and blue eyes. There are red heads, but they are actually pretty rare.
*Also, all of Ireland isn't miles, miles and miles of green farmland. Yes, there is a LOT of farmland, but there are also a lot of towns, cities and smaller villages.
*Leprechauns and four-leaf clovers aren't that abundant either.
But here's a few things of note that didn't fit into other posts about Ireland:
Wordplay
They use British grammar here so there are a few things that are spelled differently. Like flavour and colour. They also don't seem to like the letter 'z.' It's rarely used. So words that end in 'ized' are actually spelled 'ised.' To wit: theorise, socialise, and realise.
TV
It's awful. Awful. In the apartments we only have about 15 channels, so maybe if we had more there would be better shows to watch. But, basically all we have is early 90s sitcoms and dramas. These shows are always on: Scrubs, Friends, Seinfeld, Two and a Half Men, Fraser, Simpsons, One Tree Hill, and Gilmore Girls. Occasionally there's Lost, House and ER. That's pretty much it. There's MTV, too and Nickelodeon. A few sports channels and two news channels. There's also a channel all in Irish. Most of the Irish shows are like soap opera dramas, they're kind of weird.
Recession
The word is every where, on commercials, signs and in the news. America is certainly not the only country suffering from economic woes, most of Europe is as well. There's all sort of recession buster deals, and talk of the economic problems is everywhere.
Newspapers
It seems so far newspapers here aren't suffering as badly as they are in the states. I like the Irish Independent a lot, it has a good mix of national and international news, and prints in a compact form (which is basically like any US paper). However, most papers here seem to be in broadsheet form and are also very tabloid-y, including the Irish Independent. I haven't read too many papers so I can't say if their content is tabloid like, but the layout of the papers definitely is, from the large headlines and photos to ads on the front page.
Common Irish misconceptions
*They all have red hair and freckles. This is SO untrue. The majority of Irish have very dark brown hair and blue eyes. There are red heads, but they are actually pretty rare.
*Also, all of Ireland isn't miles, miles and miles of green farmland. Yes, there is a LOT of farmland, but there are also a lot of towns, cities and smaller villages.
*Leprechauns and four-leaf clovers aren't that abundant either.
22 March 2009
Ireland is the 6 Nations Champion!
Ireland won!! Woooooo!
Last night was the final game of the 6 Nations Championship. The 6 Nations includes the rugby teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, France and Italy. Tonight was the last game to determine the winner: Ireland v Wales. Ireland was No. 1 and Wales No. 2 before the start of the game. And it was an exciting, and nerve wracking, 80 minutes. In the last few minutes of the game Wales had 15 points and Ireland had 17, but Wales was close enough to the goal to kick - but they missed! And Ireland won the title for the first time in 61 years! I watched the game with my roommate, Emear, and we were both on the couch wriggling in anticipation before the kick was made - and then erupted into cheers when it fell short. It was a great game to watch.
I've never been big into sports, well until I attended my first football game at PSU. Then I saw my first professional ice hockey game spring of freshman year. This summer/fall I became a fan of the Phillies. And now I'm a big rugby fan. Sometimes you just need a team you care about to root for, and then you're hooked. And I got to see something that will probably go down in Irish history last night - brilliant!
Last night was the final game of the 6 Nations Championship. The 6 Nations includes the rugby teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, France and Italy. Tonight was the last game to determine the winner: Ireland v Wales. Ireland was No. 1 and Wales No. 2 before the start of the game. And it was an exciting, and nerve wracking, 80 minutes. In the last few minutes of the game Wales had 15 points and Ireland had 17, but Wales was close enough to the goal to kick - but they missed! And Ireland won the title for the first time in 61 years! I watched the game with my roommate, Emear, and we were both on the couch wriggling in anticipation before the kick was made - and then erupted into cheers when it fell short. It was a great game to watch.
I've never been big into sports, well until I attended my first football game at PSU. Then I saw my first professional ice hockey game spring of freshman year. This summer/fall I became a fan of the Phillies. And now I'm a big rugby fan. Sometimes you just need a team you care about to root for, and then you're hooked. And I got to see something that will probably go down in Irish history last night - brilliant!
18 March 2009
Sunny St. Patrick's Day
Although the celebration of St. Patrick's Day actually began officially on the streets of New York City, it is now a day of celebration of Irishness on the Emerald Isle. St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday so all schools and most businesses (besides pubs) were closed yesterday.
The parade in Galway kicked off at 12:30 and drew thousands of people to the streets. The weather was absolutely brilliant, sunny warm and not single cloud in the sky. I went to see the parade with some friends. It was very ... interesting, and a lot different than I thought it would be. There was not as much traditional Irish music and dance as I thought there would be. The parade was very eclectic. It's one of the most international St. Patrick's Day parades in Ireland and this was clear by all the different ethnic groups marching in the parade. One part I really enjoyed was a visual depiction of Galway Bay. It started with a group dress like swans, since they waddle around the claddagh by the dozens, then there were people dressed all in black with black horns on their heads and drawings of clouds on posts in their hands, depicting all the rain Galway gets. Next came people dressed in all yellow as suns and then a giant rainbow to represent the rainbows that very often grace Ireland when the sun peaks through the clouds.
One section that caused a lot of "what the?" and laughter was a man on a giant trampoline attached to the back of a truck doing flips, appearances by Spongebob and Patrick and even a man dressed as Spiderman. Another part that I personally enjoyed was the first group of marchers that appeared -- they were Jersey City policemen!! How random, but gave me some Jersey pride.
The parade in Galway kicked off at 12:30 and drew thousands of people to the streets. The weather was absolutely brilliant, sunny warm and not single cloud in the sky. I went to see the parade with some friends. It was very ... interesting, and a lot different than I thought it would be. There was not as much traditional Irish music and dance as I thought there would be. The parade was very eclectic. It's one of the most international St. Patrick's Day parades in Ireland and this was clear by all the different ethnic groups marching in the parade. One part I really enjoyed was a visual depiction of Galway Bay. It started with a group dress like swans, since they waddle around the claddagh by the dozens, then there were people dressed all in black with black horns on their heads and drawings of clouds on posts in their hands, depicting all the rain Galway gets. Next came people dressed in all yellow as suns and then a giant rainbow to represent the rainbows that very often grace Ireland when the sun peaks through the clouds.
One section that caused a lot of "what the?" and laughter was a man on a giant trampoline attached to the back of a truck doing flips, appearances by Spongebob and Patrick and even a man dressed as Spiderman. Another part that I personally enjoyed was the first group of marchers that appeared -- they were Jersey City policemen!! How random, but gave me some Jersey pride.
After the parade was over town was absolutely packed so I went back to my friend Tori's apartment and she, our friend Colin and one of his friends from home cooked up a traditional Irish breakfast. This usually includes eggs, sausage, rashers (basically thicker bacon), beans and toast. It also often comes with black pudding (pigs blood and sausage, ewww) but we passed on that.
Later on we went down to the Crane Bar to see Paddy play a trad session. On the way there we had to cross the bridge by the Claddagh and due to the absolutely gorgeous weather it was FILLED with people. Everyone was shouting, cheering ans all clad in green with large green soft hats and holding beer bottles. It was craziness. We continued on to the Crane and stayed there for a few hours just taking in the music and a few pints, too. After that we went to the Kings Head to see Donegal Catch play. I've mentioned them in here before, and last night was one of their best performances yet! It was so much craic. They really get the crowd into their performances and everyone sang along to every song. We then went back to the Crane for another pint and finally decided to head home.
At the Crane Bar
It was a very long day, but a great time! The Irish definitely know how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day right.
15 March 2009
Craic and Cliffs
It feels like I haven't been to The Quays in months, but finally went back on Friday since Kristin and Colin had friends visiting and we wanted to show them a good night out. It was fun to see how they reacted to town, pubs and just everything. That must have been what we were like when we first arrived. Especially at their reaction to the abundant use of the word "craic." Which, again, means fun.
The second stop on the tour was The Burren. It's a karst landscape, which basically means it's made up of layers of bedrock. The Burren was interesting to see, but in the end was really just a lot of rocks. The coolest part about the area are the tombs scattered throughout. They are large stones that have been used to cover a burial spot and are erected almost like a T ... or to me personally, the beginnings of a house made of cards. Maybe the picture is better than the description ...
Then we had lunch in Doolin, a really little town on the way to the Cliffs. We ate at a pub called O'Connors, and I had delicious seafood chowder that even had salmon in it! I must admit I have yet to have bad soup in Ireland. The vegetable and seafood soup is always grand.
Saturday I went to the Farmer's Market with Aliza and got a necklace made out of wood that looks like a celtic cross. Town was busier than usual because of the nice weather and also the increase in visitors for St. Patty's Day. That night I just hung out downstairs with the boys who live below me. We played beer pong, and it was funny seeing the Irish boys learn how to play the game since it's more of an American thing. One of the boys, Pauric, was a little drunk and though short himself couldn't get over how "wee" I am. He enjoyed calling me a "wee cute girl," especially after realizing that my 6 ft 3 friend Colin is the same height as me ... when he's on his knees.
I went to bed pretty early that night because today was a bus trip to the Cliffs of Moher! I really enjoy the bus trips, even if they do wear you out a bit. We ended up getting the bus driver we had for the Connemara trip, Ray. We were so excited. We saw Declan, who we all adore and was another guide on the Connemara tour but he sadly told us he was conducting a hiking trip to the Cliffs. But we were content with Ray, because he's funny and tells good stories. I also ran into my homestay father who works for the company and was driving a different bus, he's a really friendly guy and it was good to talk to him and see how his daughters and wife are doing.
On the tour we saw the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. It seems like we spend a lot of time in Ireland traveling on buses to look at cliffs, haha. Our first stop on the tour was a monastery that wasn't too exciting, but cool nonetheless. Then we went to a fairy forest, which is basically a circular mound surrounded by trees where people would live well hidden. If I can remember right, after people stopped living in these places they were taken over by the "little folk," or leprechauns, who would dig tunnels under ground to dwell in. The Irish are still very superstitious about the little folk according to Ray, so the forests remain unaltered by humans.
The second stop on the tour was The Burren. It's a karst landscape, which basically means it's made up of layers of bedrock. The Burren was interesting to see, but in the end was really just a lot of rocks. The coolest part about the area are the tombs scattered throughout. They are large stones that have been used to cover a burial spot and are erected almost like a T ... or to me personally, the beginnings of a house made of cards. Maybe the picture is better than the description ...Then we had lunch in Doolin, a really little town on the way to the Cliffs. We ate at a pub called O'Connors, and I had delicious seafood chowder that even had salmon in it! I must admit I have yet to have bad soup in Ireland. The vegetable and seafood soup is always grand. Then we went up to the cliffs. They were really cool! I have no idea how tall they were, but very tall and jutted out over the ocean. I've heard that the Cliffs are the No. 1 tourist spot in Ireland, and while they were really stunning, I enjoyed Connemara much more. Maybe because the Cliffs of Moher are very similar to the cliffs at the Giant's Causeway. But it was still a very fun day.
AND I booked a flight to Paris for Spring break!!! My friend Andy (who goes to PSU) and I are going to Paris from April 3-6, with maybe a day trip to Normandy. From there we are going to Spain, probably to Madrid and Barcelona. And maybe Morocco, too! Just depends how long we stay in Spain. So that's very exciting!
And now I'm just getting ready for St. Patty's Day! Dublin is a big place to go for the event, but a lot of people have said that Galway is better because it's smaller and more personal. It should be a lot of craic! (Though, did you know that St. Patty's Day was celebrated in America years and years before it was in Ireland?)
13 March 2009
Feedback Time!
I've been writing in this for more than 2 months, and I'd like to know what you think! There are a few avid commentors, but not many, so I'm not sure who's reading this, and what you would like to read about.
Are the posts too long? Too much detail? Not enough detail? Any questions about Irish life? Things I haven't touched on that you want to know about?
I can't improve on this without some constructive criticism. So let me know what you think! You can leave a comment (try not to be anonymous, I like to know who's reading my blog!). Or, send me an e-mail at ramonesgirl@gmail.com, because regardless of what you have to say, I like e-mails!!
Are the posts too long? Too much detail? Not enough detail? Any questions about Irish life? Things I haven't touched on that you want to know about?
I can't improve on this without some constructive criticism. So let me know what you think! You can leave a comment (try not to be anonymous, I like to know who's reading my blog!). Or, send me an e-mail at ramonesgirl@gmail.com, because regardless of what you have to say, I like e-mails!!
09 March 2009
Welcome to Paradise; Lagos, Portugal (Part Two)
Friday
We caught a bus to Sagres early Friday morning. It was cloudy when we left but by the time we got there the sun was peeking through the clouds, casting shadows and rays of light across the land. We decided to head down to a little cove beach that was recommended to us. We set off down a very long stretch of road but stopped halfway when we saw the cliffs jutting out over the sea. They were amazing! We walked to the edge and could look down at the foamy ocean below. There were huge waves crashing against the sides of the cliffs and around large rocks that surrounded them. We continued on down the road with the boys walking ahead and sticking their thumbs out to hitchhike, while the us girls rolled our eyes and shouted that there was no way we were going to hitchhike. Lots of cars passed without stopping, and eventually they gave up. It was actually extremely windy heading down the road and we all had to fight against the it to make it to our final destination. When we got to the beach we saw that it was right below the cliffs we were standing on. We went down a long and windy stone staircase in the side of the cliff to get to the beach. It was very different compared to the beaches I've been to. The cliffs surrounded it so it was a half-circle with the ocean out in front and the beach behind. The cliffs were perfect because they blocked out the harsh wind. The sun came out in full force not too long after we settled down, and some of the group went exploring the cliffs and caves while Kristin and I laid out to catch some rays. It was a very secluded area and there were not many on the beach -- those who were there were surfing the waves, which was fun to watch. The clouds came back about two hours later, bringing rain with them. We walked back down the road and stopped at a really neat pottery shop to get small gifts (I got candle holders for me, and a surprise for my mom). Then we grabbed the bus back to Lagos, and all promptly fell asleep on the bus.
We caught a bus to Sagres early Friday morning. It was cloudy when we left but by the time we got there the sun was peeking through the clouds, casting shadows and rays of light across the land. We decided to head down to a little cove beach that was recommended to us. We set off down a very long stretch of road but stopped halfway when we saw the cliffs jutting out over the sea. They were amazing! We walked to the edge and could look down at the foamy ocean below. There were huge waves crashing against the sides of the cliffs and around large rocks that surrounded them. We continued on down the road with the boys walking ahead and sticking their thumbs out to hitchhike, while the us girls rolled our eyes and shouted that there was no way we were going to hitchhike. Lots of cars passed without stopping, and eventually they gave up. It was actually extremely windy heading down the road and we all had to fight against the it to make it to our final destination. When we got to the beach we saw that it was right below the cliffs we were standing on. We went down a long and windy stone staircase in the side of the cliff to get to the beach. It was very different compared to the beaches I've been to. The cliffs surrounded it so it was a half-circle with the ocean out in front and the beach behind. The cliffs were perfect because they blocked out the harsh wind. The sun came out in full force not too long after we settled down, and some of the group went exploring the cliffs and caves while Kristin and I laid out to catch some rays. It was a very secluded area and there were not many on the beach -- those who were there were surfing the waves, which was fun to watch. The clouds came back about two hours later, bringing rain with them. We walked back down the road and stopped at a really neat pottery shop to get small gifts (I got candle holders for me, and a surprise for my mom). Then we grabbed the bus back to Lagos, and all promptly fell asleep on the bus.
Friday Night
We got back to Lagos, and the boys were in a manly-meal mood. So they went to the supermarket and bought meat and beans, or whatever boys like to eat, while the girls took showers and got ready for a nice, girly dinner out. We looked at a bunch of different restaurants down a small street that houses tons of bars and places to eat, from the fancy to weird. We settled on a really nice looking place called O, Henrique. It was exquisite. It was very light inside with all beige and white coloring. The other girls got different kinds of fish, and I got Fillet Mignon since I hadn't had steak since early January. It was very juicy and flavorful. It didn't even need ketchup, which was good because I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to ask for it in a nice place like that. We even splurged on dessert. Kristin got fruit flambe, which they fired up on a little cart right in front of the table. I got Peach Melba, which was amazing. After that we met up with the boys again and went to the cafe from the night before to get Sangria. It was a little bitter for me, but still good. They served it in a pitcher with a wooden spoon and all the fruits sitting at the bottom -- it looked really cool.
Saturday
It was the best day of the trip, and sadly our last. The weather was still being difficult when we got up, but by the time we walked down to the marina the sun was shining, brilliant and warm. The boats were all at the marina, so we decided to go on a tour of the coastline and grottos (caves or caverns). We had a 30-minute wait while the boat was prepared so we grabbed coffee at an outdoor cafe in the sunshine. The coffee was good, the sun was warm and we were so content. Then we met our captain and hopped on the boat, named Quicksilver. Ironically, our captain was Irish. He was from Co. Kerry and moved to Portugal about 7 years ago. He was very nice and knew a lot about Lagos and the grottos. We headed out to the sea and over to the caves and cliffs. The sun was very warm, but the wind from the sea made it perfect. I have never seen water so brilliantly blue, and you could even see the fish swimming around in it! Our guide told us about how large earthquakes decades ago changed the whole landscape in Portugal, and he explained how the cliffs were slowly eroding as the tides get higher in the area. He also pointed out different shapes in the cliffs, like an elephant and even Michael Jackson's face! Haha. From the sea you could see the whole city rising up on the cliffs and all the beaches that dot it. It was a great boat ride and the perfect weather for it, too! I can't explain how lovely it was, but hopefully the pictures will do it some justice.
After the boat tour we had lunch outside for once since it was actually not just warm but hot out. I got salmon, and once again it was fresh and wonderful tasting. Then we had about an hour and a half until our train came so we got to go on the beach when it was actually 100% sunny out. It was more like the beaches I've been too, stretching on for miles in both directions. I grabbed my iPod and took a walk down it for about 40 minutes collecting sea shells on the way (which are everywhere and perfect in shape, color and size). Then we packed up our stuff, bid the beautiful white city in the sun goodbye and boarded the train. It was a great train ride through the country, past fields and fields of orange groves, little towns and rolling green and sand-colored hills.
Welcome to Paradise; Lagos, Portugal (Part One)
Portugal was indeed paradise, despite a little rain and some sniffling/coughing. I figured I'd post about the trip in two parts to make it easier to read.
After a bus to the Shannon airport at about 7 a.m. Wednesday, a flight into Faro, another bus to the bus station in Faro and one more bus to Lagos, we finally arrived in Portugal around 4:30 p.m. We decided to find the guesthouse on our own, which allowed us to start seeing a bit of the city -- and when I say city, I don't mean skyscrapers and bright lights. It's a big city, but very quaint. And so white! The buildings are all white and beige, and the streets are lined with ceramic stones that make different patterns. It made me think of the pictures I've seen of Greece.
Angela House.
The place where we stayed was adorable. It was a small apartment owned by an older woman named Angela. She spoke only Spanish, French and Portuguese so we got by talking to her in broken Spanish. I don't know any Spanish since I took French in school, but it was pretty easy to guess what she was saying and everyone helped translate for me (I could have tried my French, but figured it would be easier for her to stick to one language). The apartment was very well kept and very pretty. It had four rooms and we took up three of them. Adam and Colin in one, Tori and I in another and Aliza and Kristin in the third. My room was color coordinated with a green bedspread and green curtains. The other rooms were just as pretty. The apartment also had two bathrooms, and Angela shared her own kitchen with us. She was very accommodating, and even gave us shampoo and towels to use in the shower.
Wednesday Night
After settling into the guesthouse we decided to head downtown. It was beautiful at night with the restaurants all lit up and the streets gleaming white. Sadly, it was cloudy and chilly so we decided to grab dinner in the first interesting restaurant we saw. We stopped at a place called the Nah Nah Bah, which was a reggae type restaurant. Really, the only reason we went there was because the boys were amused by the sexual innuendos on the menu. I won't go into any details on that. Despite the appearance of the restaurant the food was very good. Our waitress was a Canadian girl and she talked excitedly to us the whole time. She was a little crazy and had been traveling for seven weeks when she ran out of money and just settled down, illegally, in Portugal and found two jobs to live off of. (One of her jobs is at a hostel called the Rising Cock -- go figure). She kept telling us to go out and get drunk with her later, but we were tired from all of the traveling and a little put off by her. We ended up running into her again when we went to a bar to hang out, but luckily she didn't stay too long. One of the bartenders was very cute and talkative. He ended up being from Texas, and was also just living in Portugal and working for the heck of it.
Thursday
We woke on Thursday to rainy, grey skies and were pretty disappointed. Angela made us toast and omelets for breakfast and it was absolutely delicious. We then decided not to let the weather get us down and headed into the center of the city. Adam, Aliza and Colin broke off to explore and Tori, Kristin and I remained in town to shop. We went to a few stores and checked out a nail salon, but it was too expensive. However, the owner (an English woman) suggested we grab lunch at a good fish restaurant around the corner. And we were so glad we took her advice. The place was really nice, and the food was divine. I was not a huge fish fan before, but that is changing. I opted on the salmon since I've had it before and liked it. It was melt-in-your-mouth good! We all really enjoyed our meals, and as we ate the sun came out and shined into the restaurant through the door and big open windows. After lunch we decided to find the beach since the sun had come out. We went to drop our stuff off at Angela House and ran into Angela driving up in her car. We asked the easiest way to get to the beach and she told us to hop into the car! So she drove us down to a beach surrounded by big cliffs with clear blue water and waves lapping up against the sand. It was absolutely beautiful. We spent two hours splashing in the water and taking pictures until the clouds returned and we walked back to the guesthouse.
Thursday Night
That night we just went out to dinner in the town. I got lasagna, which was a bad choice because it was more like soup ... it was even in a bowl. Very odd. After that we went back to the bar from the night before, Three Monkeys, and got discounted cocktails from the cute American bartender. I got my first alcoholic Pina Colda -- it was delicious. We also used the Internet in the bar to check bus times because we decided to spend Friday at the edge of Portugal in a town called Sagres, where the beaches were supposed to be really nice. Then we went to a cute little cafe for tea and dessert and headed back to the guesthouse.
After a bus to the Shannon airport at about 7 a.m. Wednesday, a flight into Faro, another bus to the bus station in Faro and one more bus to Lagos, we finally arrived in Portugal around 4:30 p.m. We decided to find the guesthouse on our own, which allowed us to start seeing a bit of the city -- and when I say city, I don't mean skyscrapers and bright lights. It's a big city, but very quaint. And so white! The buildings are all white and beige, and the streets are lined with ceramic stones that make different patterns. It made me think of the pictures I've seen of Greece.
Angela House.
The place where we stayed was adorable. It was a small apartment owned by an older woman named Angela. She spoke only Spanish, French and Portuguese so we got by talking to her in broken Spanish. I don't know any Spanish since I took French in school, but it was pretty easy to guess what she was saying and everyone helped translate for me (I could have tried my French, but figured it would be easier for her to stick to one language). The apartment was very well kept and very pretty. It had four rooms and we took up three of them. Adam and Colin in one, Tori and I in another and Aliza and Kristin in the third. My room was color coordinated with a green bedspread and green curtains. The other rooms were just as pretty. The apartment also had two bathrooms, and Angela shared her own kitchen with us. She was very accommodating, and even gave us shampoo and towels to use in the shower.
Wednesday Night
After settling into the guesthouse we decided to head downtown. It was beautiful at night with the restaurants all lit up and the streets gleaming white. Sadly, it was cloudy and chilly so we decided to grab dinner in the first interesting restaurant we saw. We stopped at a place called the Nah Nah Bah, which was a reggae type restaurant. Really, the only reason we went there was because the boys were amused by the sexual innuendos on the menu. I won't go into any details on that. Despite the appearance of the restaurant the food was very good. Our waitress was a Canadian girl and she talked excitedly to us the whole time. She was a little crazy and had been traveling for seven weeks when she ran out of money and just settled down, illegally, in Portugal and found two jobs to live off of. (One of her jobs is at a hostel called the Rising Cock -- go figure). She kept telling us to go out and get drunk with her later, but we were tired from all of the traveling and a little put off by her. We ended up running into her again when we went to a bar to hang out, but luckily she didn't stay too long. One of the bartenders was very cute and talkative. He ended up being from Texas, and was also just living in Portugal and working for the heck of it.
Thursday
We woke on Thursday to rainy, grey skies and were pretty disappointed. Angela made us toast and omelets for breakfast and it was absolutely delicious. We then decided not to let the weather get us down and headed into the center of the city. Adam, Aliza and Colin broke off to explore and Tori, Kristin and I remained in town to shop. We went to a few stores and checked out a nail salon, but it was too expensive. However, the owner (an English woman) suggested we grab lunch at a good fish restaurant around the corner. And we were so glad we took her advice. The place was really nice, and the food was divine. I was not a huge fish fan before, but that is changing. I opted on the salmon since I've had it before and liked it. It was melt-in-your-mouth good! We all really enjoyed our meals, and as we ate the sun came out and shined into the restaurant through the door and big open windows. After lunch we decided to find the beach since the sun had come out. We went to drop our stuff off at Angela House and ran into Angela driving up in her car. We asked the easiest way to get to the beach and she told us to hop into the car! So she drove us down to a beach surrounded by big cliffs with clear blue water and waves lapping up against the sand. It was absolutely beautiful. We spent two hours splashing in the water and taking pictures until the clouds returned and we walked back to the guesthouse.
Thursday Night
That night we just went out to dinner in the town. I got lasagna, which was a bad choice because it was more like soup ... it was even in a bowl. Very odd. After that we went back to the bar from the night before, Three Monkeys, and got discounted cocktails from the cute American bartender. I got my first alcoholic Pina Colda -- it was delicious. We also used the Internet in the bar to check bus times because we decided to spend Friday at the edge of Portugal in a town called Sagres, where the beaches were supposed to be really nice. Then we went to a cute little cafe for tea and dessert and headed back to the guesthouse.
02 March 2009
Northern Ireland: Giant Causeways, Ferris Wheels and a divided world
This weekend was an arranged trip through Arcadia to Belfast in Northern Ireland. It's at the opposite end of the country from Galway so we took a bus early Friday morning and arrived in the late afternoon (it was about a 6 hour drive with a lunch break) Going to Northern Ireland is like traveling to another country, which you kind of are since it is part of the UK.
There are so many differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland it's hard to know where to start. So let me go through the whole weekend and then I'll touch back on some of the history and conflict in the area, because it's actually pretty fascinating.
Friday night we were tired from the long bus ride, so we went to an arranged dinner at a hotel and then decided to just wander around the center of the city a bit. Belfast is a fairly big city, at least bigger than Galway. It's very much like London because of the British colonisation. We found the city hall, which is at the center of the city and very big and empowering. In front of it there was a Ferris wheel, kind of like the London Eye. We went on it and got an amazing view of the city at night. From the Ferris wheel we saw a neat lit up blue dome. After we got off we went to check it out, turns out it was a mall of all things. But since we weren't sure where else to shop, and clothes are much cheaper here, we wandered around the mall for a little while. Then we went to the movies (again much cheaper) and saw Confessions of a Shopaholic. It was pretty good, but not up to par with the book. (But when is a movie better than the book really?)
Saturday we ate breakfast at the hostel, oh and speaking of the hostel I shared a room with NINETEEN other girls. It was an experience to say the least. They were also on the trip through Arcadia but were studying in other parts of Ireland, including Limerick, Cork and Dublin. Speaking of other students I ran into an old friend from high school who is studying in Cork. Some of you may know him, a Mr. Ross Brown! It was really funny to see him there, and it just makes you realize how small the world really is. I got his number so maybe if I visit Cork I
ll give him a call and he can show me around.
Back to Saturday. We went to the Giant's Causeway which is land that juts out into the sea and is made up of interlocking basalt columns. The columns are perfect hexagons and octagons and it looks like it was not created naturally. According to the legend the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. Scotland is supposed to be just barely visible from the causeway on a clear day and while it was a pretty nice day out, it was a bit too foggy in the early morning to see it. The causeway was breathtakingly beautiful. It is currently one of my favorite places in Ireland. We climbed all the way up to the top and looking out at the cliffs and brilliantly blue sea was amazing, and if you turned around in the other direction you could see the Irish country side for miles upon miles. And the sun came out for quite some time, which was AWESOME.
After we got back from the causeway I went with my friends Courtney, Adrienne and Andy to wander around the city again. We got pictures of the shipyard where the Titanic was built and some of a big cermic fish statue near the harbor. The England v. Ireland rigby game was on so we caught the middle of that (Ireland WON!) Before the game ended we had to leave to go to dinner at a restaurant named the Edge, which was along the water. It was really pretty and the food was very good. After dinner it was late and everyone was tired from a long day of walking around so my friends and I went to bed early (me a little later than everyone else since the Cork girls decided to have a pregame party in the hostel room before going out).
Sunday we had a presentation on the murals in Belfast. It was so early in the morning and everyone was dreading it, but the man who did the presentation did a great job and it turned out to be really interesting. The murals are all part of the divide in N. Ireland between the Unionists, who are mostly Protestant, and the Nationalists, who are mainly Catholic. The murals are extremely political showing the views from both sides. The Nationalists want N. Ireland to unite with the Republic of Ireland and become free from all British, and thus colonial, rule. But the Unionists want N. Ireland to remain a part of the UK. To say that the sides don't get along would be an understatement. This conflict has caused decades of strife and violence across Northern Ireland, and still to this day the divide and violence remains.
After the presentation we went on a bus tour to see first hand how badly the land is divided and how vivid the murals are. They are actually quite shocking, especially the Unionist ones. They display men with guns in masks and are not shy about projecting the Unionist's hate for Nationalists and vice versa (I'll show pictures below). Apart from the murals the most shocking parts of the areas we were in was the fences. The poorer the neighborhood the worst the divide is, so the whole city was not marred by fences, but many of the parts we rode through were. The most incredible is a wall that divides two roads -- Falls Road and Shankill Road. Falls Road is where Protestants live and Shankill Road is where Catholics live. The eight-mile wall divides them from one another with barbed wire at the top. It was just incredible to see, especially because I am learning about identity and nationality in Ireland in my geography class and we did many lessons on the divide of nationality in N. Ireland. They even still use the pound and the buildings are very British looking. Our bus driver also told us there are separate buses and taxis for Protestants and Catholics. Separate schools also dot the area and our professor had told us about an instance where a girl has to walked to a Catholic school through a Protestant neighborhood and was harassed so badly that she had to be escorted to school by a police officer.
They're not all about Ireland ...
There are so many differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland it's hard to know where to start. So let me go through the whole weekend and then I'll touch back on some of the history and conflict in the area, because it's actually pretty fascinating.
Friday night we were tired from the long bus ride, so we went to an arranged dinner at a hotel and then decided to just wander around the center of the city a bit. Belfast is a fairly big city, at least bigger than Galway. It's very much like London because of the British colonisation. We found the city hall, which is at the center of the city and very big and empowering. In front of it there was a Ferris wheel, kind of like the London Eye. We went on it and got an amazing view of the city at night. From the Ferris wheel we saw a neat lit up blue dome. After we got off we went to check it out, turns out it was a mall of all things. But since we weren't sure where else to shop, and clothes are much cheaper here, we wandered around the mall for a little while. Then we went to the movies (again much cheaper) and saw Confessions of a Shopaholic. It was pretty good, but not up to par with the book. (But when is a movie better than the book really?)
Saturday we ate breakfast at the hostel, oh and speaking of the hostel I shared a room with NINETEEN other girls. It was an experience to say the least. They were also on the trip through Arcadia but were studying in other parts of Ireland, including Limerick, Cork and Dublin. Speaking of other students I ran into an old friend from high school who is studying in Cork. Some of you may know him, a Mr. Ross Brown! It was really funny to see him there, and it just makes you realize how small the world really is. I got his number so maybe if I visit Cork I
ll give him a call and he can show me around.
Back to Saturday. We went to the Giant's Causeway which is land that juts out into the sea and is made up of interlocking basalt columns. The columns are perfect hexagons and octagons and it looks like it was not created naturally. According to the legend the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. Scotland is supposed to be just barely visible from the causeway on a clear day and while it was a pretty nice day out, it was a bit too foggy in the early morning to see it. The causeway was breathtakingly beautiful. It is currently one of my favorite places in Ireland. We climbed all the way up to the top and looking out at the cliffs and brilliantly blue sea was amazing, and if you turned around in the other direction you could see the Irish country side for miles upon miles. And the sun came out for quite some time, which was AWESOME.
After we got back from the causeway I went with my friends Courtney, Adrienne and Andy to wander around the city again. We got pictures of the shipyard where the Titanic was built and some of a big cermic fish statue near the harbor. The England v. Ireland rigby game was on so we caught the middle of that (Ireland WON!) Before the game ended we had to leave to go to dinner at a restaurant named the Edge, which was along the water. It was really pretty and the food was very good. After dinner it was late and everyone was tired from a long day of walking around so my friends and I went to bed early (me a little later than everyone else since the Cork girls decided to have a pregame party in the hostel room before going out).
Sunday we had a presentation on the murals in Belfast. It was so early in the morning and everyone was dreading it, but the man who did the presentation did a great job and it turned out to be really interesting. The murals are all part of the divide in N. Ireland between the Unionists, who are mostly Protestant, and the Nationalists, who are mainly Catholic. The murals are extremely political showing the views from both sides. The Nationalists want N. Ireland to unite with the Republic of Ireland and become free from all British, and thus colonial, rule. But the Unionists want N. Ireland to remain a part of the UK. To say that the sides don't get along would be an understatement. This conflict has caused decades of strife and violence across Northern Ireland, and still to this day the divide and violence remains.
After the presentation we went on a bus tour to see first hand how badly the land is divided and how vivid the murals are. They are actually quite shocking, especially the Unionist ones. They display men with guns in masks and are not shy about projecting the Unionist's hate for Nationalists and vice versa (I'll show pictures below). Apart from the murals the most shocking parts of the areas we were in was the fences. The poorer the neighborhood the worst the divide is, so the whole city was not marred by fences, but many of the parts we rode through were. The most incredible is a wall that divides two roads -- Falls Road and Shankill Road. Falls Road is where Protestants live and Shankill Road is where Catholics live. The eight-mile wall divides them from one another with barbed wire at the top. It was just incredible to see, especially because I am learning about identity and nationality in Ireland in my geography class and we did many lessons on the divide of nationality in N. Ireland. They even still use the pound and the buildings are very British looking. Our bus driver also told us there are separate buses and taxis for Protestants and Catholics. Separate schools also dot the area and our professor had told us about an instance where a girl has to walked to a Catholic school through a Protestant neighborhood and was harassed so badly that she had to be escorted to school by a police officer.
However, the conflict really isn't driven by religion. It is more political, but it just tends to turn out that Unionists and Protestants and Nationalists are Catholics.
It was a pretty sobering end to the trip, but amazing to see. It is sad that such a divide still exists there and not much can be done to stop the conflict. It is not as bad as it once was and people are trying to devise a way to maintain peace, but with such strong sides being take it is hard to find a common middle ground.
** This will probably be my last post for about a week. I leave for Portugal Wednesday morning and will return late Saturday night. So expect a post about the trip over the weekend. I can't wait for some fun in the sun!
Unionist muralThey're not all about Ireland ...
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