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.

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?)