Day Two of our Italian adventure: Domenica
We woke up slowly and made a late American breakfast of french toast and pancakes for our Italian family. Caitlin had maple syrup (which Daniele apparently likes to put on chocolate chip cookies). After breakfast we showered and left with the family and Eugen to go to Alba, a small wine town near Asti. We went to an art show (The Roberto Longhi collection) which I really liked, and then we walked around Alba going in churches and taking lots of pictures of the streets, buildings and piazze. There were lots of people out shopping, but not many other thing open. We visited Chiesa della Maddelena (built in the middle of the 18th century by the architect Bernardo Antonio Vittone, it was the church belonging to the Dominican convent founded by Margherita di Savoia, whose remains are conserved there) and Chiesa di San Domenico (built in 1292; there was a very cool art show inside). We window shopped a bit (which is a sport in Italy) and admired the cute old men with their fur-wearing wives.
After a quick stop at the tourist office, we left Alba and drove through the vineyards to Il Castello di Serralunga d'Alba, the castle near Alba. When we got there, the lady said tours were over for the evening, but Paolo convinced her to give us a sunset tour of the castle. Caitlin translated here and there for us. The castle was beautiful, and the views of the town and the Alps were even more beautiful. The sun setting over Alba was breathtaking, and probably one of my favorite parts of the trip.
We took a little cat nap on the way home, and when we got back to the house we chatted it up with Eugen, Caitlin's new German brother for awhile about big cities and small towns. And, when Eugen asked us if we knew all the state capitals in the U.S., we started making a list that took us all night to complete. Dinner was red rice, chicken marsala and brocolli with tiramisu and Moscato (sweet white wine, or "zweet-ah, white-ah, wine-ah" as Giusi said) for dessert.) I was actually able to choke down the Moscato without too much trouble (it tasted like Welch's white grape juice). I was so excited to be drinking wine in Italy without hating it! After dinner we made panini for our lunches for the next day with peanut butter, jelly, nutella, and sweet bread. We had to say goodbye to Giusi that night because she left for Rome that night and we wouldn't see her again before we left. AFter goodbyes and a little research on what to see in Milan, we headed off to bed.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Goodbyes and Hellos
Wow, it's been a long time since I've written in this-here blog! I guess I've been really busy!
Well, I survived my first semester finals... It's really hard to know what the expectations are here as far as grading goes, so I really won't know how I did until we get our grades back. But I did my best, and they're over-- that's all that matters.
So Colin was gone for 10 days while I had finals-- he was traveling around Europe. He came back for two days before he left for good. The night before he left we went into Dublin and went out to dinner. Before we went to dinner he took me to a teddy bear shop in Dublin and bought me a teddy bear so I have someone to snuggle with now that he's gone. I was so happy, and my new friend Psycho keeps me company when I get lonely here. The next morning I woke up early to say goodbye to Colin... I couldn't believe how hard I cried! Saying goodbye to him was the most difficult goodbye I've ever had to say... it's just really hard to say goodbye to someone never knowing if you'll see them again-- EVER! We'd gotten really close in the few months we had together, and I miss him so much. But every day gets a tiny bit easier. And he still sends me messages that make me smile. I don't know if or when I'll see him again, but I guess it's pretty amazing to meet someone that's so hard to say goodbye to...
So, after he left, I was having a really hard time, but I didn't have a lot of time to be sad. I left for italy a few days later, and that was the best thing I could have done to take my mind off of things.
Our Mercedes cab picked Elizabeth and me up at 4.30 am on Saturday the 26th. Our cab driver's name was Frank Fox and he was hilARious! He was very vulgar, and we decided that if we had a cab driver in the U.S. that talked like that, we might be offended... but in Ireland, it's just funny. Anywho, Frank was very entertaining... he told us stories about his trips to America (excuse my language, but I'm quoting... he told us about how he came into a bar and sat down next to a black guy: "He was seriously fuckin' seven times bigger than me, but I gave it to him straight; I told him football's a sport for pussies.") And he told us that he loves the U.S. because it is the only country in the world with a constitution that gives you the right to be HAPPY. He told us to watch a hurling match before we leave-- the best and fastest game in the world, and also that we need to go to Kilkenny because it has the most pubs per capita in the country. He called us "love" and told us he was an inner city boy at heart. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and I are in the back seat trying not to throw up because of how fast he's driving around the curving Irish country roads. But we survived the trip to the airport, and he dropped us off and said "if nobody's done it already, I'd like to thank you for coming here. I mean it; we're learnin' as much from you as you are from us. The Irish could learn a thing or two from Americans about being forthcoming and focused." He was pretty much adorable, and we'll remember him forever!
At the airport we studied my Italian notes, trying to brush up on our Italian so we could understand and communicate as best as we could when we got to Italy. (Although it wasn't much help... we were pretty disappointed with how much we actually remembered). We finally got on the plane, and it was delayed an hour because of air traffic controller strikes in France. Once we got off the ground, it was about a two hour plane ride over the Alps (Elizabeth: "I just wonder how people got over them before). We had a beautiful view from our window. And when we finally reached the airport and got through passport control and to our luggage, we met my friend Caitlin (who I was a counselor with at leadership camp last summer) and her host dad Paolo at the arrivals gate. We rode from Turin to Asti in his Range Rover and caught up with Caitlin. She told us that Paolo didn't speak much English, but he'd try. Caitlin didn't know any Italian when she came to Asti in September, and he family didn't know any English. She was supposed to have a host sister that spoke English, but she moved out of the house during Caitlin's second week in Italy. We were so impressed by how well she could communicate with her family and her friends. I guess full immersion into a language is really the best way to learn!
So we rode (on the right side of the road!) to Asti, dropped off our stuff in our new bedroom, and presented our gifts to the family. We got them these cute little bowls with shamrocks on them that we'd filled with candy, soda bread mix and shamrock seeds. It was pretty cute. Giusi, Caitlin's host mom, LOVED them! After we gave our gifts, we had lunch with the fam. (Paolo, Giusi, and their son Daniele). First we had antipasti (appetizers) of some kind of onion, corn and garbanzo bean salad, corn and tuna, salami, ham, homemade red pepper marmalade, blood orange juice and ACE (like V8 Splash) to drink, and some chex mix, pretzles, and Wisconsin mustard that Caitlin had sent from home. For the piatto primo (the first plate) we had whole grain pasta with pesto which was delicious! I think there might have been a piatto secondo of some kind of meat, but I didn't have any. Then we had some broccoli (which was really good), and homemade tiramisu for dessert!
We had a quick afternoon nap and then Paolo and Giusi gave us a ride to downtown Asti. We walked around a bit and looked at the pretty Italian streets and buildings and then met up with Caitlin's boyfriend, Omar, and her friends: Matteo Piano (who was seriously like 8 feet tall), another Matteo, Mac, Bomber, Alby, and Silvia. We had pizza at a restaurant and then went to the new arcade in town to hang out. The Italians bowled on the sweet bowling lanes with music videos playing on big screens at the ends of them. We chatted with Bomber and the Matteos. They didn't speak perfect English, but we were at least able to have a conversation. After we met up with Federico and Erica at the arcade, we went to a piazza downtown for a bit and then to the train station to meet Caitlin's new German exchange brother, Eugen (pronounced "OY-gin with a soft "g"). We rode back with the whole family in the Range Rover and, at 1.30 in the morning when we got back, had some snacks with the fam. before bed.
It was a lovely lovely day!!!
Well, I survived my first semester finals... It's really hard to know what the expectations are here as far as grading goes, so I really won't know how I did until we get our grades back. But I did my best, and they're over-- that's all that matters.
So Colin was gone for 10 days while I had finals-- he was traveling around Europe. He came back for two days before he left for good. The night before he left we went into Dublin and went out to dinner. Before we went to dinner he took me to a teddy bear shop in Dublin and bought me a teddy bear so I have someone to snuggle with now that he's gone. I was so happy, and my new friend Psycho keeps me company when I get lonely here. The next morning I woke up early to say goodbye to Colin... I couldn't believe how hard I cried! Saying goodbye to him was the most difficult goodbye I've ever had to say... it's just really hard to say goodbye to someone never knowing if you'll see them again-- EVER! We'd gotten really close in the few months we had together, and I miss him so much. But every day gets a tiny bit easier. And he still sends me messages that make me smile. I don't know if or when I'll see him again, but I guess it's pretty amazing to meet someone that's so hard to say goodbye to...
So, after he left, I was having a really hard time, but I didn't have a lot of time to be sad. I left for italy a few days later, and that was the best thing I could have done to take my mind off of things.
Our Mercedes cab picked Elizabeth and me up at 4.30 am on Saturday the 26th. Our cab driver's name was Frank Fox and he was hilARious! He was very vulgar, and we decided that if we had a cab driver in the U.S. that talked like that, we might be offended... but in Ireland, it's just funny. Anywho, Frank was very entertaining... he told us stories about his trips to America (excuse my language, but I'm quoting... he told us about how he came into a bar and sat down next to a black guy: "He was seriously fuckin' seven times bigger than me, but I gave it to him straight; I told him football's a sport for pussies.") And he told us that he loves the U.S. because it is the only country in the world with a constitution that gives you the right to be HAPPY. He told us to watch a hurling match before we leave-- the best and fastest game in the world, and also that we need to go to Kilkenny because it has the most pubs per capita in the country. He called us "love" and told us he was an inner city boy at heart. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and I are in the back seat trying not to throw up because of how fast he's driving around the curving Irish country roads. But we survived the trip to the airport, and he dropped us off and said "if nobody's done it already, I'd like to thank you for coming here. I mean it; we're learnin' as much from you as you are from us. The Irish could learn a thing or two from Americans about being forthcoming and focused." He was pretty much adorable, and we'll remember him forever!
At the airport we studied my Italian notes, trying to brush up on our Italian so we could understand and communicate as best as we could when we got to Italy. (Although it wasn't much help... we were pretty disappointed with how much we actually remembered). We finally got on the plane, and it was delayed an hour because of air traffic controller strikes in France. Once we got off the ground, it was about a two hour plane ride over the Alps (Elizabeth: "I just wonder how people got over them before). We had a beautiful view from our window. And when we finally reached the airport and got through passport control and to our luggage, we met my friend Caitlin (who I was a counselor with at leadership camp last summer) and her host dad Paolo at the arrivals gate. We rode from Turin to Asti in his Range Rover and caught up with Caitlin. She told us that Paolo didn't speak much English, but he'd try. Caitlin didn't know any Italian when she came to Asti in September, and he family didn't know any English. She was supposed to have a host sister that spoke English, but she moved out of the house during Caitlin's second week in Italy. We were so impressed by how well she could communicate with her family and her friends. I guess full immersion into a language is really the best way to learn!
So we rode (on the right side of the road!) to Asti, dropped off our stuff in our new bedroom, and presented our gifts to the family. We got them these cute little bowls with shamrocks on them that we'd filled with candy, soda bread mix and shamrock seeds. It was pretty cute. Giusi, Caitlin's host mom, LOVED them! After we gave our gifts, we had lunch with the fam. (Paolo, Giusi, and their son Daniele). First we had antipasti (appetizers) of some kind of onion, corn and garbanzo bean salad, corn and tuna, salami, ham, homemade red pepper marmalade, blood orange juice and ACE (like V8 Splash) to drink, and some chex mix, pretzles, and Wisconsin mustard that Caitlin had sent from home. For the piatto primo (the first plate) we had whole grain pasta with pesto which was delicious! I think there might have been a piatto secondo of some kind of meat, but I didn't have any. Then we had some broccoli (which was really good), and homemade tiramisu for dessert!
We had a quick afternoon nap and then Paolo and Giusi gave us a ride to downtown Asti. We walked around a bit and looked at the pretty Italian streets and buildings and then met up with Caitlin's boyfriend, Omar, and her friends: Matteo Piano (who was seriously like 8 feet tall), another Matteo, Mac, Bomber, Alby, and Silvia. We had pizza at a restaurant and then went to the new arcade in town to hang out. The Italians bowled on the sweet bowling lanes with music videos playing on big screens at the ends of them. We chatted with Bomber and the Matteos. They didn't speak perfect English, but we were at least able to have a conversation. After we met up with Federico and Erica at the arcade, we went to a piazza downtown for a bit and then to the train station to meet Caitlin's new German exchange brother, Eugen (pronounced "OY-gin with a soft "g"). We rode back with the whole family in the Range Rover and, at 1.30 in the morning when we got back, had some snacks with the fam. before bed.
It was a lovely lovely day!!!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
So I didn't end up spending ALL of Christmas alone... My friend Will (who directed the play I was in) texted me to say Happy Christmas, and when he found out I was alone on Christmas day, he immediately called me and insisted I come to his house. So Will came to pick me up and take me to his house just outside Dublin in Clontarf. It was kind of awkward because I don't even know Will that well, and I certainly didn't know anyone from his family, but it was fun to experience an Irish Christmas. Will's family are some of the most interesting people I've ever met, and they were all really nice. Will has 6 sisters and 3 brothers. Everyone was there, including spouses and children, except for two of his siblings. The Woods family was so amazing! Will's sister Catherine is a model, his sister Hilary was in a band that was apparently pretty famous in Ireland, his sister Elizabeth is an opera singer, his sister Ursula is an actress and a teacher in Australia (she had her friend Dan along too, from Australia), his sister Mary is an actress in New York, and his brother Adrian is an actor in Ireland (and is basically Jude Law). Sean, his dad, told funny stories and sang for us. Also in attendance was Will's quiet brother Johnny and his fiancee Shauna, Adrian's wife Alison, Will's mom, Mary, Ursula's friend Carla, and Hilary's daughter Grace. (His brother Jeff and Sister Eleanor weren't there, but I got to meet Eleanor and her husband Steve later that night). Will even got me a gift! (Well, it was actually a leftover gift-- he realized he'd gotten one of his sisters two gifts and gave me the jazz CD he was going to give to her. But at least I got to open a present on Christmas!) It was a crazy night, but lots of fun to be a part of!
Colin was in town for St. Stephen's Day, and I packed on the 27th. On the 28th, I woke up really early and met my sister Katie and her friend Abby at the Dublin airport. It was so weird to have them here in Ireland, but so exciting! Katie rented a car, and we had fun getting back to Maynooth on the wrong side of the road. I showed them my room and we stopped at the Roost for lunch and Abby's first Irish Guinness before checking into the Glenroyal Hotel for a nice nap (the girls were pretty tired). That night we went on a little pub crawl in Maynooth. We started at O'Neil's, then grabbed some food at Supermac's before proceeding to Brady's and ending at the Roost. It was weird drinking with my sister, but it was a fun night. Abby made friends with an old man named Paul who, upon hearing her accent, immediately asked her about her religion and political outlook. She also made friends with Ian, one of the bouncers at the Roost. It's always good to meet the locals... :)
The next day we decide to pick a random town on the east coast and drive there, so we set out for Malahide late that morning. I fell asleep in the back seat, and Katie and Abby got a little lost, but we eventually found it. It was a cute little seaside town, and we walked by the beach and along the sidewalks in town before warming up at a cute little wine bar. Abby got wine, Katie got tea, and I got Pavlova (a merengue dessert). On the way back, we stopped in Dublin and ate at an Italian restaurant off Grafton Street. That night we went to Caulfield's for a few drinks and some piano bar music where we met Tony and Martina, a 50-year-old couple who were engaged with a 6-year-old son. They were hilarious, and Martina requested a song for us. I also had a crush on the bus boy who took our drink orders. I wrote his name in tootsie roll wrappers... we're getting married.
The next morning we met my parents at the airport and drove to Powerscourt in Co. Wicklow. It was such a beautiful day, and the gardens were lovely (even though a lot of the plants and flowers were dormant). After lunch at Powerscourt we drove to Cork, stopping at Waterford Crystal. We all squeezed into a little Nissan... it was cozy, but ridiculously squished. Once we got to Cork, we checked into our apartment and had dinner at a nice little restaurant.
On New Year's Eve day we went to Blarney to explored the castle and grounds and kiss the Blarney stone. The castle originally dates from before AD 1200. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Dermot McCarthy, the King of Munster. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, also called the Blarney Stone. The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may be positioned upside-down and kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. The stone, which is believed by some to be half of the original Stone of Scone, was presented to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in recognition of his support in the Battle of Bannockburn.The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. There are many legends as to the origin of the stone, but some say that was the "Lia Fail" or the magical stone Irish kings were crowned upon. Queen Elizabeth I wanted Irish chiefs to agree to occupy their own lands under title from her. Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled every Royal request with subtle diplomacy, promising loyalty to the Queen without "giving in". Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her "a lot of Blarney", thus giving rise to the legend.
We also shopped in the Blarney Woolen Mills shop and had Guinness pie at Christy's. Upon returning to Cork, we had dinner at Amicus where Abby got a chicken skewer as tall as she is and my mom and I had our first drink together... weird. After dinner we went to the Brog pub and had a drink with my parents before they left us to chat with the Irish boys at the table next to us. We met some interesting characters, and Abby fell in love with the Spanish bus boy. It was a good time.
The next morning we set out for Galway, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher on the way. The Cliffs of Moher are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of The Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Republic of Ireland. The cliffs rise 120 meters (394 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 meters (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres away. The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. One can see 300 million year old river channels cutting through the base of the cliffs. It was really windy, but it was a clear day, and we could see the cliffs and the Aran Islands clearly. After perusing the gift shop, we got back in the car and made it to Galway in time for dinner at the Front Door.
The next morning we shopped in and explored Galway City. My dad randomly got acupuncture for his sore back. We visited the Spanish Arch (a set of arches built in 1584 as an extension of the city walls of Galway; as part of the wall designed to protect the city's quays, the Spanish Arch is located on the banks of the River Corrib) and The Claddagh. The Claddagh is a beach area in the western part of Galway. Its existence has been recorded since the arrival of Christianity in the 5th century. It is one of the oldest former fishing villages in Ireland. The Claddagh is famous for the Claddagh ring, which is popular among those of Irish heritage as both a friendship and wedding ring.
That afternoon we set out for Ashford Castle. Ashford Castle is a medieval castle near Cong in County Mayo, Ireland on the shore of Lough Corrib. The castle was built in the 13th century by the Anglo-Norman de Burgos family, after their defeat of the O'Connors of Connaught. Ashford was rebuilt and extended from the 1850s by Benjamin Guinness, and his son Arthur took his title from an island on the lake. The Guinnesses sold it in 1945. Today the castle is a five star hotel, one of Ireland's finest. We met Katie's friends from optometry school for dinner in the Drawing Room and after dinner drinks in the Dungeon Bar. The castle was so AMAZING! I felt like the princess I am ;)
Although they had horse back riding, golf, clay pigeon shooting, and falconry available to residents, the next morning we just explored the castle grounds and took some pictures. On the way back to Galway from the castle, we stopped at Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore Abbey was a Benedictine nunnery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Republic of Ireland. The abbey was founded when Benedictine Nuns fled Belgium in World War I. It is now a boarding school for girls. Originally called Kylemore Castle, it was built between 1863 and 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy politician from Manchester, England. After the death of his wife Margaret in 1875, Mitchell did not spend much time there. He and his wife are both buried in the small mausoleum near the church in the grounds of the abbey. The drive back to Galway was incredibly beautiful. We drove through the mountains and admired the sheep, stopping in Leenane for some cheese toasties. That night we had dinner with Katie's friends in Galway and heard some traditional Irish music before returning to the hotel for some drinks in the hotel bar.
The next day we left Galway and drove to Dublin in the SNOW! The family dropped me off in Maynooth so I could unpack, repack, hang out with Colin, and meet them the next morning in Dublin. The next day we went to Dublin Castle and Trinity to see the Book of Kells. We had dinner at an Italian resturant and then met Katie's optometry school friends for a pub crawl through Temple Bar. On the last day, we went to Kilmainham Gaol together before splitting up. Dad, Katie and Abby went to the Guinness Factory while my mom and I shopped a bit. Colin took the train into Dublin and met up with us for dinner at Gallagher's Boxty House (which was delicious). Colin and I had drinks with Katie and her friends in Temple Bar, and then it was time to say goodbye to the family to return to Maynooth. It had been a long week together, and we were all ready to return to our personal space, but it was still really sad seeing them go. It was a jam-packed week full of fun and memories, and I'm so glad I got to share a little part of this Irish experience with part of my family.
Today it was back to the books, as I have my first final exam on Friday. I'm not looking forward to all the cramming I'm going to have to do, but I'm sure everything will work out. Wish me luck!
Colin was in town for St. Stephen's Day, and I packed on the 27th. On the 28th, I woke up really early and met my sister Katie and her friend Abby at the Dublin airport. It was so weird to have them here in Ireland, but so exciting! Katie rented a car, and we had fun getting back to Maynooth on the wrong side of the road. I showed them my room and we stopped at the Roost for lunch and Abby's first Irish Guinness before checking into the Glenroyal Hotel for a nice nap (the girls were pretty tired). That night we went on a little pub crawl in Maynooth. We started at O'Neil's, then grabbed some food at Supermac's before proceeding to Brady's and ending at the Roost. It was weird drinking with my sister, but it was a fun night. Abby made friends with an old man named Paul who, upon hearing her accent, immediately asked her about her religion and political outlook. She also made friends with Ian, one of the bouncers at the Roost. It's always good to meet the locals... :)
The next day we decide to pick a random town on the east coast and drive there, so we set out for Malahide late that morning. I fell asleep in the back seat, and Katie and Abby got a little lost, but we eventually found it. It was a cute little seaside town, and we walked by the beach and along the sidewalks in town before warming up at a cute little wine bar. Abby got wine, Katie got tea, and I got Pavlova (a merengue dessert). On the way back, we stopped in Dublin and ate at an Italian restaurant off Grafton Street. That night we went to Caulfield's for a few drinks and some piano bar music where we met Tony and Martina, a 50-year-old couple who were engaged with a 6-year-old son. They were hilarious, and Martina requested a song for us. I also had a crush on the bus boy who took our drink orders. I wrote his name in tootsie roll wrappers... we're getting married.
The next morning we met my parents at the airport and drove to Powerscourt in Co. Wicklow. It was such a beautiful day, and the gardens were lovely (even though a lot of the plants and flowers were dormant). After lunch at Powerscourt we drove to Cork, stopping at Waterford Crystal. We all squeezed into a little Nissan... it was cozy, but ridiculously squished. Once we got to Cork, we checked into our apartment and had dinner at a nice little restaurant.
On New Year's Eve day we went to Blarney to explored the castle and grounds and kiss the Blarney stone. The castle originally dates from before AD 1200. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Dermot McCarthy, the King of Munster. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, also called the Blarney Stone. The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may be positioned upside-down and kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. The stone, which is believed by some to be half of the original Stone of Scone, was presented to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in recognition of his support in the Battle of Bannockburn.The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. There are many legends as to the origin of the stone, but some say that was the "Lia Fail" or the magical stone Irish kings were crowned upon. Queen Elizabeth I wanted Irish chiefs to agree to occupy their own lands under title from her. Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled every Royal request with subtle diplomacy, promising loyalty to the Queen without "giving in". Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her "a lot of Blarney", thus giving rise to the legend.
We also shopped in the Blarney Woolen Mills shop and had Guinness pie at Christy's. Upon returning to Cork, we had dinner at Amicus where Abby got a chicken skewer as tall as she is and my mom and I had our first drink together... weird. After dinner we went to the Brog pub and had a drink with my parents before they left us to chat with the Irish boys at the table next to us. We met some interesting characters, and Abby fell in love with the Spanish bus boy. It was a good time.
The next morning we set out for Galway, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher on the way. The Cliffs of Moher are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of The Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Republic of Ireland. The cliffs rise 120 meters (394 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 meters (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres away. The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. One can see 300 million year old river channels cutting through the base of the cliffs. It was really windy, but it was a clear day, and we could see the cliffs and the Aran Islands clearly. After perusing the gift shop, we got back in the car and made it to Galway in time for dinner at the Front Door.
The next morning we shopped in and explored Galway City. My dad randomly got acupuncture for his sore back. We visited the Spanish Arch (a set of arches built in 1584 as an extension of the city walls of Galway; as part of the wall designed to protect the city's quays, the Spanish Arch is located on the banks of the River Corrib) and The Claddagh. The Claddagh is a beach area in the western part of Galway. Its existence has been recorded since the arrival of Christianity in the 5th century. It is one of the oldest former fishing villages in Ireland. The Claddagh is famous for the Claddagh ring, which is popular among those of Irish heritage as both a friendship and wedding ring.
That afternoon we set out for Ashford Castle. Ashford Castle is a medieval castle near Cong in County Mayo, Ireland on the shore of Lough Corrib. The castle was built in the 13th century by the Anglo-Norman de Burgos family, after their defeat of the O'Connors of Connaught. Ashford was rebuilt and extended from the 1850s by Benjamin Guinness, and his son Arthur took his title from an island on the lake. The Guinnesses sold it in 1945. Today the castle is a five star hotel, one of Ireland's finest. We met Katie's friends from optometry school for dinner in the Drawing Room and after dinner drinks in the Dungeon Bar. The castle was so AMAZING! I felt like the princess I am ;)
Although they had horse back riding, golf, clay pigeon shooting, and falconry available to residents, the next morning we just explored the castle grounds and took some pictures. On the way back to Galway from the castle, we stopped at Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore Abbey was a Benedictine nunnery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Republic of Ireland. The abbey was founded when Benedictine Nuns fled Belgium in World War I. It is now a boarding school for girls. Originally called Kylemore Castle, it was built between 1863 and 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy politician from Manchester, England. After the death of his wife Margaret in 1875, Mitchell did not spend much time there. He and his wife are both buried in the small mausoleum near the church in the grounds of the abbey. The drive back to Galway was incredibly beautiful. We drove through the mountains and admired the sheep, stopping in Leenane for some cheese toasties. That night we had dinner with Katie's friends in Galway and heard some traditional Irish music before returning to the hotel for some drinks in the hotel bar.
The next day we left Galway and drove to Dublin in the SNOW! The family dropped me off in Maynooth so I could unpack, repack, hang out with Colin, and meet them the next morning in Dublin. The next day we went to Dublin Castle and Trinity to see the Book of Kells. We had dinner at an Italian resturant and then met Katie's optometry school friends for a pub crawl through Temple Bar. On the last day, we went to Kilmainham Gaol together before splitting up. Dad, Katie and Abby went to the Guinness Factory while my mom and I shopped a bit. Colin took the train into Dublin and met up with us for dinner at Gallagher's Boxty House (which was delicious). Colin and I had drinks with Katie and her friends in Temple Bar, and then it was time to say goodbye to the family to return to Maynooth. It had been a long week together, and we were all ready to return to our personal space, but it was still really sad seeing them go. It was a jam-packed week full of fun and memories, and I'm so glad I got to share a little part of this Irish experience with part of my family.
Today it was back to the books, as I have my first final exam on Friday. I'm not looking forward to all the cramming I'm going to have to do, but I'm sure everything will work out. Wish me luck!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Saying Goodbye
I'm finally done with essays and exams until January! Although I SHOULD be studying for those January exams... but for now, I'm on Christmas holiday!
Last weekend we didn't end up going to Galway; we'd decided that we had too much to do. But on Saturday, Colin, Katie, Elizabeth and I took a little day trip to a seaside town on the Irish sea called "Howth." (That rhymes with "both.") It was soooo cold that we didn't even go on the cliff walk that we'd gone there to see, but we still had fun walking around the town and taking pictures of the boats and lighthouse and sea. We even saw a few seals that came up to the edge of the pier to smile for the camera! We had fish and chips and icecream, coffee and dessert in two little shops in the main street, and I bought a few books for myself (for Christmas presents) at a little book sale we ran into. All in all, it was a fun day. Cold, but fun. We were beat when we got back, so we all relaxed together and watched a movie in my room.
Last week, since I didn't have any more essays, I just spent lots of time with my friends that were only here for the first semester-- especially Colin. We went to Dublin a few times, and Saturday Katie and I had brunch with Elizabeth's family! It was so cool to meet them since we've heard so much about them! And on Tuesday I was fortunate enough to be able to experience the NUIM Carol Service. The director of the play I was in got me a ticket! You usually have to reserve a ticket like six months in advance because it's so popular. The service was in the college chapel, and it was absolutely beautiful.
Elizabeth, Jackie and I booked our tickets for Italy this week too! Elizabeth and I are leaving for Turin January 26! We are staying with my friend Caitlin from leadership camp (she's in Asti staying with a family there until February). Then we meet Jackie in Venice on the 30th and spend a few days there until we return to Maynooth February 3rd for lectures to start on the 4th. It will definitely be a whirlwind, and I'm SOOO excited! Venice is the one city that I HAVE to see before I leave this continent. And I'm also really excited to see Caitlin and stay with a family again (like we did in Germany).
I got a haircut yesterday, which I love. My favorite part, I think, was the 15 minute long hair wash. They have separate people at the salons here that just wash hair, and there is a massage chair for you to relax in while you're getting your hair washed. Then, when you sit down, they offer you tea or coffee. (I didn't have any because I don't like tea or coffee, but it sure was fancy!) Then last night Colin took me out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Maynooth. We had a lovely evening before I had to say goodbye to him... (we also watched Slapshot in which Paul Newman was lookin' dreamy!!!)
It was so sad to say goodbye to everyone this weekend, and now I'm in my apartment, alone on Christmas. It's pretty sad, but pretty soon I'm going to call home where my whole family is, warm by the fire. I can't wait for them to get here. It just doesn't feel like Christmas without family...
Howth pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125772&l=d4ca9&id=5619987
Haircut, and the last week with everyone here:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125802&l=65842&id=5619987
Last weekend we didn't end up going to Galway; we'd decided that we had too much to do. But on Saturday, Colin, Katie, Elizabeth and I took a little day trip to a seaside town on the Irish sea called "Howth." (That rhymes with "both.") It was soooo cold that we didn't even go on the cliff walk that we'd gone there to see, but we still had fun walking around the town and taking pictures of the boats and lighthouse and sea. We even saw a few seals that came up to the edge of the pier to smile for the camera! We had fish and chips and icecream, coffee and dessert in two little shops in the main street, and I bought a few books for myself (for Christmas presents) at a little book sale we ran into. All in all, it was a fun day. Cold, but fun. We were beat when we got back, so we all relaxed together and watched a movie in my room.
Last week, since I didn't have any more essays, I just spent lots of time with my friends that were only here for the first semester-- especially Colin. We went to Dublin a few times, and Saturday Katie and I had brunch with Elizabeth's family! It was so cool to meet them since we've heard so much about them! And on Tuesday I was fortunate enough to be able to experience the NUIM Carol Service. The director of the play I was in got me a ticket! You usually have to reserve a ticket like six months in advance because it's so popular. The service was in the college chapel, and it was absolutely beautiful.
Elizabeth, Jackie and I booked our tickets for Italy this week too! Elizabeth and I are leaving for Turin January 26! We are staying with my friend Caitlin from leadership camp (she's in Asti staying with a family there until February). Then we meet Jackie in Venice on the 30th and spend a few days there until we return to Maynooth February 3rd for lectures to start on the 4th. It will definitely be a whirlwind, and I'm SOOO excited! Venice is the one city that I HAVE to see before I leave this continent. And I'm also really excited to see Caitlin and stay with a family again (like we did in Germany).
I got a haircut yesterday, which I love. My favorite part, I think, was the 15 minute long hair wash. They have separate people at the salons here that just wash hair, and there is a massage chair for you to relax in while you're getting your hair washed. Then, when you sit down, they offer you tea or coffee. (I didn't have any because I don't like tea or coffee, but it sure was fancy!) Then last night Colin took me out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Maynooth. We had a lovely evening before I had to say goodbye to him... (we also watched Slapshot in which Paul Newman was lookin' dreamy!!!)
It was so sad to say goodbye to everyone this weekend, and now I'm in my apartment, alone on Christmas. It's pretty sad, but pretty soon I'm going to call home where my whole family is, warm by the fire. I can't wait for them to get here. It just doesn't feel like Christmas without family...
Howth pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125772&l=d4ca9&id=5619987
Haircut, and the last week with everyone here:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125802&l=65842&id=5619987
Monday, December 10, 2007
Castles, Whiskey, Waves, and Sleepovers
Last weekend almost everyone left the country except me, Elizabeth, Jackie, Missy, Tom and Collin. Lots of the girls went to Scotland, and Katie went to France to visit her family there. We were going to go to Rome to visit my friend Lisa, but I had dress rehearsals for the play over the weekend.
After rehearsal on Friday night I had everyone that was left here over for pizza and chocolate cake at my place. Elizabeth and I ran into our German friend Andi on the way to the store, and we invited him to come too! It was fun just chilling and eating pizza. Then Andi dragged us along to a party at his friend's flat with a bunch of international kids. We went for a bit and chatted with some French and German kids before coming back to my place to watch Love Actually (which my sister sent to me for my birthday-- thanks, Katie!) Saturday I had rehearsal again for my play (to which my two castmates arrived about a half an hour late), and after rehearsal I went to Brady's with my director, Will, and my castmates, Richard and Thomas. The boys had coffee, and I had a water, and we sat around and chatted for while. Thomas left after a little bit, and then it was late enough for the boys to start drinking, so they started in on the pints. After they had a pint in them, they started telling me old Irish man stories. I can't even describe how they told these stories, but it was hilarious! Also, they made me try whiskey. It sure does warm you up!
On Sunday we had rehearsal again, and at this point the boys still didn't have their lines memorized. Needless to say, I was worried and stressed out. But it all came together in the end. The show on Monday was okay... I was just glad to have one show out of the way and just one more to go. There weren't many people there to watch us, but the whole front row was filled with my friends, which made me happy :) And after the show we went to Supermacs for some burgers and fries-- not quite the same as Denny's, but it worked...
Tuesday we went to see Katie and Jackie in their plays (which were fabulous!) Then Supermacs again for some junk food (can't have a performance without some food after, right?)
The show on Wednesday went SO MUCH better than on Monday! We still missed a few lines here and there, but Thomas and Richard did so much better! I was so relieved to have it over. Will, Richard, Thomas, and some of the people from the other plays had a cast party at Caulfield's, but I went with a few of my SMC chicks to Brady's for Missy's last night in Ireland. (She left Thursday to go home early). Lots of our Irish friends came (and our German friend Andi), so we had lots of fun! I even got two dates out of the evening... but that's another whole story in itself...
We carried Missy back to my apartment, and then decided we were all craving french toast. So, I taught Andi how to make french toast, and he helped me make it for everyone. It was so cute: me teaching our German friend how to make french toast. I don't know if he liked it that much, but it definitely hit the spot for the rest of us!
That night we had to say goodbye to Missy! It was so sad to see her go, but at the same time, it was so hard to wrap our minds around the fact that she was actually going home, that it made it a lot easier to say goodbye.
On Thursday, Elizabeth, Katie and I went into town to have lunch at the Confectionary. It was delightful, and such a charming little cafe. Thursday night Elizabeth and I sneaked into Katie and Jackie's show and then went out with the cast after to Caulfield's for the cast party. I got to talk to a few of the other Drama Society kids that I hadn't talked to before, so that was fun. But we left a little early, went to Dunnes, got some Doritos, and came back to watch a movie.
Friday morning we had our last history lecture before the exam and paper is due. Then Friday night after we ordered pizza I stayed in to pack and clean and start my history paper (although that history paper thing didn't really happen).
Saturday morning we all arose early to leave for Northern Ireland at 7.00! After about a 4 hour drive, we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast (I hadn't had McDonald's in a LONG time), and then back on the bus to head to Dunluce Castle. Dunluce Castle is one of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. It is first documented in the hands of the McQuillan family in 1513. The castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops either side, which would have been a very important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood. It was really cold and windy out that day, but exploring the castle ruins was really cool. And the castle was on the ocean, which made it extra beautiful.
After freezing our bones at the castle, we headed to Bushmills Distillery to warm up. Bushmills is produced, matured, and bottled on site at the Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. As well as producing the world famous Bushmills whiskey, the distillery is a popular tourist attraction, and has around 110,000 visitors per year. After touring the factory and learning how they ferment, distill, store, and bottle whiskey, we ended the tour at the bar where we all received our free whiskey. I got a hot toddy. Hot toddy is a name given to a mixed drink that is served hot. It's made with whiskey and spices, and it wasn't all that bad. It tasted very Christmas-y, and it definitely warmed me up!
We stayed in a hostel in Bushmills that night. The hostel was really nice, and we all had a big lasagna dinner together. After dinner, we all helped do the dishes and then played card games with our bus driver, Eugene. We danced in the Kitchen, and Rosie and Autumn even tried to teach me some Irish dance. It was so much fun, and the atmosphere just really made me feel like it was Christmas.
Jackie, Elizabeth, Katie and I had our own room at the hostel, and after singing country songs in the dark for a few hours, I said "Bloody Mary," and Jackie freaked out, so we put all our mattresses on the floor and had a sleepover! We stayed up later than we should have, but it was a blast!
The next day, we woke up, had some breakfast in the hostel kitchen, and set out for Giant's Causeway. The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. During the Paleogene period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled rapidly, contraction occurred. While contraction in the vertical direction reduced the flow thickness (without fracturing), horizontal contraction could only be accommodated by cracking throughout the flow. The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today.
Legend has it that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. One version of the legend tells that Fionn fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Fionn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over Fionn and pretended he was actually Fionn's baby son. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the alleged father, Fionn, must be gigantic indeed. Therefore, Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by Fionn.
It was cold and windy, but we escaped the rain for the most part, and the rocks and the ocean were a beautiful sight to behold. Oh, and I even found 5 Alive in the tearoom at Giant's Causeway! I was SO excited! It tasted like home!
On the way home, we stopped at McDonald's, and we all got Happy Meals! I hadn't had a Happy Meal in FOREVER! It brought us all back to our childhoods...
This week I'll be busy writing my history paper that I haven't started and studying for my exam on Friday. It's going to be another busy week, but as soon as I hit Friday, I'm home free. This weekend we're planning on going to Galway to stay with some cousins of mine that live there, and next week will be fun and relaxing. And after next week, it will be Christmas, and then my family will be here! Yay! Can't wait!
Pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124350&l=a5ee3&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124796&l=be3d0&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124801&l=cf5fe&id=5619987
After rehearsal on Friday night I had everyone that was left here over for pizza and chocolate cake at my place. Elizabeth and I ran into our German friend Andi on the way to the store, and we invited him to come too! It was fun just chilling and eating pizza. Then Andi dragged us along to a party at his friend's flat with a bunch of international kids. We went for a bit and chatted with some French and German kids before coming back to my place to watch Love Actually (which my sister sent to me for my birthday-- thanks, Katie!) Saturday I had rehearsal again for my play (to which my two castmates arrived about a half an hour late), and after rehearsal I went to Brady's with my director, Will, and my castmates, Richard and Thomas. The boys had coffee, and I had a water, and we sat around and chatted for while. Thomas left after a little bit, and then it was late enough for the boys to start drinking, so they started in on the pints. After they had a pint in them, they started telling me old Irish man stories. I can't even describe how they told these stories, but it was hilarious! Also, they made me try whiskey. It sure does warm you up!
On Sunday we had rehearsal again, and at this point the boys still didn't have their lines memorized. Needless to say, I was worried and stressed out. But it all came together in the end. The show on Monday was okay... I was just glad to have one show out of the way and just one more to go. There weren't many people there to watch us, but the whole front row was filled with my friends, which made me happy :) And after the show we went to Supermacs for some burgers and fries-- not quite the same as Denny's, but it worked...
Tuesday we went to see Katie and Jackie in their plays (which were fabulous!) Then Supermacs again for some junk food (can't have a performance without some food after, right?)
The show on Wednesday went SO MUCH better than on Monday! We still missed a few lines here and there, but Thomas and Richard did so much better! I was so relieved to have it over. Will, Richard, Thomas, and some of the people from the other plays had a cast party at Caulfield's, but I went with a few of my SMC chicks to Brady's for Missy's last night in Ireland. (She left Thursday to go home early). Lots of our Irish friends came (and our German friend Andi), so we had lots of fun! I even got two dates out of the evening... but that's another whole story in itself...
We carried Missy back to my apartment, and then decided we were all craving french toast. So, I taught Andi how to make french toast, and he helped me make it for everyone. It was so cute: me teaching our German friend how to make french toast. I don't know if he liked it that much, but it definitely hit the spot for the rest of us!
That night we had to say goodbye to Missy! It was so sad to see her go, but at the same time, it was so hard to wrap our minds around the fact that she was actually going home, that it made it a lot easier to say goodbye.
On Thursday, Elizabeth, Katie and I went into town to have lunch at the Confectionary. It was delightful, and such a charming little cafe. Thursday night Elizabeth and I sneaked into Katie and Jackie's show and then went out with the cast after to Caulfield's for the cast party. I got to talk to a few of the other Drama Society kids that I hadn't talked to before, so that was fun. But we left a little early, went to Dunnes, got some Doritos, and came back to watch a movie.
Friday morning we had our last history lecture before the exam and paper is due. Then Friday night after we ordered pizza I stayed in to pack and clean and start my history paper (although that history paper thing didn't really happen).
Saturday morning we all arose early to leave for Northern Ireland at 7.00! After about a 4 hour drive, we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast (I hadn't had McDonald's in a LONG time), and then back on the bus to head to Dunluce Castle. Dunluce Castle is one of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. It is first documented in the hands of the McQuillan family in 1513. The castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops either side, which would have been a very important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood. It was really cold and windy out that day, but exploring the castle ruins was really cool. And the castle was on the ocean, which made it extra beautiful.
After freezing our bones at the castle, we headed to Bushmills Distillery to warm up. Bushmills is produced, matured, and bottled on site at the Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. As well as producing the world famous Bushmills whiskey, the distillery is a popular tourist attraction, and has around 110,000 visitors per year. After touring the factory and learning how they ferment, distill, store, and bottle whiskey, we ended the tour at the bar where we all received our free whiskey. I got a hot toddy. Hot toddy is a name given to a mixed drink that is served hot. It's made with whiskey and spices, and it wasn't all that bad. It tasted very Christmas-y, and it definitely warmed me up!
We stayed in a hostel in Bushmills that night. The hostel was really nice, and we all had a big lasagna dinner together. After dinner, we all helped do the dishes and then played card games with our bus driver, Eugene. We danced in the Kitchen, and Rosie and Autumn even tried to teach me some Irish dance. It was so much fun, and the atmosphere just really made me feel like it was Christmas.
Jackie, Elizabeth, Katie and I had our own room at the hostel, and after singing country songs in the dark for a few hours, I said "Bloody Mary," and Jackie freaked out, so we put all our mattresses on the floor and had a sleepover! We stayed up later than we should have, but it was a blast!
The next day, we woke up, had some breakfast in the hostel kitchen, and set out for Giant's Causeway. The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. During the Paleogene period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled rapidly, contraction occurred. While contraction in the vertical direction reduced the flow thickness (without fracturing), horizontal contraction could only be accommodated by cracking throughout the flow. The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today.
Legend has it that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. One version of the legend tells that Fionn fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Fionn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over Fionn and pretended he was actually Fionn's baby son. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the alleged father, Fionn, must be gigantic indeed. Therefore, Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by Fionn.
It was cold and windy, but we escaped the rain for the most part, and the rocks and the ocean were a beautiful sight to behold. Oh, and I even found 5 Alive in the tearoom at Giant's Causeway! I was SO excited! It tasted like home!
On the way home, we stopped at McDonald's, and we all got Happy Meals! I hadn't had a Happy Meal in FOREVER! It brought us all back to our childhoods...
This week I'll be busy writing my history paper that I haven't started and studying for my exam on Friday. It's going to be another busy week, but as soon as I hit Friday, I'm home free. This weekend we're planning on going to Galway to stay with some cousins of mine that live there, and next week will be fun and relaxing. And after next week, it will be Christmas, and then my family will be here! Yay! Can't wait!
Pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124350&l=a5ee3&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124796&l=be3d0&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124801&l=cf5fe&id=5619987
Monday, November 26, 2007
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Happy Thanksgiving week!
My friends made Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night, but I couldn't make it because I had play rehearsal. However, they saved me some food, and I warmed it up when I got back-- you can never have too much turkey!
Thursday I took the day off from classes and work for Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving mass on south campus that Katie helped plan. Somehow I ended up bringing up the gifts-- me, right? I'm not even Catholic! I can't even take communion, and I brought it up! It was kind of weird, but I guess I've having all sorts of new experiences here in Ireland! After mass, the Chaplains treated us all to lunch! It was pretty delicious-- especially the banana and caramel dessert! When we were finished with lunch, Katie and I went out to explore south campus. We took a walk around the footpath that circles campus and took loads of pictures of whatever we could find! We even wandered into the church which was SOOO beautiful! We ran into a tour group that we followed for awhile, and we found out they were from Clongowes Wood College (where we toured last week)! It was a windy day, but a beautiful day. We hurried back after our photo shoot to tidy up for our departure for Castletown. Castletown House was built in 1722 for William Conolly, the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. The house was inherited by Tom Conolly in 1758 and the interior decoration was finished by his wife Lady Louisa (great-grand-daughter of Charles II of England and his mistress Louise de Keroualle) during the 1760s and 1770s. The house was bought in 1967 by Desmond Guinness (an heir to the brewery throne) to save it from vandalism, became the flagship of the Irish Georgian Society, owned by the Castletown Foundation, and was later still transferred to the Office of Public Works. It was too dark outside to get great pictures of the house, but it was grand! It reminded me of the White House. It was cool to see the house, as most of it had been preserved and restored. After the tour, we had dinner in the restaurant in the bottom of the house. The Thanksgiving dinner was a delicious meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. It was a very good attempt by the Irish to produce a traditional American meal, and it was delicious, but there wasn't quite enough food to fill us until we thought we would burst (like there SHOULD be on Thanksgiving).
On Friday I went to meet Lydia Manteufel at the train station. Lydia and I were in "The Wiz" together in middle school, and then in Creative Connections (a show choir in Wausau) together for a year or two after that. I hadn't seen her in years, but when I found out she would be in London for the year, I emailed her, and she decided to come visit for the weekend! I love how being across the world brings old friends together!
So, I picked Lydia up at the train station, we came back to my flat, got her settled, and caught up until my friends joined us for dinner. We all cooked a nice meal of delicious chicken stir-fry, and then we had Katie's boy story for dessert :)
We all bundled up and went to The Roost so I could show Lydia what an Irish pub was like. We chatted at the Roost for awhile and then stopped at Dunne's on the way home for some dessert. We decided on chocolate cake, apple crumble, and caramel icecream-- needless to say, it was delicious. After a lovely dessert (probably too much dessert), we snuggled up to watch Grey's Anatomy before bed.
On Saturday, we all got up early to go to Dublin. Our first stop was Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Trinity College was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university"; Trinity and the University of Dublin form Ireland's oldest university. The Book of Kells is an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by Celtic monks around AD 800. It contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin, along with prefatory and explanatory matter decorated with numerous colourful illustrations and illuminations. The script and illustrations were really beautiful! After admiring a few pages of the Book, we went up to the Long Room, with books from floor to ceiling. The main chamber of the Old Library, the Long Room, is over 212 feet in length, and houses around 200,000 of the Library's oldest books. Marble busts are placed down either side of the room representing famous authors and philosophers. One of the dozen or so remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic is on display. This signalled the start of the Easter Rising when it was read aloud by Patrick Pearse outside the General Post Office on 24 April 1916. Changing exhibits of printed books and manuscripts from the Library's collections are mounted in the Long Room.
While Erin and I were admiring the library, with its spiral staircases and 10 foot ladders, Erin noticed a man wearing a Notre Dame windbreaker. I approached him and asked him if he was a Notre Dame fan. It turned out he was the head track coach at Notre Dame! We told him we were from Saint Mary's and chatted with him for awhile-- what a small world!
After taking some pictures of the beautiful Trinity College campus, we moved on to visit the Molly Malone statue. "Molly Malone" is a popular song which has acquired the status of an Irish anthem. It has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City in Ireland and tells the tale of a beautiful fishmonger who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but died young, of a fever. The statue of Molly was designed by Jeanne Rynhart and was erected at the bottom of Grafton Street to celebrate the city's first millennium in 1987.
After visiting the statue and meeting a cute Irish man that took our picture, we stopped for a quick lunch at Delish pie cafe and juice bar. I had a lovely steak and cheese pie with mashed potatoes-- it was, in fact, delish!
Next we went to visit Dublin Castle. Dublin Castle is a major Irish governmental complex, formerly the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Originally built as a defensive fortification for the Norman city of Dublin, it later evolved into a royal residence. Largely complete by 1230, the castle was of typical Norman courtyard design, with a central square devoid of a keep, bounded on all sides by tall defensive walls and protected at each corner by a circular tower. The castle was beautiful inside and out, and we were really excited that we knew a lot of the history that the tour guide talked about because of our Irish history class! We also ran into the ND track coach inside again, and he asked us if we knew where the Notre Dame building was in Dublin. We were so excited that we were able to tell him!
Next, we rushed across town to get to the Guinness Brewery before it closed. I wasn't sure if I would like this, since I don't like beer, but the factory itself was actually really cool, and the tour was pretty interesting. At the end of the tour we walked up to the top of the building, and Katie and Lydia enjoyed their free Guinness pints while the rest of us sipped nasty diet cokes. But the view was beautiful; we could see all of Dublin lit up!
When we left the brewery, we walked back towards Grafton Street, and we got to see all the streets lit up with Christmas lights! It was so beautiful! There were chandeliers across the roads, and people scurrying from shop to shop; all they needed was some snow to make it most beautiful!
We stopped at Carrol's to do some intense souvenir shopping and then at Supermac's for some garlic cheese chips (Lydia had to have them before she left Ireland!)
Upon returning to Maynooth on the train that evening, we made a fabulous pancake dinner (Lydia had been craving pancakes for weeks with no way to make them, so we thought we'd satisfy her craving) and watched Peter Pan (again, because Lydia really wanted to see it). All in all, a fantastic day!
The next morning, a few of the girls needed their "beauty sleep," so it was just Lyds, Katie and I who set out for Kilmainham Gaol the next morning. Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Inchicore in Dublin, which is now a museum. Kilmainham Gaol has played an important part in Irish history, as many leaders of Irish rebellions were imprisoned and some executed in the jail. Most famously, the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and executed in the jail, and Eamon de Valera was the last prisoner in Kilmainham. Kilmainham Gaol was abandoned as a jail in 1924, by the government of the new Irish Free State. The jail has also been used as a set for several films including The Italian Job and Boondock Saints.
It was really weird standing in the yard where the leaders of the Easter Rising were executed. The Easter Rising was a rebellion by Irish republicans to win independence from Britain during Easter week of 1916. The rising was not very popular among the Irish until the leaders of the rising were executed in Kilmainham Gaol. Those executions changed the public's opinion and caused a huge surge of support for Irish rebels and Sinn Fein, a political party believed to have links to the rising. The executions seemed to be a catalyst in the nationwide push for Irish independence, and standing in the yard where those executions took place was a very intense experience.
The tour took a little longer than we expected, and when we finally got over to St. Patrick's Cathedral, we had already missed the service, and it was closed. But we walked around it and took some pictures. St. Patrick's Cathedral was founded in 1191 and is the larger of Dublin's two Church of Ireland cathedrals, and the largest church in Ireland. There was some restoration taking place on the outside, of course, but the garden behind the Cathedral was really beautiful (plus it had a playground, so we obviously hit that up). The green was the site of the well where St. Patrick baptised many of the local inhabitants in the 5th century A.D.
After visiting St. Patrick's, we had to get Lydia to the bus station so she could catch a bus to the airport for her return to London. It was sad to see her go; we had such a great weekend! I love how being so far from home brings old friends together...
After we got back, I had to snap myself back into reality and make myself work this week. I had a paper due this week that I hadn't even started so I finished that on Monday night so I could spend all day Tuesday memorizing lines for the play I'm in. Play rehearsals this week have been very frustrating. It was totally unreasonable and unfair for the drama society to expect us to memorize so many lines in such little time. Plus, we've only had a few rehearsals. I am NOT used to this Irish way of unorganization. My cast members would come late to rehearsals or not come at all. We've barely rehearsed at all! The third member of the cast dropped out last week, so we had to find someone new, and who knows if he'll be able to memorize his lines. Our director has a very different idea of the play and of our characters than we do, so that's been frustrating. Plus he stops us like every 5 seconds, so it's hard to stay in character and memorize lines and blocking with so many interruptions. AND I have to kiss the leading man in my play. Now, I'm an actress, and the reason I wanted to take the kiss out of the play was not because I'm not attracted to this guy (which I am not: he has long hair and a long pinky finger nail and he smells), but he is the most awkward boy ever! He's never even been on stage before, so he's uncomfortable acting in the first place, and he's obviously not very comfortable around me either. I just didn't want that to project itself onto the audience and make them feel uncomfortable too, as I feel I would if I were in the audience. Well, I voiced this to my director, and I thought I made a pretty good argument for myself. But, like I said, he had a very different idea of how the play should be, so he is basically making us do it. I'm an actress, but still... it's awkward. I can't wait for this show to be over. And besides all this, I definitely do NOT have all my lines memorized, and my cast members definitely do not either, and I am SO bad at improvisation. When things go wrong on stage, I just fall out of character. This is going to be one interesting experience...
Jackie, one of my friends from Saint Mary's, is directing a play next semester. She wants me to be her stage manager, which I am DEFINITELY going to do now. We are going to show these Irish how to be organized and punctual and professional. We are going to be in charge, and our show is going to be polished and structured! I can't wait!
History paper and exam in two weeks, plus I still have to memorize all these lines and be prepared for the play. Stress, stress, stress. How many days until Christmas?
Pictures:
Thanksgiving and Exploring
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123102&l=3935e&id=5619987
Thanksgiving and Lydia
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123104&l=58a98&id=5619987
The Yellow Brick Road in Dublin
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123106&l=2d4ff&id=5619987
Peter Pancakes
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123107&l=fd7bb&id=5619987
My friends made Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night, but I couldn't make it because I had play rehearsal. However, they saved me some food, and I warmed it up when I got back-- you can never have too much turkey!
Thursday I took the day off from classes and work for Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving mass on south campus that Katie helped plan. Somehow I ended up bringing up the gifts-- me, right? I'm not even Catholic! I can't even take communion, and I brought it up! It was kind of weird, but I guess I've having all sorts of new experiences here in Ireland! After mass, the Chaplains treated us all to lunch! It was pretty delicious-- especially the banana and caramel dessert! When we were finished with lunch, Katie and I went out to explore south campus. We took a walk around the footpath that circles campus and took loads of pictures of whatever we could find! We even wandered into the church which was SOOO beautiful! We ran into a tour group that we followed for awhile, and we found out they were from Clongowes Wood College (where we toured last week)! It was a windy day, but a beautiful day. We hurried back after our photo shoot to tidy up for our departure for Castletown. Castletown House was built in 1722 for William Conolly, the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. The house was inherited by Tom Conolly in 1758 and the interior decoration was finished by his wife Lady Louisa (great-grand-daughter of Charles II of England and his mistress Louise de Keroualle) during the 1760s and 1770s. The house was bought in 1967 by Desmond Guinness (an heir to the brewery throne) to save it from vandalism, became the flagship of the Irish Georgian Society, owned by the Castletown Foundation, and was later still transferred to the Office of Public Works. It was too dark outside to get great pictures of the house, but it was grand! It reminded me of the White House. It was cool to see the house, as most of it had been preserved and restored. After the tour, we had dinner in the restaurant in the bottom of the house. The Thanksgiving dinner was a delicious meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. It was a very good attempt by the Irish to produce a traditional American meal, and it was delicious, but there wasn't quite enough food to fill us until we thought we would burst (like there SHOULD be on Thanksgiving).
On Friday I went to meet Lydia Manteufel at the train station. Lydia and I were in "The Wiz" together in middle school, and then in Creative Connections (a show choir in Wausau) together for a year or two after that. I hadn't seen her in years, but when I found out she would be in London for the year, I emailed her, and she decided to come visit for the weekend! I love how being across the world brings old friends together!
So, I picked Lydia up at the train station, we came back to my flat, got her settled, and caught up until my friends joined us for dinner. We all cooked a nice meal of delicious chicken stir-fry, and then we had Katie's boy story for dessert :)
We all bundled up and went to The Roost so I could show Lydia what an Irish pub was like. We chatted at the Roost for awhile and then stopped at Dunne's on the way home for some dessert. We decided on chocolate cake, apple crumble, and caramel icecream-- needless to say, it was delicious. After a lovely dessert (probably too much dessert), we snuggled up to watch Grey's Anatomy before bed.
On Saturday, we all got up early to go to Dublin. Our first stop was Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Trinity College was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university"; Trinity and the University of Dublin form Ireland's oldest university. The Book of Kells is an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by Celtic monks around AD 800. It contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin, along with prefatory and explanatory matter decorated with numerous colourful illustrations and illuminations. The script and illustrations were really beautiful! After admiring a few pages of the Book, we went up to the Long Room, with books from floor to ceiling. The main chamber of the Old Library, the Long Room, is over 212 feet in length, and houses around 200,000 of the Library's oldest books. Marble busts are placed down either side of the room representing famous authors and philosophers. One of the dozen or so remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic is on display. This signalled the start of the Easter Rising when it was read aloud by Patrick Pearse outside the General Post Office on 24 April 1916. Changing exhibits of printed books and manuscripts from the Library's collections are mounted in the Long Room.
While Erin and I were admiring the library, with its spiral staircases and 10 foot ladders, Erin noticed a man wearing a Notre Dame windbreaker. I approached him and asked him if he was a Notre Dame fan. It turned out he was the head track coach at Notre Dame! We told him we were from Saint Mary's and chatted with him for awhile-- what a small world!
After taking some pictures of the beautiful Trinity College campus, we moved on to visit the Molly Malone statue. "Molly Malone" is a popular song which has acquired the status of an Irish anthem. It has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City in Ireland and tells the tale of a beautiful fishmonger who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but died young, of a fever. The statue of Molly was designed by Jeanne Rynhart and was erected at the bottom of Grafton Street to celebrate the city's first millennium in 1987.
After visiting the statue and meeting a cute Irish man that took our picture, we stopped for a quick lunch at Delish pie cafe and juice bar. I had a lovely steak and cheese pie with mashed potatoes-- it was, in fact, delish!
Next we went to visit Dublin Castle. Dublin Castle is a major Irish governmental complex, formerly the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Originally built as a defensive fortification for the Norman city of Dublin, it later evolved into a royal residence. Largely complete by 1230, the castle was of typical Norman courtyard design, with a central square devoid of a keep, bounded on all sides by tall defensive walls and protected at each corner by a circular tower. The castle was beautiful inside and out, and we were really excited that we knew a lot of the history that the tour guide talked about because of our Irish history class! We also ran into the ND track coach inside again, and he asked us if we knew where the Notre Dame building was in Dublin. We were so excited that we were able to tell him!
Next, we rushed across town to get to the Guinness Brewery before it closed. I wasn't sure if I would like this, since I don't like beer, but the factory itself was actually really cool, and the tour was pretty interesting. At the end of the tour we walked up to the top of the building, and Katie and Lydia enjoyed their free Guinness pints while the rest of us sipped nasty diet cokes. But the view was beautiful; we could see all of Dublin lit up!
When we left the brewery, we walked back towards Grafton Street, and we got to see all the streets lit up with Christmas lights! It was so beautiful! There were chandeliers across the roads, and people scurrying from shop to shop; all they needed was some snow to make it most beautiful!
We stopped at Carrol's to do some intense souvenir shopping and then at Supermac's for some garlic cheese chips (Lydia had to have them before she left Ireland!)
Upon returning to Maynooth on the train that evening, we made a fabulous pancake dinner (Lydia had been craving pancakes for weeks with no way to make them, so we thought we'd satisfy her craving) and watched Peter Pan (again, because Lydia really wanted to see it). All in all, a fantastic day!
The next morning, a few of the girls needed their "beauty sleep," so it was just Lyds, Katie and I who set out for Kilmainham Gaol the next morning. Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Inchicore in Dublin, which is now a museum. Kilmainham Gaol has played an important part in Irish history, as many leaders of Irish rebellions were imprisoned and some executed in the jail. Most famously, the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and executed in the jail, and Eamon de Valera was the last prisoner in Kilmainham. Kilmainham Gaol was abandoned as a jail in 1924, by the government of the new Irish Free State. The jail has also been used as a set for several films including The Italian Job and Boondock Saints.
It was really weird standing in the yard where the leaders of the Easter Rising were executed. The Easter Rising was a rebellion by Irish republicans to win independence from Britain during Easter week of 1916. The rising was not very popular among the Irish until the leaders of the rising were executed in Kilmainham Gaol. Those executions changed the public's opinion and caused a huge surge of support for Irish rebels and Sinn Fein, a political party believed to have links to the rising. The executions seemed to be a catalyst in the nationwide push for Irish independence, and standing in the yard where those executions took place was a very intense experience.
The tour took a little longer than we expected, and when we finally got over to St. Patrick's Cathedral, we had already missed the service, and it was closed. But we walked around it and took some pictures. St. Patrick's Cathedral was founded in 1191 and is the larger of Dublin's two Church of Ireland cathedrals, and the largest church in Ireland. There was some restoration taking place on the outside, of course, but the garden behind the Cathedral was really beautiful (plus it had a playground, so we obviously hit that up). The green was the site of the well where St. Patrick baptised many of the local inhabitants in the 5th century A.D.
After visiting St. Patrick's, we had to get Lydia to the bus station so she could catch a bus to the airport for her return to London. It was sad to see her go; we had such a great weekend! I love how being so far from home brings old friends together...
After we got back, I had to snap myself back into reality and make myself work this week. I had a paper due this week that I hadn't even started so I finished that on Monday night so I could spend all day Tuesday memorizing lines for the play I'm in. Play rehearsals this week have been very frustrating. It was totally unreasonable and unfair for the drama society to expect us to memorize so many lines in such little time. Plus, we've only had a few rehearsals. I am NOT used to this Irish way of unorganization. My cast members would come late to rehearsals or not come at all. We've barely rehearsed at all! The third member of the cast dropped out last week, so we had to find someone new, and who knows if he'll be able to memorize his lines. Our director has a very different idea of the play and of our characters than we do, so that's been frustrating. Plus he stops us like every 5 seconds, so it's hard to stay in character and memorize lines and blocking with so many interruptions. AND I have to kiss the leading man in my play. Now, I'm an actress, and the reason I wanted to take the kiss out of the play was not because I'm not attracted to this guy (which I am not: he has long hair and a long pinky finger nail and he smells), but he is the most awkward boy ever! He's never even been on stage before, so he's uncomfortable acting in the first place, and he's obviously not very comfortable around me either. I just didn't want that to project itself onto the audience and make them feel uncomfortable too, as I feel I would if I were in the audience. Well, I voiced this to my director, and I thought I made a pretty good argument for myself. But, like I said, he had a very different idea of how the play should be, so he is basically making us do it. I'm an actress, but still... it's awkward. I can't wait for this show to be over. And besides all this, I definitely do NOT have all my lines memorized, and my cast members definitely do not either, and I am SO bad at improvisation. When things go wrong on stage, I just fall out of character. This is going to be one interesting experience...
It's been a stressful week, but I got two packages yesterday: thanks Katie and Rae! They made my week!
Jackie, one of my friends from Saint Mary's, is directing a play next semester. She wants me to be her stage manager, which I am DEFINITELY going to do now. We are going to show these Irish how to be organized and punctual and professional. We are going to be in charge, and our show is going to be polished and structured! I can't wait!
History paper and exam in two weeks, plus I still have to memorize all these lines and be prepared for the play. Stress, stress, stress. How many days until Christmas?
Pictures:
Thanksgiving and Exploring
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123102&l=3935e&id=5619987
Thanksgiving and Lydia
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123104&l=58a98&id=5619987
The Yellow Brick Road in Dublin
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123106&l=2d4ff&id=5619987
Peter Pancakes
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123107&l=fd7bb&id=5619987
Monday, November 19, 2007
Happy Birthday To Me!
Big English paper due last week, so that consumed most of my evenings. But now that I'm done with my anthropology class, I have a lot more time on my hands. I spent most of the week working on that paper (or thinking about working on it), and trying to avoid thinking about the fact that I was going to be turning twenty on Sunday.
Saturday we went on a little trip with our good friend Seamus. (He's about 65 years old and LOVES history. He comes to our Saint Mary's meetings to tell us about the history of places we visit). So Saturday afternoon we went to see Clongowes Wood. It used to be a castle and is now a boys' secondary school (or a "boys' college" as they are called here). James Joyce attended Clongowes Wood College from 1888 to 1891. He wrote about the school and many of his teachers and classmates in the first 120 pages of "Portrait of the Artist." The castle was built in 1450, rebuilt by Stephen Fitzwilliam Browne in 1718, extended to the back in 1788 by Thomas Wogan Browne, and bought by the Jesuits and turned into a school in 1840. Father Kenney, the founder of Clongowes Wood College, was buds with Daniel O'Connell (a famous political leader in Irish history), who sent 4 of his sons to the school. Also, Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, wrote about dining in the dining room at Clongowes Wood. The house was really cool... especially the old library with the hidden doorway! I want a mystery house when I grow up! With secret doors...
Sunday morning, my birthday, I got up and scrubbed my floors and cleaned my apartment in preparation for my party! Then I got all gussied up, lit some candles, and welcomed all my guests. We had fun chatting and making Bacardi Breezer floats (mmmm! delicious) and then went out to dinner at Donatello's Italian Restaurant in Maynooth. It was delicious! I had to get lasagna because my dad always makes me lasagna for my birthday! It actually tasted a lot like my dad's lasagna, which made me very happy. After I was done with my lasagna, the waiter brought me out some chocolate cake with a candle and everyone sang me "Happy Birthday." It was a fabulous night! Thanks to all my friends that made it class, sassy, and fabulous!
After we got back, I pried of my false eyelashes (which i accidentally glued to my eyelashes on one eye instead of my eyelid and had to pry off with a tweezers... painful)! Then a few of us watched Peter Pan (the one that came out in 2003), which was amazing! Katie and I stayed up till 4am watching the movie and facebooking and such, so she just slept over. Fun times!
Today I went to class and then got my PACKAGE from my mom with all sorts of wonderful birthday items in it including silver stilettos and a Wisconsin badgers hoodie! I was REAL excited! Katie got the Josh Groban Christmas CD in the mail (which I didn't even know existed and which was basically also a gift to me since she let me put it on my computer right away). We had delicious chili for dinner (made by Beth), and then I spent the rest of the evening helping our friend Missy move into a new apartment and sending thank yous to all the people who sent me happy birthdays on facebook. It's so nice to feel so loved, even when I'm so far from the people I love the most!
Miss everyone!!! And Happy Thanksgiving!
Pictures from my birthday:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121457&l=7fac8&id=5619987
Clongowes Wood and Miscellaneous Ireland pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121433&l=ea92c&id=5619987
Saturday we went on a little trip with our good friend Seamus. (He's about 65 years old and LOVES history. He comes to our Saint Mary's meetings to tell us about the history of places we visit). So Saturday afternoon we went to see Clongowes Wood. It used to be a castle and is now a boys' secondary school (or a "boys' college" as they are called here). James Joyce attended Clongowes Wood College from 1888 to 1891. He wrote about the school and many of his teachers and classmates in the first 120 pages of "Portrait of the Artist." The castle was built in 1450, rebuilt by Stephen Fitzwilliam Browne in 1718, extended to the back in 1788 by Thomas Wogan Browne, and bought by the Jesuits and turned into a school in 1840. Father Kenney, the founder of Clongowes Wood College, was buds with Daniel O'Connell (a famous political leader in Irish history), who sent 4 of his sons to the school. Also, Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, wrote about dining in the dining room at Clongowes Wood. The house was really cool... especially the old library with the hidden doorway! I want a mystery house when I grow up! With secret doors...
Sunday morning, my birthday, I got up and scrubbed my floors and cleaned my apartment in preparation for my party! Then I got all gussied up, lit some candles, and welcomed all my guests. We had fun chatting and making Bacardi Breezer floats (mmmm! delicious) and then went out to dinner at Donatello's Italian Restaurant in Maynooth. It was delicious! I had to get lasagna because my dad always makes me lasagna for my birthday! It actually tasted a lot like my dad's lasagna, which made me very happy. After I was done with my lasagna, the waiter brought me out some chocolate cake with a candle and everyone sang me "Happy Birthday." It was a fabulous night! Thanks to all my friends that made it class, sassy, and fabulous!
After we got back, I pried of my false eyelashes (which i accidentally glued to my eyelashes on one eye instead of my eyelid and had to pry off with a tweezers... painful)! Then a few of us watched Peter Pan (the one that came out in 2003), which was amazing! Katie and I stayed up till 4am watching the movie and facebooking and such, so she just slept over. Fun times!
Today I went to class and then got my PACKAGE from my mom with all sorts of wonderful birthday items in it including silver stilettos and a Wisconsin badgers hoodie! I was REAL excited! Katie got the Josh Groban Christmas CD in the mail (which I didn't even know existed and which was basically also a gift to me since she let me put it on my computer right away). We had delicious chili for dinner (made by Beth), and then I spent the rest of the evening helping our friend Missy move into a new apartment and sending thank yous to all the people who sent me happy birthdays on facebook. It's so nice to feel so loved, even when I'm so far from the people I love the most!
Miss everyone!!! And Happy Thanksgiving!
Pictures from my birthday:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121457&l=7fac8&id=5619987
Clongowes Wood and Miscellaneous Ireland pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121433&l=ea92c&id=5619987
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