A big group of us Americans took a day trip Howth yesterday. If you've never heard of Howth, it's a small fishing town in Dublin, Ireland and it's one of the most magical and beautiful places I've ever been. Google it, for sure.
I don't know how well I'll be able to describe the beauty and charm of Howth solely through this blog. Therefore, I'm going to describe the events of the day and reccommend you take a look at the photos on my facebook page. It's better seen than described.
Anyhow, here we go...
Upon arriving in Howth (via DART) we stumbled upon the local farmer's market complete with a sea of free samples and eager bargainers. Aside from amazingly fresh (and organic!) produce, the market offered cupcakes, crepes, hummus and scones. Not like any other market I've been to!
We made our rounds through all the free samples, then took a short walk to the rocky coast for a photo shoot. All pictures will be on facebook soon.
We then got lunch, some of us got crepes at the farmer's market, and others (including myself) opted for the local fish and chips restaurant, Beshoff Brothers.. Insanely delicious! (I'd like to thank Casey Munn for the recommendation, haha). That is the first time I've ever had fish & chips, and the salt and vinegar added a nice little something!
We then made our way to the tourist center where the Howth experts handed us a map, which looked like it was drawn by a 5th grader, and told us to visit the castle, walk the footpath beyond the castle and make our way to the cliff walk. So we did just that.
Since I am a very inexperienced navigator, I decided this was the perfect chance to tap into my inner compass and lead our small group of 7 or 8 to the castle.
I was quite proud of myself, and even had Allison take a picture of my trusty map and I, but I soon realized I had the map upside down and was leading the group in the entirely wrong direction. So, after a quick apology and directions from a local, we were back on track and all was forgiven. Thank goodness Howth is so small!
We soon made it to the castle and had yet another photo shoot. This castle was special, however, in that it was inhabited by an actual family. Yes, there are still those who live in castles. We got to "play" on the grounds, though, and that provided plenty of photo opportunities. Again, see facebook for pictures!
We then walked the footpath behind the castle (just like the experts promised!) and it was amazing! From the top you could see all of Howth and the weather was perfect! As you may have guessed, another photo shoot took place.
We then hurried to the cliff walk, and were stunned once we arrived. The cliff walk officially begins after you walk up a steep hill and enter the "cliff zone". The cliff walk was like walking up the side of a mountain, with a few beaten paths along the way. Although I almost feared for my life at certain points, I think the view and the entire experience was one of the most amazing things I've ever done!
I was very lucky to have gone with such a great group of people and I'm so happy we have beautiful places near by!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Spicy mustard should be a food group.
So I've been in Ireland for over a week now and I've experienced quite a bit. First and foremost, I'm learning how to "cook".
Luckily, my roommate Meg is an expert chef. I witnessed her make chicken and sauteed vegetables without blinking an eye. But unfortunately, I cannot say the same for myself.
So, after spending my first few nights feasting on raw vegetables and wheat bread (not even toasted) I decided give cooking a go.
Don't get too excited, though.
When I say cooking I don't mean combining ingredients and using actual skill. I simply mean boiling pasta and vegetables and "seasoning" my creation with some spicy mustard.
I even heated up some chicken curry soup from a can tonight (delicious by the way). And that's about it.
However, after watching Meg cook with the greatest of ease and even helping her a few times, I feel like I'm starting to overcome my fear of the kitchen.
I've realized that, like any good project it's all about experimentation and creativity.
There are no "wrong turns" or "epic fails" when it comes to cooking, even if the fire alarm goes off. It can all be fixed with some spicy mustard.
I intend to keep in mind next time I am too intimidated to walk down the spices & seasonings aisle at Tesco.
That's all for now. Wish I could type more but my eyes are getting heavy.
Can't wait for my birthday tomorrow (21st)! So excited! We are going out for a pint!
Cheers!
Luckily, my roommate Meg is an expert chef. I witnessed her make chicken and sauteed vegetables without blinking an eye. But unfortunately, I cannot say the same for myself.
So, after spending my first few nights feasting on raw vegetables and wheat bread (not even toasted) I decided give cooking a go.
Don't get too excited, though.
When I say cooking I don't mean combining ingredients and using actual skill. I simply mean boiling pasta and vegetables and "seasoning" my creation with some spicy mustard.
I even heated up some chicken curry soup from a can tonight (delicious by the way). And that's about it.
However, after watching Meg cook with the greatest of ease and even helping her a few times, I feel like I'm starting to overcome my fear of the kitchen.
I've realized that, like any good project it's all about experimentation and creativity.
There are no "wrong turns" or "epic fails" when it comes to cooking, even if the fire alarm goes off. It can all be fixed with some spicy mustard.
I intend to keep in mind next time I am too intimidated to walk down the spices & seasonings aisle at Tesco.
That's all for now. Wish I could type more but my eyes are getting heavy.
Can't wait for my birthday tomorrow (21st)! So excited! We are going out for a pint!
Cheers!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Day 2
Day 2:
We started the day slipping and sliding our way to the Dublin Business School. It's currently the coldest winter the city has had in over 30 years, so they are out of sand and the ice on the sidewalks is like a death trap, haha. More on that later.
Once we found the main DBS building on Aungier St. we walked as a group to Grafton St. (one of the main touristy shopping centers, like the 5th avenue of Dublin) to catch our bus tour. We were lucky enough to score a double decker bus with a hilarious and very friendly driver! It was a "stop and go" tour so we were able to get off the bus and take pictures at certain points. I hope to upload those soon.
Oh, and it was also snowing during the tour so all the pictures came out beautifully! We stopped at a park and the lake was frozen over and all the trees were covered in snow-gorgeous!
We also stopped at St. Patrick's cathedral (I can't wait to go! Might attend a church service there if they'll let me) as well as the Guiness brewery. I think the Guiness brewery would be a nice day trip when I have the time. I'd really like to visit!
The bus tour gave me a lot of good ideas of great places to go in Dublin, so I'm excited to hit the pavement and check out all this city has to offer! I feel like I have so much to discover and it's so exciting!!!
Then, after the bus tour, a few girls and I went shopping at Penney's. The best department store I've ever been to! They have the cutest leather boots (great for walking in the snow and rain) for the low price of 9 euro! WHAT?!?! crazy! They also have cute hats, gloves, clothes, bedspreads (I got a new duvet and set of pillows for about 20 euro) and warm fleece blankets. AH! It's so cold here, haha.
Anyway, we then made our way to Meteor phone store (slipping and sliding the whole way, mind you) and I purchased a cell phone that will work only in Ireland.
After such an eventful day, we all decided to sit and eat at one of the first places we came to. I cannot remember the name of the place, but we sat in the James Joyce lounge. I had a delicious mushroom soup and side salad, complete with my own piece of Irish soda bread! How exciting! It tastes almost like a breakfast bread (a little sweet) and has the texture of freshly baked banana bread. Needless to say, my mouth is still watering. Haha...
A few minutes after dinner, an older Irish gentleman named George struck up a conversation with us while he sipped his pint of Guiness. He started off asking each of our names, then proceeded to sing songs with our names in the lyrics.
Shortly after, he asked us if we had seen a number of what the Irish see as typical American movies such as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", and if we had ever heard of "The Fonz" from the old show "Happy Days". I think he knew more about America than we did...especially when he mentioned loving the musical artist P!nk. He surprised us with that one!
After a lively conversation, a number of American movie references and a slew of songs being sung by George himself, we got our checks and left the pub. We will definitely be back though, because apparently George sings kareoke every Friday and Saturday night, and attends poetry club at the pub on Wednesday evenings. Something to be considered for sure.
Anyhow, as soon as we walked back to the residence hall, I knocked on our neighbor's door to find my roommate. As it turns out, they hadn't seen my roommate, but they were all going out to a local pub across the street called The Glimmerman. So I went, and had the best time! First things first, I ordered my second adult beverage, called a Snakebite. It's a mix of cider, cranberry juice (I think) and something else. Tasted like fruity soda to me, so I enjoyed sipping on that!
The pub was full with about 70% of the DBS international students just sitting around the pub, sharing drinks, shaking hands and meeting one another, and just having a genuinely good time on our first real night in Dublin. I met so many great people and I am looking forward to meeting many more!
After The Glimmerman closed (they stop serving drinks around 11:30 here!) we made our way back to the apartments and sleep. I took the best shower of my life (only five minutes long, due to electricity conservation) and went to bed.
I must say Day 2 was really a wonderful, wonderful day! I had the best time getting to know my fellow DBS'ers and cannot wait to meet the rest of them. I smell an adventure! hahaha...
Alright it's bedtime now.
Cheers again!
We started the day slipping and sliding our way to the Dublin Business School. It's currently the coldest winter the city has had in over 30 years, so they are out of sand and the ice on the sidewalks is like a death trap, haha. More on that later.
Once we found the main DBS building on Aungier St. we walked as a group to Grafton St. (one of the main touristy shopping centers, like the 5th avenue of Dublin) to catch our bus tour. We were lucky enough to score a double decker bus with a hilarious and very friendly driver! It was a "stop and go" tour so we were able to get off the bus and take pictures at certain points. I hope to upload those soon.
Oh, and it was also snowing during the tour so all the pictures came out beautifully! We stopped at a park and the lake was frozen over and all the trees were covered in snow-gorgeous!
We also stopped at St. Patrick's cathedral (I can't wait to go! Might attend a church service there if they'll let me) as well as the Guiness brewery. I think the Guiness brewery would be a nice day trip when I have the time. I'd really like to visit!
The bus tour gave me a lot of good ideas of great places to go in Dublin, so I'm excited to hit the pavement and check out all this city has to offer! I feel like I have so much to discover and it's so exciting!!!
Then, after the bus tour, a few girls and I went shopping at Penney's. The best department store I've ever been to! They have the cutest leather boots (great for walking in the snow and rain) for the low price of 9 euro! WHAT?!?! crazy! They also have cute hats, gloves, clothes, bedspreads (I got a new duvet and set of pillows for about 20 euro) and warm fleece blankets. AH! It's so cold here, haha.
Anyway, we then made our way to Meteor phone store (slipping and sliding the whole way, mind you) and I purchased a cell phone that will work only in Ireland.
After such an eventful day, we all decided to sit and eat at one of the first places we came to. I cannot remember the name of the place, but we sat in the James Joyce lounge. I had a delicious mushroom soup and side salad, complete with my own piece of Irish soda bread! How exciting! It tastes almost like a breakfast bread (a little sweet) and has the texture of freshly baked banana bread. Needless to say, my mouth is still watering. Haha...
A few minutes after dinner, an older Irish gentleman named George struck up a conversation with us while he sipped his pint of Guiness. He started off asking each of our names, then proceeded to sing songs with our names in the lyrics.
Shortly after, he asked us if we had seen a number of what the Irish see as typical American movies such as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", and if we had ever heard of "The Fonz" from the old show "Happy Days". I think he knew more about America than we did...especially when he mentioned loving the musical artist P!nk. He surprised us with that one!
After a lively conversation, a number of American movie references and a slew of songs being sung by George himself, we got our checks and left the pub. We will definitely be back though, because apparently George sings kareoke every Friday and Saturday night, and attends poetry club at the pub on Wednesday evenings. Something to be considered for sure.
Anyhow, as soon as we walked back to the residence hall, I knocked on our neighbor's door to find my roommate. As it turns out, they hadn't seen my roommate, but they were all going out to a local pub across the street called The Glimmerman. So I went, and had the best time! First things first, I ordered my second adult beverage, called a Snakebite. It's a mix of cider, cranberry juice (I think) and something else. Tasted like fruity soda to me, so I enjoyed sipping on that!
The pub was full with about 70% of the DBS international students just sitting around the pub, sharing drinks, shaking hands and meeting one another, and just having a genuinely good time on our first real night in Dublin. I met so many great people and I am looking forward to meeting many more!
After The Glimmerman closed (they stop serving drinks around 11:30 here!) we made our way back to the apartments and sleep. I took the best shower of my life (only five minutes long, due to electricity conservation) and went to bed.
I must say Day 2 was really a wonderful, wonderful day! I had the best time getting to know my fellow DBS'ers and cannot wait to meet the rest of them. I smell an adventure! hahaha...
Alright it's bedtime now.
Cheers again!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Day 1
Today officially began around 6:00 am (GMT) when I was awakened by a flight attendant offering me a croissant and fruit salad.
After slowly awakening my senses, attempting to "stretch" within the confines of my airline seat and scarfing down some delicious melon and grapes, I heard the pilot begin to speak over the intercom.
I think this is when it started to sink in.
Finally, after almost an entire year of waiting, planning, wondering, packing and imagining (ie, looking up pictures of Ireland on "Google Images") I was in the country I had wondered about for so long!
The minute I stepped off the plane, I met up with a number of girls from our study abroad program and we waited in the line to get our passports checked. Next, around 9:30, we retrieved our bags, lugged all our belongings through the Dublin airport and found Ms. Elizabeth, one of the coordinators of our program.
We were then told the current shuttle to our residence hall was full, so our group would have to stay and wait for the next shuttle at 11:30. Luckily, as soon as we were ushered into a small corner of the Dublin airport, the nervous/excited chatter began and we all took turns making small talk and getting to know one another.
As we were shuttled across Dublin, Elizabeth gave us a miniature bus tour (a preview of what is to come tomorrow!). We got to see the Ha'Penny Bridge, U2's hotel, the River Liffey and much more. Finally, I got to see it in person!
Next, we arrived at our residence hall (Blackhall place) and were able to unload our things and take the day to shop for basic necessitites. Luckily, my roommate, Meg, and I needed to shop for similar items so we (along with about five other girls) made our way to Penney's to buy Duvet covers, shower curtains, towels, etc. We also looked at boots (I'm in the market for a nice pair of leather boots from Ireland!) but no such luck for me. All too small :/
Anyhow, we then went grocery shopping at Fresh Market, where we purchased necessities such as carrots, peanut butter and bread, and where we learned that in Ireland, one must pay 22 cents to purchase a plastic grocery bag (a free luxury in America). I also learned that one must weigh his or her product and print out the price sticker before presenting it to the cashier. Oops! haha.
We then retired back to our rooms to set up our purchases until we met for dinner at 6:00.
We decided on a pizza place/deli across the street from two Irish pubs (since the pubs weren't serving dinner). I had some delicious minestrone soup and we all got a chance to talk about what we want to do before we leave the country. I said travel to London, but we will see how that plays out...
We then crossed the street to a pub (the name starts with a "C", I can't quite remember) where I purchased my first alcoholic beverage. A delicious cider that tasted like green grapes. :) I felt very grown up, and even a little nervous while ordering, but I knew this day would come eventually! haha...
We then returned to our residence hall, and Meg and I put up our new shower curtain. In short, it was a successful, long, adventurous day. And now I really need to get some sleep.
Cheers!
After slowly awakening my senses, attempting to "stretch" within the confines of my airline seat and scarfing down some delicious melon and grapes, I heard the pilot begin to speak over the intercom.
I think this is when it started to sink in.
Finally, after almost an entire year of waiting, planning, wondering, packing and imagining (ie, looking up pictures of Ireland on "Google Images") I was in the country I had wondered about for so long!
The minute I stepped off the plane, I met up with a number of girls from our study abroad program and we waited in the line to get our passports checked. Next, around 9:30, we retrieved our bags, lugged all our belongings through the Dublin airport and found Ms. Elizabeth, one of the coordinators of our program.
We were then told the current shuttle to our residence hall was full, so our group would have to stay and wait for the next shuttle at 11:30. Luckily, as soon as we were ushered into a small corner of the Dublin airport, the nervous/excited chatter began and we all took turns making small talk and getting to know one another.
As we were shuttled across Dublin, Elizabeth gave us a miniature bus tour (a preview of what is to come tomorrow!). We got to see the Ha'Penny Bridge, U2's hotel, the River Liffey and much more. Finally, I got to see it in person!
Next, we arrived at our residence hall (Blackhall place) and were able to unload our things and take the day to shop for basic necessitites. Luckily, my roommate, Meg, and I needed to shop for similar items so we (along with about five other girls) made our way to Penney's to buy Duvet covers, shower curtains, towels, etc. We also looked at boots (I'm in the market for a nice pair of leather boots from Ireland!) but no such luck for me. All too small :/
Anyhow, we then went grocery shopping at Fresh Market, where we purchased necessities such as carrots, peanut butter and bread, and where we learned that in Ireland, one must pay 22 cents to purchase a plastic grocery bag (a free luxury in America). I also learned that one must weigh his or her product and print out the price sticker before presenting it to the cashier. Oops! haha.
We then retired back to our rooms to set up our purchases until we met for dinner at 6:00.
We decided on a pizza place/deli across the street from two Irish pubs (since the pubs weren't serving dinner). I had some delicious minestrone soup and we all got a chance to talk about what we want to do before we leave the country. I said travel to London, but we will see how that plays out...
We then crossed the street to a pub (the name starts with a "C", I can't quite remember) where I purchased my first alcoholic beverage. A delicious cider that tasted like green grapes. :) I felt very grown up, and even a little nervous while ordering, but I knew this day would come eventually! haha...
We then returned to our residence hall, and Meg and I put up our new shower curtain. In short, it was a successful, long, adventurous day. And now I really need to get some sleep.
Cheers!
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