Ah, The Luck of the Irish

Dublin: The City of Green

       Literally, everything in Ireland is green. Their lampposts have clovers on them and they have pubs everywhere. So, why not travel there for a weekend?

       It was fabulous. We found our way to our airport (I'm basically a GPS). We land in Dublin and realize that there is an Irish language (What?!). We find the right bus (they give you change for a 20 in all euro coins, it's like winning at the slot machines). Then we don't know where our B&B is... but find it! The Irish are pretty nice if you can understand what they're saying. And after settling in, we head out to find dinner and end up listening to different pubs' Irish music (it's fantastic). 

       The next day, we're total tourists. We go to all the common places. Trinity College, see the Book of Kells (pretty legit if you can fight off the crowd to the case). Loose Amanda.... Find Amanda at the B&B. Wander to Dublin Castle (saddest excuse for a castle ever). Then we go to evensong at the St. Patrick's Cathedral.... scariest experience of my life!!!!!! There was maybe 10 people there for the service. And the cathedral is mainly lit up to the standard of candlelight. So it's dark and huge. Every sound echoes through out the entire cathedral. The ceremony goes and I took the opportunity to seriously ponder the ceremony while sleeping (it's what happens when prayers are pretty songs that last ten minutes). AFter it's over, you're supposed to sit until the organ is done playing. And a little background, we had just read a creepy short story about organ playing ghosts... and we say an empty organ off to the side... and there was no one playing it... but there was music. This was the first sign. While we're sitting there, the organ player goes INSANE! Where ever this creature was, it was possessed or something, because I have never been so scared in my life. I think that Dracula was going to fly down from the rafters and eat me. It's the haunted mansion music x100! Amanda and I just grab the other's leg with horrified looks. And it lasts, FOREVER!!!! We're just sitting there in total terror, trapped in a dumb little pew by this little wooden door! It ends and we book it out of there and get out and just start laughing at how ridiculous this experience just was. But we walked to a park and ended up talking to some local kids that were really funny. They had us say "Apples and oranges," then they'd laugh, and we'd have them say "Ireland" and we'd giggle. They also told me that they thought I was "Posh" when they first saw me.... YES! Best compliment ever! I felt so cool and trendy! 

After having a restless sleep (thank you creepy evensong... I didn't know church could be so scary), we went off for a trip to the other coast! We loaded on a coach and went from Galway to Moher. I am officially in love with the countryside. There is something more rugged about them than in England. We made cute stops along the way... at some cliffy beach... then a pub... then the CLIFFS OF MOHER. You may know these cliffs from their appearance in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. They were pretty awesome. There were so high up and so pretty too! IT was just crazy... We followed the crowd and went to the side of the trail where there (*don't read this part, Mom) was not a safety wall. And it was soooo cool. IT was just beautiful. You couldn't see where the sky met the water. It was quite something. Then we stopped to try to find a leprechaun and make a wish. Then at some really old stones too. After our return to our B&B, we went to a pub to sit a listen to music... it was so Irish and cute! 

       On Saturday, we discovered that the Irish luck... was not necessarily the good kind. After pickin' up a souvenir, Amanda and I met up with Jared at a museum and looked around. And then hiked to a park with everything we needed to live on our backs. We ate lunch and ended up heading the wrong direction in what seemed to be the biggest "park" in the world. And we thought we were going to be late for our plane. So we book it back the way we had just walked. We finally get to a bus stop and we're exhausted. And the sweet bus driver lets us know he's not the right bus but takes us to another stop for free. I did't understand half of what he said, but I think he was really nice. We pay to get on this express bus, and three blocks later, it breaks down. Then we have to go to another stop and get on another bus and hope that we get to the airport on time. We get there... and go to the wrong side of the airport and have to run to the other side of the airport.... but we make it on time... Everything else went smoothly. I have less respect for Disney Channel's Luck of the Irish.... 

       Overall, Ireland was fantastic. Our coach tour guide was hilarious and we just had a blast. I learned a lot about myself and about understanding thick accents.... It was good to get back home to London though. Especially because it was Jubilee Weekend! Imagine 4th of July having been build up for a decade and finally let out in a huge explosion of British pride! That's in my next blog! For now, wish me luck on my finals! (But not the Irish luck.. because that can go either way)

Have a great week!