We've been in Edinburgh, Scotland for exactly one week today.
A few days ago I found myself doing two unusual things: 1. I was doing homework. 2. I was cleaning my room. I thought, "Wait a second, I'm on vacation, so why the heck am I doing two of my least favorite things ever?"
Sometimes I forget that we are over here to actually have class, study, and receive 6 whole hours of credit. It's kind of funny - I think everyone forgets at times. I mean, we'd all rather spend our time outside enjoying everything Scotland has to offer - the scenery, the history, the culture, the shopping, the food, etc. But it's a good thing we DO have class three days a week, because otherwise, we would have all run out of money and things to do by now!
I can't believe this is the first time I've written since we got to Scotland. Actually, I guess I can - I've been so busy taking it in, that lately I've only been getting on my computer just to upload pictures and Skype with my parents and Patrick. So, I guess I haven't gotten to mention to you yet how much I absolutely ADORE Edinburgh (and the whole of this beautiful country)?
Let me just give you a quick run-down of what I've done and seen since I've been here:
Monday, July 12: We took a 5-hour train ride from King's Cross station in London to Waverly station in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a pretty train ride - lots of countryside. We arrived in Edinburgh late afternoon, took cabs to our apartment complex, and got settled in. We're staying at Darroch Court apartments, which is a part of Edinburgh University. The flats are great - Pam, Ashley, and myself are in one together, and we each have a bedroom to ourselves. We also have two bathrooms, a common room/dining room, and a full kitchen. I had to pay 20 pounds for internet access, but I think it was worth it. For dinner, we all went to a pub/restaurant called Deacon Brodie's and ate our first Scottish meal. I got Scottish steak pie and chips (which is basically like pot roast and big french fries) and a piece of forest fruits cheesecake. It was delicious and really hit the spot! I knew that the food here would be better than in London.
After dinner, we all dispersed to explore the city and find our way back to our apartments. We found a little grocery store called Sainsbury's that has the cheapest groceries and the best little bakery. And the best strawberry milk I've ever tasted! Then, trying to find our way back to our apartment (and not succeeding), we ran into some of the group at a pub called The Doctors (which has become a favorite hangout here) and stopped for a while. We eventually found our way back, and I slept very well that night, cuddled up in bed in my flannel pajamas and enjoying the cool weather, not having to worry about waking up in a puddle of sweat from having no air-conditioning.
Tuesday, July 13: We were told to meet at 10 a.m. for instructions on classes for the day. Instead, Tubbs and Mego decided to let us have the day to explore Edinburgh, get acquainted with the city , etc. because of the nice weather (it was supposed to rain the rest of the week). So, we did just that! I was excited to have a day out instead of class. Pam, Ashley, and I decided to do one of those double decker bus tours that went around Edinburgh, and we learned a lot. It was good for helping us see where everything is and figure out how to get to places. After that, our goal was to find the shopping areas because Pam and I wanted to find some comfortable shoes to walk around in. I got a new pair of Converses. We also went down the Royal Mile (it goes through the center of Old Town, and it's called the Royal Mile because Edinburgh Castle is at the top of it, and the Palace at Holyroodhouse is at the bottom) to find some sweatshirts (it's quite chilly here). After going in about 15 different souvenir shops, we finally found the kind we were looking for, and now I have a brand new navy University of Edinburgh sweatshirt to keep me warm. That night we went to The Doctors for dinner (it's very cheap and very good).
Wednesday, July 14: It rained the entire day. Our professors were right to let us have Tuesday off. We tried to get Italian food for dinner, but everywhere we went was packed - possibly because of the rain. Or maybe everybody wanted Italian that night? We ended up going to Pizza Express instead, and it was pretty good. It was pretty Italian, anyway.
Thursday, July 15: Another day of class. For dinner, a bunch of us went to a place called Mai Tai and had Thai food. After that, the entire group went to the Real Mary King's Close, which was a tour of some of underground Scotland. It was interesting - a little creepy, but interesting. Basically, much of the old city of Edinburgh that is long since not used anymore is underground now. After the tour, we all went to The Doctors and then some of us came back to our flat and visited for a while.
Friday, July 16: I climbed the mountain! Seriously. There's this mountain that we can see from our flat called Arthur's Seat, and from the top you can see the entirety of Edinburgh, and beyond. It was a little nerve-racking, and definitely adventurous, but I did it, and I am so proud of myself. (If you know me at all, you know I do NOT do well with heights.) I spent the afternoon relaxing until Pam and I went out the the Royal Mile to reserve our tickets for a Loch Ness trip and do a litte grocery shopping. When we got back to the flat, Pam cooked pasta and garlic bread for dinner and the guys came over. Right before dinner, I realized that I had lost my phone. Long story short, luckily I had dropped it in the Tesco store where we were getting groceries, and someone had picked it up and held it for me. We went out later to complete some stops on our pub trail and I picked up my phone. Lucky? Yes. Very. We all came back and played cards in our flat with the guys for a while.
Saturday, July 17: Lazy day in Scotland. I was exhausted after all the walking and climbing I did on Friday. I slept until almost noon. Ashley and I set out to find a cinema, and we went to see Eclipse. It was better than the first two. I will say that I prefer the movie-going experience in the States. The theaters here are nice, but the popcorn isn't fresh (or yummy like movie popcorn is supposed to be) and the prices are just as bad. See, food here is cheap - unless you're getting it from a cinema, apparently. We stopped at a Sainsbury's on the way back and got some food, then came back to the flat for dinner.
Sunday, July 18: Pam, Ashley and I went to the coast! And we figured out the Lothian bus system here (which is a lot slower than the underground in London, by the way). And the coast wasn't as pretty as I though it would be, but it was the beach, nonetheless. We got a few good pictures before the rain started, and then we darted into a little fish & chips place for some dinner. It was okay, but nothing like the fish & chips I had in Dublin. On our way back in, we completed a couple more stops on our pub trail map.
Monday, July 19: Did I mention, at this point, we haven't had hot water in our apartment since Saturday night? I got up extremely early and boiled water on the stove to wash my hair in the sink. This was the day that Pam and I went to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands! It was the longest day trip every (12 hours to be exact), but it was SO worth it. The country here is absolutely stunning. The Highland country is so fresh, so crisp and beautiful. Loch Ness is quite a sight as well, and all the little villages we stopped in looked like they came straight out of a storybook. I can't even describe how majestic some of the mountains were. My camera couldn't quite capture it, either. I was you could all see them in person. After we got back to Edinburgh, the whole group met up to watch Braveheart, which seemed very appropriate after our trip that day. We were literally in the country where that movie and those events took place (however inaccurate that movie is).
Tuesday, July 20: Today. Class. Long class. Lots of studying going on, because we have a big quiz tomorrow over all the countries and capitals and locations in the entirety of Europe. As of a few minutes ago, too, we have hot water again. Now I can shower peacefully! Yay! Tomorrow, we're taking a tour of Scottish Parliament. Keep your fingers crossed that I do well on my map quiz tomorrow.
Now, I'll be taking a warm shower and studying some more. Hopefully (I'll do my best!) my next blog post won't be so long from now. We have about five days left in Edinburgh (and I'll be sad to leave). Our train leaves late Monday morning, July 26. After that, we're headed back to London for a day and then it's on to Paris! And then Germany! And then Spain! And then........ HOME! Two Wednesdays from now, I'll be back home, in the southern comfort of Tennessee, and I'm pretty sure I'll be ready for it. I miss everyone terribly, but I won't lie, I think I could get used to Scotland. Especially if everyone home just moved here :) More later! Love!
20 July 2010
10 July 2010
London Bridge Is Falling Down
"London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady."
This song was stuck in my head all day yesterday. At lunch, somehow we started talking about the difference between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, and how once, someone in the States bought the original London Bridge and had it shipped over to them (somewhere in Arizona, I think). But, they actually meant to purchase the Tower Bridge instead, and got really mad when they realized they got the wrong one. Typical rich people, not thinking first, right? Haha.
There really is a huge difference: the London Bridge is much smaller than the Tower Bridge, and the Tower Bridge has only been around since about the 1800s, I think? The London Bridge is the one they used to post people's head on after they'd been excuted back in Medieval times.
Pam and I visited both of them last night. Well, okay, we visited the Tower Bridge and then were able to see the London Bridge from there and take pictures. Actually, first we took the Underground to Green Park and went to Buckingham Palace. From there we walked to the Westminster area and saw Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. From there we took the Underground to the Tower Bridge and saw the Tower of London and walked around that area, until finally tired out and headed back to Baker Street and to the Met for some drinks. Our feet were very sore today from wearing our sandals last night, but it was pretty out and we got some good photos!
Let's see, other than that, what have I done this week.... hmm.........
Well, Tuesday we all went and took a tour of Parliament. It was very interesting. Did you know that the Parliament building used to be a palace? The last actual monarch to live there was King Henry VIII, though. There are over 1,000 rooms in that place. We saw maybe like .5% of them.
After that a few of us went to an Indian restaurant for lunch (and it was actually pretty good, although I couldn't tell you what I ate), and then Pam, Nick and I hit Oxford Street for some shopping. It was very crowded. Reminded me of the day after Thanksgiving sales we have here - only it's like that every day on Oxford Street. I'd hate to work there.
Wednesday we officially started classes, and those occupied my time for 6 hours - History of Rock & Roll from 9-12, break for lunch from 12-1, and then Comparative Government from 1-4. They're tough, but we only have them three days a week. Later that night I met up with some of the girls at dinner and went over to the Met with them for the first time. It's actually called The Metropolitan, but it's sort-of become the local favorite spot for all of us on the trip. It's got the cheapest drinks and food and it's only a short walk from campus.
Thursday was about the same, class until 4, and then a break until dinner (the Caf opens at 5). After dinner, a group of us decided to go out to Abbey Road and take pictures like the Beatles did. It was tricky and we didn't get the exact shot, but we got close enough (after about 100 attempts). We headed to the Met after doing some sight-seeing.
I just told you about Friday (Buckingham Palace, bridges... ring a bell?), although I left out that during the day Pam and I did some souvenir shopping and went to the Picadilly Circus area and the National Portrait Gallery, and today, well, today was Saturday, and it was also about 84 degrees outside. In other words, today was very, VERY hot! Nevertheless, Pam, Nick and myself headed to Camden Town to see all the little shops and markets they have there, and Nick showed me the shop where he and Dr. Tubbs got there tattoos last weekend. I got my ear pierced there as well. Camden was extremely crowded and dirty-feeling, compared to what we're used to on Baker Street, but it was very interesting. I would've like to have spent more time there if it weren't so darn hot! We came back to campus after a while to just relax and shower until dinner, which was on our own tonight, so we went to (you guessed it) the Met. I got a gourmet chicken burger and chips and it was delicious - really hit the spot! (In addition to the Belgian waffle with chocolate syrup and ice cream that I had for dessert.) Tomorrow is Sunday, and Pam and I are planning to have a picnic in the park for lunch. I'll have to pack tomorrow, too, because we're leaving on Monday for Edinburgh, Scotland for two weeks! We're also going to the Hob Goblin pub tomorrow night to watch the World Cup - this should be interesting. Dr. Mego doesn't know what kind of internet access we'll have in Edinburgh yet - hopefully there will be WiFi in our apartments...
This song was stuck in my head all day yesterday. At lunch, somehow we started talking about the difference between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, and how once, someone in the States bought the original London Bridge and had it shipped over to them (somewhere in Arizona, I think). But, they actually meant to purchase the Tower Bridge instead, and got really mad when they realized they got the wrong one. Typical rich people, not thinking first, right? Haha.
There really is a huge difference: the London Bridge is much smaller than the Tower Bridge, and the Tower Bridge has only been around since about the 1800s, I think? The London Bridge is the one they used to post people's head on after they'd been excuted back in Medieval times.
Pam and I visited both of them last night. Well, okay, we visited the Tower Bridge and then were able to see the London Bridge from there and take pictures. Actually, first we took the Underground to Green Park and went to Buckingham Palace. From there we walked to the Westminster area and saw Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. From there we took the Underground to the Tower Bridge and saw the Tower of London and walked around that area, until finally tired out and headed back to Baker Street and to the Met for some drinks. Our feet were very sore today from wearing our sandals last night, but it was pretty out and we got some good photos!
Let's see, other than that, what have I done this week.... hmm.........
Well, Tuesday we all went and took a tour of Parliament. It was very interesting. Did you know that the Parliament building used to be a palace? The last actual monarch to live there was King Henry VIII, though. There are over 1,000 rooms in that place. We saw maybe like .5% of them.
After that a few of us went to an Indian restaurant for lunch (and it was actually pretty good, although I couldn't tell you what I ate), and then Pam, Nick and I hit Oxford Street for some shopping. It was very crowded. Reminded me of the day after Thanksgiving sales we have here - only it's like that every day on Oxford Street. I'd hate to work there.
Wednesday we officially started classes, and those occupied my time for 6 hours - History of Rock & Roll from 9-12, break for lunch from 12-1, and then Comparative Government from 1-4. They're tough, but we only have them three days a week. Later that night I met up with some of the girls at dinner and went over to the Met with them for the first time. It's actually called The Metropolitan, but it's sort-of become the local favorite spot for all of us on the trip. It's got the cheapest drinks and food and it's only a short walk from campus.
Thursday was about the same, class until 4, and then a break until dinner (the Caf opens at 5). After dinner, a group of us decided to go out to Abbey Road and take pictures like the Beatles did. It was tricky and we didn't get the exact shot, but we got close enough (after about 100 attempts). We headed to the Met after doing some sight-seeing.
I just told you about Friday (Buckingham Palace, bridges... ring a bell?), although I left out that during the day Pam and I did some souvenir shopping and went to the Picadilly Circus area and the National Portrait Gallery, and today, well, today was Saturday, and it was also about 84 degrees outside. In other words, today was very, VERY hot! Nevertheless, Pam, Nick and myself headed to Camden Town to see all the little shops and markets they have there, and Nick showed me the shop where he and Dr. Tubbs got there tattoos last weekend. I got my ear pierced there as well. Camden was extremely crowded and dirty-feeling, compared to what we're used to on Baker Street, but it was very interesting. I would've like to have spent more time there if it weren't so darn hot! We came back to campus after a while to just relax and shower until dinner, which was on our own tonight, so we went to (you guessed it) the Met. I got a gourmet chicken burger and chips and it was delicious - really hit the spot! (In addition to the Belgian waffle with chocolate syrup and ice cream that I had for dessert.) Tomorrow is Sunday, and Pam and I are planning to have a picnic in the park for lunch. I'll have to pack tomorrow, too, because we're leaving on Monday for Edinburgh, Scotland for two weeks! We're also going to the Hob Goblin pub tomorrow night to watch the World Cup - this should be interesting. Dr. Mego doesn't know what kind of internet access we'll have in Edinburgh yet - hopefully there will be WiFi in our apartments...
06 July 2010
Dublin, Ireland
I almost think I should have titled this post "My New Favorite Place." It might be true!
On Friday morning, July 2, my friend Ashley and I set out for Dublin at about 6:00 AM. This means, we got up, left the college (with some luggage) on foot, walked to the Baker Street station, took the underground to Euston Square, then walked to the London Euston railway station and waited for our 7:10 train to Holyhead via Chester to arrive. Sound like a mouthful? It was... something like that. I just have to say it's very nerve-racking when you've never done this sort of traveling before and you plan it all on your own before you even get overseas. Luckily, my planning was spot-on, though, and we made it to Holyhead, Wales after a 4-hour train ride without a hitch. From Holyhead, we caught the Johnathan Swift - a cruise-like ferry - and crossed the Irish Sea over to Dublin. It's much cooler in that part of the region, and has very, very pretty countryside.
After boarding the Swift, we were directed to our seats in the Club Class lounge: a.k.a. First Class. It only cost a few extra Euro to upgrade, and we thought, Why not? When will we ever be doing this again, anyway?
The seats were great. They were cushiony and comfortable, with spacious legroom and right next to the window, so we could see everything. The was also a complimentary bar with food and drinks - juices, water, teas, coffee, soft drinks, wine, muffins, pastries, cheese, breadsticks, crackers, olives - you name it. This served as our lunch that day, and it was perfect, because it was also the first time we had eaten since the night before!
After enjoying some of the food, we decided to go out onto the deck and have a look. This sounds a lot easier than it actually was, believe me! I hadn't quite gotten my sea legs yet when we went out - I nearly got blown overboard! (Not quite, but the wind was VERY strong!) We took a few pictures and headed back indoors, where we decided it was safer.
After about a 2-hour journey on the Swift we docked in the Dublin bay, made a quick trip through Customs at the ferry port, and collected our luggage. When we made it to the lobby, I realized, the only part of the trip I hadn't been able to plan was getting from the ferry port to our bed & breakfast. So, I did the only logical thing: called a cab. A little nervously, too. I had actually never ridden in a taxi before, but it turned out to be a good experience. Our driver was there within ten minutes, and practically gave us a tour of Dublin as he drove us to our destination. He was very informative and friendly, quite welcoming, too, and recommended all the good places to go in downtown Dublin.
When we reached our bed & breakfast - The Parkway Guesthouse B&B - we were warmly welcomed by the owner, Seamus, and given our keys and our room, which was cute and even had a little television.
After asking Seamus for dinner recommendations, we set of for O' Connell street, taking in all the sights and sounds of downtown Dublin. We decided to look for a good place to get some fish 'n chips, because after hearing about them and talking about them, we wanted to try them. And so we did, at a little hotel downtown called O' Shea's, and they were DELICIOUS. It became our favorite meal of the trip quickly: fried fish (cod), chips, salad, water (with ICE in it!) and Bulmers Irish cider (which we basically tried on a whim, and fell in love with it).
After dinner, we wandered around some of the shops, going into a typical souvenir shop called Carroll's to look at t-shirts, postcards, and other usual things. A few presents were bought here. :)
Tired, we headed back to our room around 7:00 (mainly because everything closes at 7 there on weekdays, except for restaurants and pubs), and shortly after getting back, Seamus informed us that there had been a cancellation and offered to "upgrade" us to a room with its own bathroom. Being girls, we accepted. (Of course!)
After that, I got the best night's sleep I'd had in a long time, and was very well-rested when we woke up at 9:30 the next morning for breakfast.
As promised, we were serve a freshly-cooked full Irish breakfast in the morning, starting off with Irish cereal (which was really only oatmeal in milk, not cooked), orange juice, coffee, toast and jam, Danish bacon (which is basically known as country ham in Tennessee), eggs, sausage links, and tomatoes. As you can imagine, I didn't eat the tomatoes. :) However, I did manage to accidentally pour milk all down my front and ruin my shirt and jeans for the rest of the weekend.
After cleaning up and getting ready, we set off to explore the city of Dublin at about 11:30. First, we made the long trek down to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was a stunning day, with sunshine, very few clouds, and a nice breeze, and the Cathedral looked beautiful inside and out. While we were visiting, a women's choir from Anaheim, California was performing certain selections of sacred music in the Cathedral. And let me tell you, you haven't heard a choir sing until you've heard them sing in St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was absolutely amazing!
From St. Patrick's we headed down to the Guiness Storehouse, passing by a few markets and thrift stores on the way. I was excited when we got there to use my International Student ID for the first time and receive a discount on my ticket. However, I was unfortunately not very impressed with the tour of the brewery. It was self-guided and very electronic, and I didn't like the Guiness, even in Ireland. I may be very American, but I still don't think it tastes good at all. Instead of redeeming my ticket for a free Guiness, I used it for a free Coke instead, and I think I offended the bartender. Oh well, I was thirsty! There was one pretty cool part of the Guiness Storehouse, though: on the very top floor (7th floor) there is the place called the Gravity Bar. It's basically 360 degrees of window, with a bar in the middle, and you can see all of Dublin from inside. It was very, very crowded and hot in there, but the view was great! We decided we would probably like the Jameson distillery a little better, so after getting a good look at the city we set off for that next.
We were right. Everything about the Old Jameson Distillery was better. It was nicer, had more of a homey feel to it, the people were nice, the atmosphere was pretty and very old Irish-looking, and the tours were given by actual people. Our tour guide was named Hugh, and he actually knew a great deal about Jameson whiskey and the history of it, along with Dublin and he was very funny and entertaining. At the beginning of the tour, he asked for 8 brave volunteers - 4 women and 4 men - for an experiment at the end. I had read about this in my Let's Go! book, so, of course, I volunteered. At the end of our tour I got to taste-test three different types of whiskey, along with a woman from Germany (who was excited because Germany had just won it's World Cup game 4-0), a man from the Netherlands, a man from Canada, a man from California, and a few other people from around the London area.
After that, I have to say, the Jameson tasted the best, and people from the Netherlands are not nearly as friendly as the Irish. And people from Canada like to talk.
After the Jameson tour, we decided to head back to our room, but on the way, found ourselves on a street filled with department stores and shopping. Did we stop? Of course! If you know me at all, you know I love clothes. And now I especially love them in Ireland. There is a store called Penneys that has the cutest clothes for very cheap prices - kind of like an inexpensive Macy's mixed with New York & Co. if you ask me! I left with a few shirts, and possibly some jewelry. :)
On Sunday, we overslept, and missed breakfast, because we didn't wake up until almost 1:00 in the afternoon. I guess we were tired! It was nice, though, getting that much sleep. We decided to head out sometime between 3 and 4, and grabbed a quick little lunch at Burger King (I know, we have one in the States, but it was only 3.50 Euro for a combo). We set out for Trinity College and stopped at a few shops on the way. The campus of Trinity is absolutely gorgeous. We took some pictures and I went into the Book of Kells exhibit, only it was closing 15 minutes from when I got there so I basically had to run through it. I would have liked more time in there; it was very interesting. At least I made it, right? After Trinity we went to a few more shops in the area, including a sweater shop with things made entirely out of wool, a bookstore, and then stopped at the National Gallery of Art. This was interesting, too, but like everything else, it closes at 5:00 on Sundays, and we were only in there for about 20 minutes before we had to leave. Another place I would have liked to spend more time.
We walked back down to the Temple Bar area after that, after taking an unintentional detour through St. Stephen's Green (a big, beautiful park). We wanted to stop at this pastry shop called Queen of Tarts, but apparently, they closed early on Sundays, too, and settled for a little Italian ice cream shop. I got banana flavored gelato. I should have gotten chocolate.
We then headed back to our room to rest a little before dinner, where we decided to eat at O' Shea's again, and get the fish 'n chips one more time before leaving. Once again, they were scrumptious. The waitress even offered us extra ketchup this time! (I think she remembered me.) After eating we decided to stay for a while at the bar and listen to a couple of local musicians doing Irish folk music. There were only two of them - one on guitar and singing and the other on banjo - but they were VERY good. Especially the banjo player. I could have listened to their songs for hours. I even downloaded a few of them on iTunes last night.
The next morning was an early traveling day, yet again. Seamus called us a taxi and we let the b&b around 7:45 AM. Our ferry left Dublin at about 8:45, and once we saw how crowded and uncomfortable the general deck was (we didn't have first class tickets this time), we decided to upgrade to first class again. It was so nice, and I even slept a little on the way back to the UK. We were sad to leave Dublin and the ferry behind, but glad to catch a train back to London as soon as we got to the station. I bought a Snickers bar on the train ride.
When we got back to Regents, I showered, did some laundry, and ate a nice dinner in the cafeteria, before talking to my parents and Patrick for an hour each. It was nice to feel connected again, after only getting to use the internet once a day in Dublin. I miss my family and friends at home very much, but I am getting more used to things around here, and am excited about moving on to Edinburgh, Scotland next week.
More later.
On Friday morning, July 2, my friend Ashley and I set out for Dublin at about 6:00 AM. This means, we got up, left the college (with some luggage) on foot, walked to the Baker Street station, took the underground to Euston Square, then walked to the London Euston railway station and waited for our 7:10 train to Holyhead via Chester to arrive. Sound like a mouthful? It was... something like that. I just have to say it's very nerve-racking when you've never done this sort of traveling before and you plan it all on your own before you even get overseas. Luckily, my planning was spot-on, though, and we made it to Holyhead, Wales after a 4-hour train ride without a hitch. From Holyhead, we caught the Johnathan Swift - a cruise-like ferry - and crossed the Irish Sea over to Dublin. It's much cooler in that part of the region, and has very, very pretty countryside.
After boarding the Swift, we were directed to our seats in the Club Class lounge: a.k.a. First Class. It only cost a few extra Euro to upgrade, and we thought, Why not? When will we ever be doing this again, anyway?
The seats were great. They were cushiony and comfortable, with spacious legroom and right next to the window, so we could see everything. The was also a complimentary bar with food and drinks - juices, water, teas, coffee, soft drinks, wine, muffins, pastries, cheese, breadsticks, crackers, olives - you name it. This served as our lunch that day, and it was perfect, because it was also the first time we had eaten since the night before!
After enjoying some of the food, we decided to go out onto the deck and have a look. This sounds a lot easier than it actually was, believe me! I hadn't quite gotten my sea legs yet when we went out - I nearly got blown overboard! (Not quite, but the wind was VERY strong!) We took a few pictures and headed back indoors, where we decided it was safer.
After about a 2-hour journey on the Swift we docked in the Dublin bay, made a quick trip through Customs at the ferry port, and collected our luggage. When we made it to the lobby, I realized, the only part of the trip I hadn't been able to plan was getting from the ferry port to our bed & breakfast. So, I did the only logical thing: called a cab. A little nervously, too. I had actually never ridden in a taxi before, but it turned out to be a good experience. Our driver was there within ten minutes, and practically gave us a tour of Dublin as he drove us to our destination. He was very informative and friendly, quite welcoming, too, and recommended all the good places to go in downtown Dublin.
When we reached our bed & breakfast - The Parkway Guesthouse B&B - we were warmly welcomed by the owner, Seamus, and given our keys and our room, which was cute and even had a little television.
After asking Seamus for dinner recommendations, we set of for O' Connell street, taking in all the sights and sounds of downtown Dublin. We decided to look for a good place to get some fish 'n chips, because after hearing about them and talking about them, we wanted to try them. And so we did, at a little hotel downtown called O' Shea's, and they were DELICIOUS. It became our favorite meal of the trip quickly: fried fish (cod), chips, salad, water (with ICE in it!) and Bulmers Irish cider (which we basically tried on a whim, and fell in love with it).
After dinner, we wandered around some of the shops, going into a typical souvenir shop called Carroll's to look at t-shirts, postcards, and other usual things. A few presents were bought here. :)
Tired, we headed back to our room around 7:00 (mainly because everything closes at 7 there on weekdays, except for restaurants and pubs), and shortly after getting back, Seamus informed us that there had been a cancellation and offered to "upgrade" us to a room with its own bathroom. Being girls, we accepted. (Of course!)
After that, I got the best night's sleep I'd had in a long time, and was very well-rested when we woke up at 9:30 the next morning for breakfast.
As promised, we were serve a freshly-cooked full Irish breakfast in the morning, starting off with Irish cereal (which was really only oatmeal in milk, not cooked), orange juice, coffee, toast and jam, Danish bacon (which is basically known as country ham in Tennessee), eggs, sausage links, and tomatoes. As you can imagine, I didn't eat the tomatoes. :) However, I did manage to accidentally pour milk all down my front and ruin my shirt and jeans for the rest of the weekend.
After cleaning up and getting ready, we set off to explore the city of Dublin at about 11:30. First, we made the long trek down to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was a stunning day, with sunshine, very few clouds, and a nice breeze, and the Cathedral looked beautiful inside and out. While we were visiting, a women's choir from Anaheim, California was performing certain selections of sacred music in the Cathedral. And let me tell you, you haven't heard a choir sing until you've heard them sing in St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was absolutely amazing!
From St. Patrick's we headed down to the Guiness Storehouse, passing by a few markets and thrift stores on the way. I was excited when we got there to use my International Student ID for the first time and receive a discount on my ticket. However, I was unfortunately not very impressed with the tour of the brewery. It was self-guided and very electronic, and I didn't like the Guiness, even in Ireland. I may be very American, but I still don't think it tastes good at all. Instead of redeeming my ticket for a free Guiness, I used it for a free Coke instead, and I think I offended the bartender. Oh well, I was thirsty! There was one pretty cool part of the Guiness Storehouse, though: on the very top floor (7th floor) there is the place called the Gravity Bar. It's basically 360 degrees of window, with a bar in the middle, and you can see all of Dublin from inside. It was very, very crowded and hot in there, but the view was great! We decided we would probably like the Jameson distillery a little better, so after getting a good look at the city we set off for that next.
We were right. Everything about the Old Jameson Distillery was better. It was nicer, had more of a homey feel to it, the people were nice, the atmosphere was pretty and very old Irish-looking, and the tours were given by actual people. Our tour guide was named Hugh, and he actually knew a great deal about Jameson whiskey and the history of it, along with Dublin and he was very funny and entertaining. At the beginning of the tour, he asked for 8 brave volunteers - 4 women and 4 men - for an experiment at the end. I had read about this in my Let's Go! book, so, of course, I volunteered. At the end of our tour I got to taste-test three different types of whiskey, along with a woman from Germany (who was excited because Germany had just won it's World Cup game 4-0), a man from the Netherlands, a man from Canada, a man from California, and a few other people from around the London area.
After that, I have to say, the Jameson tasted the best, and people from the Netherlands are not nearly as friendly as the Irish. And people from Canada like to talk.
After the Jameson tour, we decided to head back to our room, but on the way, found ourselves on a street filled with department stores and shopping. Did we stop? Of course! If you know me at all, you know I love clothes. And now I especially love them in Ireland. There is a store called Penneys that has the cutest clothes for very cheap prices - kind of like an inexpensive Macy's mixed with New York & Co. if you ask me! I left with a few shirts, and possibly some jewelry. :)
On Sunday, we overslept, and missed breakfast, because we didn't wake up until almost 1:00 in the afternoon. I guess we were tired! It was nice, though, getting that much sleep. We decided to head out sometime between 3 and 4, and grabbed a quick little lunch at Burger King (I know, we have one in the States, but it was only 3.50 Euro for a combo). We set out for Trinity College and stopped at a few shops on the way. The campus of Trinity is absolutely gorgeous. We took some pictures and I went into the Book of Kells exhibit, only it was closing 15 minutes from when I got there so I basically had to run through it. I would have liked more time in there; it was very interesting. At least I made it, right? After Trinity we went to a few more shops in the area, including a sweater shop with things made entirely out of wool, a bookstore, and then stopped at the National Gallery of Art. This was interesting, too, but like everything else, it closes at 5:00 on Sundays, and we were only in there for about 20 minutes before we had to leave. Another place I would have liked to spend more time.
We walked back down to the Temple Bar area after that, after taking an unintentional detour through St. Stephen's Green (a big, beautiful park). We wanted to stop at this pastry shop called Queen of Tarts, but apparently, they closed early on Sundays, too, and settled for a little Italian ice cream shop. I got banana flavored gelato. I should have gotten chocolate.
We then headed back to our room to rest a little before dinner, where we decided to eat at O' Shea's again, and get the fish 'n chips one more time before leaving. Once again, they were scrumptious. The waitress even offered us extra ketchup this time! (I think she remembered me.) After eating we decided to stay for a while at the bar and listen to a couple of local musicians doing Irish folk music. There were only two of them - one on guitar and singing and the other on banjo - but they were VERY good. Especially the banjo player. I could have listened to their songs for hours. I even downloaded a few of them on iTunes last night.
The next morning was an early traveling day, yet again. Seamus called us a taxi and we let the b&b around 7:45 AM. Our ferry left Dublin at about 8:45, and once we saw how crowded and uncomfortable the general deck was (we didn't have first class tickets this time), we decided to upgrade to first class again. It was so nice, and I even slept a little on the way back to the UK. We were sad to leave Dublin and the ferry behind, but glad to catch a train back to London as soon as we got to the station. I bought a Snickers bar on the train ride.
When we got back to Regents, I showered, did some laundry, and ate a nice dinner in the cafeteria, before talking to my parents and Patrick for an hour each. It was nice to feel connected again, after only getting to use the internet once a day in Dublin. I miss my family and friends at home very much, but I am getting more used to things around here, and am excited about moving on to Edinburgh, Scotland next week.
More later.
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