If You Like It Then You Better Put A Cork In It

Well, this whole blogging thing hasn't exactly been smooth, but I'll try to get y'all up to speed in a condensed format. Yes, I'm recycling the title, but I like it.

Around the time of my last post, saw the movie 'His & Hers,' a documentary which interviewed dozens of women from young to elderly about themselves and their relationship with men. Very cool, often funny, occasionally wrenching. I recommend it. Had a bit of a hike after taking the wrong bus, made Sam cry (a theme for me) but she was fine by the time she came back to get the housekey from her roommate and stayed with us at the pub. Hany wasn't speaking for awhile after we all yelled at him for saying he was going to go on a hunger strike on the bus. On to Friday. Rather, on Friday when I get back from class.

Or, the next day. Both good. Two weeks ago Friday we went to the IFC for our weekly film screenings, then headed once again to the bus station for our 4.5 hour ride to Cork. The whole group went, and all 10 of us shared a hostel room. Kinda fun, really. Hostel was tolerable, but not great. Breakfast was included, but was only toast, so some of us chose not to participate. Internet was stupid expensive. We had some money confusion when Winnie only wanted to stay one night but it was too late, so a few of us overpaid until she could repay us. Ate at a nice restaurant with a fixed menu - I had sweet potato soup and a crab tart with a glass of wine. Winnie went to church instead. We found a pub for some drinks and saw Ghana fall apart in penalty shootout. Lame! Live music, then bed for all but Hany, Sam and Kris.

Saturday we got up and all but Winnie (who went to church) caught a bus to Kinsale, a port town that can be described as slightly better than quaint, where I spend the day with Keith, Sam, and Diana. Lunch at Mother Hubbards, which is apparently well-known, and then walked to town. Saw a batch of 68' sailboats in on the last stop of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race - very cool. Shopped a bit, visited Desmond Castle where we paid a Euro to get into the Wine Museum, which basically meant wander the castle then look at a room with wine stuff in it. It was neat. Wandered the street fair that was set up, listened to music, got some ice cream and a pint, then back to the bus to Cork. Relaxed in the hostel for a bit, then went to dinner while Winnie went to church. Had a HUGE and DELICIOUS fixed meal - rib and wing appetizer, fish and chips main, and a Bailey's cheesecake. Unreal, and under €20. Keith, Kelsie and Hany went back to the hostel while the rest of us had a pint. Then, bed.

Sunday we checked out of the hostel, learned that everything in town was closed until noon. Ate at McDonalds (those who didn't catch the earlier bus), wandered, then bus. Lovely bit of salmon at home in Dublin, then bed.

If You Like It Then You Better Put A Cork On It

It appears that I may have extra readers - Sam, of 'the younguns' fame, has been peeking. Shame, shame! And hello Aggie, as well!

I'm in Cork, paying for internet, so goodbye!

Coupla Days

Crazy that I'm creeping up on the halfway point of this program, and 3 weeks in Europe total. Wow. Anyway!

As you may have inferred, I visited the Guiness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol this week, specifically on Monday. We headed down as a class, got our tickets and such, then went to the storehouse. It was pretty cool, though somehow I liked the Heineken Experience better. More beers, maybe? Who can say! Anyway, some old gear and tubs, exhibits on transport and how ahead of the times Guiness has always been, advertising exhibits and such. There is a small bar where you can pour your own pint, but I opted to save my free pint ticket for the Gravity Bar, a glass-walled, circular bar at the top of the 7-story structure (shaped like a pint glass). Amazing views of the city, truly dazzling. Only one pint, but hadn't eaten since breakfast so I felt it a bit. Visited the gift shop, got myself a hat and a little something for Amanda, then the group hiked an endless hill to the Gaol (it was seriously a long walk, and the neighborhood looked a little sketchy to us). Anyway.

Kilmainham is a prison that was used by the British to hold and execute not only criminals but the 1916 Rising leaders and others. Many famous revolutionaries passed through that place, and it's fascinating to stand in. The newer portion was epic and airy, panopticon style of easy viewing for guards. The older part is downright dank, stone walls and echoing halls, windows that originally had no glass, and the original doors. Pretty harsh stuff, and freezing in winter. Also have a small museum that we visited, then hopped a bus back to city center for lunch.On the bus, a woman asked Keith to give a sip of his water bottle to a woman she claimed was pregnant, so he just gave it to her (it was a few days old anyway). The woman and her friends then smoked meth, which was unexpected and ridiculous. Made me nostalgic for Galesburg!

Anyway, most of us went to Eddie Rockets for lunch, basically an american diner themed restaurant. Decent food, standard prices for Dublin. Winnie went home and Kelsie wandered off on her own. After lunch we split up; Keith, Hany and I did some shopping, got a pint at Gogartys, and went to Trinity to hang out until music time. We chatted with a girl from Naperville there studying through NYU, disappointed kids at a leadership camp that kept asking us scavenger hunt questions we didn't know the answers to, and the others filtered in to join us. The music was great, two violins, a flute, a vocalist, a dancer, and uilleann pipes - so cool. Musicians talked about their instruments, history and culture around them, and so on. A lovely evening. Got a pint at O'Neills, and headed for home.

Tuesday after class we had a film, The Wind That Shakes The Barley. After that, some itnernet time doing journals and updates, then home for dinner. Our family put a TV/DVD player in our room, so we have some entertainment if we want it. We've watched some Mythbusters, soccer and King of Queens up there so far. The announcer on Mythbusters sounds Australian/Irish here. Good stuff. Later we came back to campus for more internet, then met up with the group at the Autobahn for . . . a pint.

Today (Wednesday) we had a good discussion in class, watched Dancing at Lughnasa, then internet time including setting up our trip to Cork this weekend - we'll have everyone but Winnie along for this trip, so it should be good. We've booked 9 of the 10 beds in our room at the hostel. Originally hadn't planned to go, but realized that I'd regret not going more than it was worth. Also, successfully set up transfer ability from my HSBC to my TCF bank account, so in a few days a good chunk of cash should be available to me again, which will make me feel better about things. I'm not in dire straights or anything, but the fact that I am still unable to access the money I was planning to use for this trip (HSBC) from an ATM means that my other account has to bear the brunt of my activities, so this transfer will put me more at ease. Anyway, went home for dinner and a shower, then came back for the internet. Planning to head home fairly soon I suspect and call it a relaxed night - first day since I hit Europe without some form of alcohol - I may faint! Must remember tomorrow to . . . have a pint.

Belfast and Beyond

What a great city. Apparently among the safest in the world for travellers, and definitely among the friendliest and most helpful. People jumping into the street to give directions (not really, but just about). Hostel was okay, rickety beds and gross showers, and I left my shower stuff in there on Friday and it was gone by Saturday. Alas. We all grabbed £'s at an ATM - Northern Ireland is still part of the UK, and thus on the pound, although they issue their own 'Ulster Pounds' which are equal in value to British ones.

Dinner at a pub nearby, had AMAZING bangers and mash - I never want to not eat champ (mashed potatos with green onions) ever again. Walked a ways, and found a pub called Fibber Magees, great live music, good drinks, and a wacky bachelor party with the groom in a Baywatch outfit. Hany motorboated him. Sat in the bar next door, which connected by a door, and talked to a guy we met who is from Rockford. Small world!

Saturday was an EPIC one. We hopped on a bus at 9am and headed out. Stopped at Carrickfergus castle, where William of Orange landed, then a harbor for a restroom stop, then on the the Giant's Causeway. Lunch at the hotel, then we walked. Amazing, spectacular. Just wow. We ran into the Rockford guy and his friends, Keith and I started to climb a steep hill, then backed out, but he went back and did it after all. I'm jealous, but happy for him. Photos and such for a few hours, then some of us caught the tram back, took photos of those who walked, and hit the shop. Got a postcard and a t-shirt. Then back onto our (un-air conditioned) bus with the annoying women from Yorkshire who renamed Keith and were drunk and infuriating. Well, they got quiter as the day wore on. Next was the Bushmills distillery, disappointing since we didn't get to do the tour, just take some photos and walk the gift shop. After a quick stop on the roadside to see a ruined castle, it was on to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. A looong walk through fields along cliffs, then a fantastic rope bridge to a tall island where was sat and enjoyed it. A long hike back, then the bus headed back to Belfast.

We talked pizza or BBQ for dinner, got locations of two places from the hostel desk, but they were more upscale than we had in mind so we ate at a large pub-type restaurant. Our server updated us on the soccer match when she could. Had the rib appetizer and a side of chips - perfect. Next we walked towards Fibber Magees again, with a stop at Filthy McNasty's, a bar/club with music from the US and quotes from rock stars on the walls. Had a Newcastle, then on the Fibber's. Great night with many pints.

Sunday, Keith went off to find an ancestral house, and the rest of the group took a Black Taxi tour, seeing murals in Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods, seeing the Bobby Sands mural on the Sinn Fein HQ, and seeing the Peace Wall, where people leave messages. Our driver gave us marker pens, and we left our marks on the wall. Really cool stuff. My ATM card wouldn't work, so Sam loaned me £3 to take the tour (£10 each). Hany broke my umbrella, which has been the source of much amusement. Discovered the bus back to Dublin was cheaper and just as fast as the train, so we bought tickets and headed towards the train station to get food and intercept Keith. We stopped at St. George's Market to see the stalls, and decided to eat. Hany offered to take out money for me, to pay him back later so I could eat. We found an ATM after a bit of an adventure, and I had a crepe filled with mozzarella, roasted peppers and pesto, as well as some caribbean fried dough things to share. Pretty good, though the crepe was served in a paper cone and when I unwrapped it to use as a plate juice went down my leg. Ah well. Matt and Diana went to find Keith, but he already had his ticket so we caught the bus (empty enough to all have our own seats, plus air conditioning!), met Keith at the statue of O'Connell. Kelsie called, and we went to her place then to the pub by DCU for a pint. Hannah met us, we had a pint, then got food at nearby 'Aberdeen Chinese Takeaway.' Ate on the green, and headed for bed. Up next: This Week, Featuring Keith!

One Week Later

Well, the whole travel blog thing hasn't been as resounding a success as I had perhaps hoped, but I feel that I am not wholly to blame. We don't have internet access at home, and it took us until last Tuesday to get access at school, so it fell by the wayside in favor of hand-writing. However, I will now attempt to catch up a bit. The info below and to follow will be semi-condensed, but in a fun way, and chunked by where I was at the time.

Last week was a lot of settling in. I arrived Sunday on schedule and took a cab to my house. Suzanne (housemom) is very nice, a childminder who does laundry every day since she's home. That's good for me, since I only brought a week's worth of clothes. We can't shower in the morning or past 10pm, so basically we shower in the afternoon and use a lot of deodorant/body spray to make up the difference. Not the end of the world. Cereal, toast and juice for breakfast every day, and the dinners we've eaten at home have been good. We've eaten dinner downtown more often than I'd expected, since last week we had to go down basically every day for something or other for the program. Beds are comfy, we're both (Keith and I) mostly over our allergy/cold period, and it's only a 10 minute walk or so to campus. We come in early and sit on the internets for awhile every day.

Sunday we met for dinner at a pub, then had to find our way home with no map. We did so with a little help from a local who was very helpful.

Classes are odd, but good. We're basically in class for 2.5 hours every day, then usually something in the afternoon. Our first day, last Monday, was the Book of Kells and the Long Room at Trinity. It was cool, but we didn't get to see much of the book itself - they put out 2 pages every day along with other relevant documents. Most of the exhibit is about the process, history, and culture of the book. The Long Room is basically a library, century-old books on giant stacks. Long and nifty, no photos allowed at either unfortunately. I got a SIM card for my phone, and a few others have phones that work in one way or another so most of the pairs can keep in contact and plan, as well as call our professors if things go wrong, such as with our bus passes which were not bus passes. We got the passes the next day, but still a bit of a shock. Anyway, we (Keith, Kelsie, Hannah and I) walked to Stephens Green, shopped a bit, ate at home and went to Autobahn pub with Kelsie and Hannah.

Side note - for brevity, I will describe some people as part of specific roommate pairings; Kelsie and Hannah are 'the ladies,' Matt and Hany are 'the boys', Kris and Sam are 'the younguns', and . . . well, Diana and Winny will be described separately since we mostly encounter Diana. If pressed, I will call them 'the girls.'

Tuesday was a long one; caught the bus after lunch and walked to Henry Street, down Mary Street to the old Jameson Distillery (will take the tour in the near future), then to St. Patricks down a street we were advised to get off of by a concerned local, pointing us to a main road. St. Patricks was neat - Jonathan Swift's grave, a chair William of Orange sat in, etc. Walked past Christchurch and ate at a hipster type place, then on to the Literary Pub Crawl; began with a bit from Waiting for Godot. The actors were quite good, doing a few pieces and giving a lot of information on the pubs, the writers, etc. Pubs we visited were The Duke, O'Neills, The Stand, and David Byrnes'.

Wednesday we showered and napped after class, then went down to The Abbey Theatre to see the premier of a play, 'Bookworms.' Good show, front-row-center seats. The Youngun's weren't impressed, but they've apparently never been to an awkward dinner party. Thursday after calss we watched a film, 'When Brendan Met Trudy' - excellent movie, see it if you can. We ate, then took the bus to City Center and walked to the hostel where Dustin was staying. We headed out to find a pub, and ran into Dr.s Renk and Chown, who invited us to join them for dinner. They ate, we had some pints (Dustin had wine), then he walked with us to the Circle Theatre to see Tom Stoppard's 'Arcadia;' it was pretty good, but really long and hot. No automated message at the start, a guy in a tux came out and did the emergency exits/no smoking/ no photos thing. That was neat. By the end we were rushing to catch a bus back, since they stop running at like 11:30 (and aren't that reliable sometimes in general).

Friday was a private screening of two films at the Irish Film Institute, 'Hush A Bye Baby' and 'Nora;' both pretty good. Afterwards, seven of us rushed to catch a train to Belfast: Myself, Keith, Matt, Hany, Kris, Sam and Diana. Arrived just fine, got to our hostel and checked in without them discovering our group was technically over their limit of 6 by cleverly booking in two shifts online. Reminds me I still owe Matt for the room and train tickets. Kelsie and Hannah didn't come, in part because their hosts were having a party they were going to. Winny also didn't come, for her own reasons. Train was fine, rode backwards with nobody next to me so I had some room. Train was delayed by some signal issues, but since the sun is up until like 10pm here it didn't cause problems.

Dublin!

Oi!

Berlin Part 2

Walked to the TV tower, saw some churches, got photos of the East German street crossing light men (look it up). Left foot hurts like hell. Finished 'A Star Called Henry.' Check in should open soon. Blurgh.