So, the day has finally arrived....the LAST DAY IN GALWAY.
The plan so far is to get breakfast at Griffin's, buy a ring I've had my eye on, go down to the Spanish Arch/Long Walk and then to the city museum, get a final Bailey's/banana/chocolate crepe from the Saturday market, and pack.
In true me fashion, I am hosting a pre-packing party at which Bailey's hot chocolate will be served.
Speaking of packing....my suitcase will not close, and I may or may not be bringing a tesco bag of laundry on board as a carry on.
Fear not, there will be updates.
Here goes nothing....
18 December 2010
17 December 2010
+109
2 Days left in Galway! AHHHHH!
Today my plan is to get the last of my shopping done (read: stock up on candy) and then let the festivities begin! Early afternoon Bailey's hot chocolates with some of the girls, off to a session at Taffe's, and then our last night out in Galway.
I can't believe it's almost over!
Today my plan is to get the last of my shopping done (read: stock up on candy) and then let the festivities begin! Early afternoon Bailey's hot chocolates with some of the girls, off to a session at Taffe's, and then our last night out in Galway.
I can't believe it's almost over!
12 December 2010
+104: A Climbing Post
I'm not quite sure how it happened, but Court, Kels and I took a picture of us trying to climb/escape various monuments on most of our trips.
And now, for the first time ever, they're in one place.
September: Inishmore, Aran Islands--escaping Dun Aengus
September: Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin--jailbreak, obviously
October: Cobh, Cork--climbing a wall on the 'deck of cards' street of houses
November: Dingle--trying to escape a beehive hut
November: Dingle--climbing a rock on the beach
December: London, England--trying to escape the Tower of London
And now, for the first time ever, they're in one place.
September: Inishmore, Aran Islands--escaping Dun Aengus
September: Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin--jailbreak, obviously
October: Cobh, Cork--climbing a wall on the 'deck of cards' street of houses
November: Dingle--trying to escape a beehive hut
November: Dingle--climbing a rock on the beach
December: London, England--trying to escape the Tower of London
11 December 2010
+103: Dingle Recap
The past few weeks have been crazy, so I haven't been able to post much...I'll try and catch up over the next few days before I head back to the States (!!!!!!) but I make no promises....
We went down to the Dingle Peninsula from the 12th to the 14th of November, and it was absolutely gorgeous!
On the way, we stopped at Coole Park, home of Lady Gregory, which was really fascinating. Then we stopped at Bunratty Castle, which was a lot of fun. There's a castle on the grounds (obviously) but they also have recreations of cottages from different counties, which is really cool. After that, we finally headed down to Dingle, and checked into our hotel--a legitimate hotel!--by the bay.
The next day, we went on a driving tour of the area, and went out by the Blasket Islands which were actually evacuated by the government mid-20th century. We went to monastic ruins (obviously) and saw beehive huts, and then went to this GORGEOUS beach! We spent a good chunk of time there, and found this little cave and went exploring and it was a ton of fun! (This was also the day I finally caved in and bought a raincoat...took long enough, no?)
Dingle was our last group trip and also my favorite! Here are some pictures!
Me at Coole Park:
Cottage at Bunratty:
Jess, Kels, & I by some of the cottages at Bunratty:
Bunratty:
Kaylyn, Court, & I in the cave we found:
Beach:
Beach:
Beach:
Kaylyn & I at the beach:
Kels, Court, Jess, & I--this made Hobart's This Week in Photos!:
We all jumped on this rock as the tide came in:
Exploring the cave!:
Court, Kels, & I on the beach:
Random shot on one of our walking tours of ruins:
UBart in the ruins of an old church:
Monastery:
Our favorite store in Dingle:
Funny story. I'm actually heading down to the Saturday market with Jess & Kaylyn in a few....I went to put on my socks (which have been washed, since, I swear!) and sand from the beach in Dingle poured out.
We went down to the Dingle Peninsula from the 12th to the 14th of November, and it was absolutely gorgeous!
On the way, we stopped at Coole Park, home of Lady Gregory, which was really fascinating. Then we stopped at Bunratty Castle, which was a lot of fun. There's a castle on the grounds (obviously) but they also have recreations of cottages from different counties, which is really cool. After that, we finally headed down to Dingle, and checked into our hotel--a legitimate hotel!--by the bay.
The next day, we went on a driving tour of the area, and went out by the Blasket Islands which were actually evacuated by the government mid-20th century. We went to monastic ruins (obviously) and saw beehive huts, and then went to this GORGEOUS beach! We spent a good chunk of time there, and found this little cave and went exploring and it was a ton of fun! (This was also the day I finally caved in and bought a raincoat...took long enough, no?)
Dingle was our last group trip and also my favorite! Here are some pictures!
Me at Coole Park:
Cottage at Bunratty:
Jess, Kels, & I by some of the cottages at Bunratty:
Bunratty:
Kaylyn, Court, & I in the cave we found:
Beach:
Beach:
Beach:
Kaylyn & I at the beach:
Kels, Court, Jess, & I--this made Hobart's This Week in Photos!:
We all jumped on this rock as the tide came in:
Exploring the cave!:
Court, Kels, & I on the beach:
Random shot on one of our walking tours of ruins:
UBart in the ruins of an old church:
Monastery:
Our favorite store in Dingle:
Funny story. I'm actually heading down to the Saturday market with Jess & Kaylyn in a few....I went to put on my socks (which have been washed, since, I swear!) and sand from the beach in Dingle poured out.
06 December 2010
+98: Eurotripping
I owe all of you an update of our trip to Dingle a few weeks ago, which was truly awesome, but that shall come later.
I am currently in Prague, after going to London & Rome. London was absolutely fantastic, and I love Prague so far...Rome, not so much. 5 hours after landing, I was pick-pocketed on the subway, something which I never expected would happen and I have to say, objectively speaking, of course, that it SUCKED. It didn't help that the metro police were utterly unhelpful and super rude, too.
Well that's that...I honestly cannot wait to get back home to Galway.
I am currently in Prague, after going to London & Rome. London was absolutely fantastic, and I love Prague so far...Rome, not so much. 5 hours after landing, I was pick-pocketed on the subway, something which I never expected would happen and I have to say, objectively speaking, of course, that it SUCKED. It didn't help that the metro police were utterly unhelpful and super rude, too.
Well that's that...I honestly cannot wait to get back home to Galway.
22 November 2010
+83
I totally forgot about this, but it's sort of a funny story.
I was early to my philosophy lecture on Friday, so I was working on a paper. A girl from my tutorial sits down next to me--doesn't even say hi--and asks me to explain my "I Brake for Oviedo Chickens" bumper sticker on my laptop. I obliged, and 2 seconds after I finished, she asked if my school had jocks. I explained lax bros to her, and she quickly asked me if I was in a sorority. After a really brief explanation of the coordinate system, I pulled up facebook and showed her some pictures of frat houses and lax bros.
Then, she asked me if I had to pay fees to go to NUIG--currently, all education in Ireland is free, but there is a 1500€ (roughly $2,000) annual registration fee. There's been talk of doubling the registration fee next year, and there have been protests in Dublin and Galway about it. I explained that I didn't have to pay fees here, but that I paid nearly $50,000 a year to go to my university back home, so a lot of the American students don't understand why every one's complaining so much about the increase (sidenote: it also sort of makes sense now why it seems like loads of Irish students never show up to class...they're not paying $500 a credit hour to go to class) and she didn't really have anything to say.
The end!
I was early to my philosophy lecture on Friday, so I was working on a paper. A girl from my tutorial sits down next to me--doesn't even say hi--and asks me to explain my "I Brake for Oviedo Chickens" bumper sticker on my laptop. I obliged, and 2 seconds after I finished, she asked if my school had jocks. I explained lax bros to her, and she quickly asked me if I was in a sorority. After a really brief explanation of the coordinate system, I pulled up facebook and showed her some pictures of frat houses and lax bros.
Then, she asked me if I had to pay fees to go to NUIG--currently, all education in Ireland is free, but there is a 1500€ (roughly $2,000) annual registration fee. There's been talk of doubling the registration fee next year, and there have been protests in Dublin and Galway about it. I explained that I didn't have to pay fees here, but that I paid nearly $50,000 a year to go to my university back home, so a lot of the American students don't understand why every one's complaining so much about the increase (sidenote: it also sort of makes sense now why it seems like loads of Irish students never show up to class...they're not paying $500 a credit hour to go to class) and she didn't really have anything to say.
The end!
21 November 2010
20 November 2010
+81
Long time, no post....my bad! Things have been getting kind of crazy with final essays and the like being assigned, birthday parties, and planning for Thanksgiving!
We only have one week of classes left, which is a relief, but then I have 5 days to finish up A TON of stuff before I start travelling...from the 30th to the 8th, I'll be going to London, Rome, and Prague...I'm super excited!!!
I still have to do a little recap of our trip to Dingle (which is gorgeous, by the way), but I thought I'd leave you with this little bit:
The Galway Christmas Market opened yesterday in Eyre Square, and it's super cute! Lots of crafts and international foods (What am I having for lunch today, you ask? A kangaroo burger, of course). We walked around yesterday, and stumbled upon the 400-person capacity beer garden set up in a tent the size of its circus brethren selling 1L steins of beer...only in Ireland, right?!
Also! Killed some time in Elvery's again the other day and walked out with this magnificent specimen of both a sale and an excellent shirt:
A NEW YORK GAA HURLING JERSEY!
Okay, off to the library ALL day.
We only have one week of classes left, which is a relief, but then I have 5 days to finish up A TON of stuff before I start travelling...from the 30th to the 8th, I'll be going to London, Rome, and Prague...I'm super excited!!!
I still have to do a little recap of our trip to Dingle (which is gorgeous, by the way), but I thought I'd leave you with this little bit:
The Galway Christmas Market opened yesterday in Eyre Square, and it's super cute! Lots of crafts and international foods (What am I having for lunch today, you ask? A kangaroo burger, of course). We walked around yesterday, and stumbled upon the 400-person capacity beer garden set up in a tent the size of its circus brethren selling 1L steins of beer...only in Ireland, right?!
Also! Killed some time in Elvery's again the other day and walked out with this magnificent specimen of both a sale and an excellent shirt:
A NEW YORK GAA HURLING JERSEY!
Okay, off to the library ALL day.
05 November 2010
+66: Northern Ireland Recap
I suppose it's about time I got around to doing this!
Last weekend we went up to the North; we left at 9, had a two hour lecture on campus, and then headed out; we stopped in Sligo for lunch around 1:30 (I have to say, whoever plans our trips REALLY like dropping us off in random cities to find food and fend for ourselves. Just saying). We stopped to see Yeats' grave, and then continued to our HOTEL, which was this resort center in the middle of nowhere (no, really. NOWHERE).
Saturday, we went to Belfast. After some confusion about when breakfast actually was, we headed to the city. We took a driving tour, partially to cover more ground, partially for safety (we heard two shootings/explosions during our 7 hours there). We stopped to see the murals on Falls Rd, and to see the peace wall, which was really moving.
Murals on Falls Rd.
Bobby Sands Mural
The Peace Wall
...and what I wrote on it.
After that, we went to the Stormont estate, which is where the Northern Ireland Assembly meets. We had a great tour of the chambers (I ended up sitting in the Sinn Fein whip's seat...go figure)...and then we had tea. IN PARLIAMENT. How fantastic is that?!
Then we had a few hours free in the city, so Court & Kelsey & I went shopping (of course) and got milkshakes (of course). Then we headed into the town by our hotel for dinner, and had some pretty decent pizza (for not being in New York, at least) and then had some fireworks thrown at us by some rowdy drunk guys. Then we went to this haunted woods thing that someone had set up; it was a long wait, but a lot of fun, even though I was terrified at first.
Then we went back to our hotel and had our class halloween party, which was a lot of fun!
Court & I did the classic "Risky Business" costume:
aaand we also had: an angel, a rugby team, -Ory world (such a long story!), a lax bro, an Amish woman, the Minister of Silly Walks, a witch, a pumpkin, Pochahantas, a cowboy princess, and some Whos:
Sunday (HALLOWEEN!) we went to Derry for a few hours. Way too little time, honestly. But anyway, we went on a walking tour and went to see the murals in the Bogside, which was really, really interesting. We ended the tour at the Bloody Sunday memorial garden, literally in the middle of where it actually happened.
Aaaaand here are some random pictures from the weekend!
It rained for most of the weekend (hello, rainy season!) but we were prepared!
My realll halloween costume: (with Kaylyn the cowgirl princess and kelsey the angel)
Out on Halloween:
goofing around before the haunted woods thing in Draperstown:
That's all for now, folks...my mom comes tomorrow! SO EXCITED!
Last weekend we went up to the North; we left at 9, had a two hour lecture on campus, and then headed out; we stopped in Sligo for lunch around 1:30 (I have to say, whoever plans our trips REALLY like dropping us off in random cities to find food and fend for ourselves. Just saying). We stopped to see Yeats' grave, and then continued to our HOTEL, which was this resort center in the middle of nowhere (no, really. NOWHERE).
Saturday, we went to Belfast. After some confusion about when breakfast actually was, we headed to the city. We took a driving tour, partially to cover more ground, partially for safety (we heard two shootings/explosions during our 7 hours there). We stopped to see the murals on Falls Rd, and to see the peace wall, which was really moving.
Murals on Falls Rd.
Bobby Sands Mural
The Peace Wall
...and what I wrote on it.
After that, we went to the Stormont estate, which is where the Northern Ireland Assembly meets. We had a great tour of the chambers (I ended up sitting in the Sinn Fein whip's seat...go figure)...and then we had tea. IN PARLIAMENT. How fantastic is that?!
Then we had a few hours free in the city, so Court & Kelsey & I went shopping (of course) and got milkshakes (of course). Then we headed into the town by our hotel for dinner, and had some pretty decent pizza (for not being in New York, at least) and then had some fireworks thrown at us by some rowdy drunk guys. Then we went to this haunted woods thing that someone had set up; it was a long wait, but a lot of fun, even though I was terrified at first.
Then we went back to our hotel and had our class halloween party, which was a lot of fun!
Court & I did the classic "Risky Business" costume:
aaand we also had: an angel, a rugby team, -Ory world (such a long story!), a lax bro, an Amish woman, the Minister of Silly Walks, a witch, a pumpkin, Pochahantas, a cowboy princess, and some Whos:
Sunday (HALLOWEEN!) we went to Derry for a few hours. Way too little time, honestly. But anyway, we went on a walking tour and went to see the murals in the Bogside, which was really, really interesting. We ended the tour at the Bloody Sunday memorial garden, literally in the middle of where it actually happened.
Aaaaand here are some random pictures from the weekend!
It rained for most of the weekend (hello, rainy season!) but we were prepared!
My realll halloween costume: (with Kaylyn the cowgirl princess and kelsey the angel)
Out on Halloween:
goofing around before the haunted woods thing in Draperstown:
That's all for now, folks...my mom comes tomorrow! SO EXCITED!
03 November 2010
+64
Wow, we've already been here for two months (and we only have about a month and a half left)! How absurd!
We spent the weekend in Northern Ireland, which was a lot of fun--and included having tea in Parliament. Just saying. I have to say, I really, really enjoyed Belfast. More on that later.
Let's seee...most of our group is off to either Barcelona or Brussels this weekend, so Gort will be even quieter than usual. But it's really okay BECAUSE MY MOM ARRIVES ON SATURDAY! I am beyond exited!!
Also super exciting: Zach and I are going to see the Arcade Fire. IN LONDON. no big deal.
We spent the weekend in Northern Ireland, which was a lot of fun--and included having tea in Parliament. Just saying. I have to say, I really, really enjoyed Belfast. More on that later.
Let's seee...most of our group is off to either Barcelona or Brussels this weekend, so Gort will be even quieter than usual. But it's really okay BECAUSE MY MOM ARRIVES ON SATURDAY! I am beyond exited!!
Also super exciting: Zach and I are going to see the Arcade Fire. IN LONDON. no big deal.
29 October 2010
+59
Here's a little recap of my night:
1:15- Finish packing for trip; go to bed.
1:30- People start setting off fireworks outside.
2:45- Screaming begins outside
3:00- MASSIVE fight outside/in the house next door (one of my bedroom walls is one of their living rooms walls...LOUD!)
3:20- Security shows up
3:22- Girl next door starts yelling at guy who started fight; he tries to tell security that he lives there.
3:25- Girl starts yelling about friend who got caught up in fight & probably has a broken rib.
3:35- Girl still yelling; someone screams that the Gardi are on their way.
Seriously, it was ridiculous. I'm starting to notice that there are a lot more drunken fights here? Maybe it's just because it's a student complex, but I'm not sure...
1:15- Finish packing for trip; go to bed.
1:30- People start setting off fireworks outside.
2:45- Screaming begins outside
3:00- MASSIVE fight outside/in the house next door (one of my bedroom walls is one of their living rooms walls...LOUD!)
3:20- Security shows up
3:22- Girl next door starts yelling at guy who started fight; he tries to tell security that he lives there.
3:25- Girl starts yelling about friend who got caught up in fight & probably has a broken rib.
3:35- Girl still yelling; someone screams that the Gardi are on their way.
Seriously, it was ridiculous. I'm starting to notice that there are a lot more drunken fights here? Maybe it's just because it's a student complex, but I'm not sure...
28 October 2010
+58 (Again)
The internet here is SO slow!
All I want to do is download "Double Double Toil and Trouble." Really, it's not much to ask!
We're off to Northern Ireland in the morning, which should be fun, although I have to say I'm disappointed we're missing Halloween in Galway...
All I want to do is download "Double Double Toil and Trouble." Really, it's not much to ask!
We're off to Northern Ireland in the morning, which should be fun, although I have to say I'm disappointed we're missing Halloween in Galway...
+58
This evening, Zach and I were in Courtney & Kelsey’s kitchen making cookies when the fire alarm went off in the building. We went outside in the hall and noticed it was smoky, so we went outside; as it turns out, someone had set off their fire extinguisher, which is super, super dangerous. SO, we’re standing outside, and Court went back in to make sure everyone was out of the building. We’re outside for a good 10 minutes with the alarm still going off and Irish kids just moving the party outside before one of Gort’s security guards finally shows up and walks in; he starts asking around for the people who live in the apartment in question and then leaves. No cops, no fireman, no poison control, no actually authority to make sure everyone was okay.
Zach and I both felt the effects of whatever CO2 exposure (even though we were only in the building for like 3 minutes and covered our noses and mouths with our shirts, so we left right away and spent a good deal of time trying to convince certain occupants of a certain apartment building to sit in our building until the smoke/fire extinguisher/whatever had dissipated.
The lack of response is really terrifying—what if there had actually been a fire? No official went in to make sure everyone was out, there were no fire fighters or anything; it was all up to a student who has emergency response training. That’s way too much for one person to handle, and, quite frankly, is completely irresponsible of both our apartment complex and local authorities.
As usual drunk kids are STUPID. I guess it doesn’t matter which side of the pond you’re on.
Zach and I both felt the effects of whatever CO2 exposure (even though we were only in the building for like 3 minutes and covered our noses and mouths with our shirts, so we left right away and spent a good deal of time trying to convince certain occupants of a certain apartment building to sit in our building until the smoke/fire extinguisher/whatever had dissipated.
The lack of response is really terrifying—what if there had actually been a fire? No official went in to make sure everyone was out, there were no fire fighters or anything; it was all up to a student who has emergency response training. That’s way too much for one person to handle, and, quite frankly, is completely irresponsible of both our apartment complex and local authorities.
As usual drunk kids are STUPID. I guess it doesn’t matter which side of the pond you’re on.
26 October 2010
+56: Bank Holiday Weekend Recap!
...There really aren't any words to describe my bank holiday weekend. It was fantastic, ridiculous, and draining. It started out with champagne at work on Thursday afternoon, and ended with watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The middle is kind of a long story, but it was fun!
I got my Halloween costume(s), had an excellent crepe (caramelized banana, chocolate, & Baileys!), went shopping with Court, and was fairly productive.
Now, off to finish my history midterm (the professor spontaneously cancelled class this afternoon, which I really appreciated (JUST KIDDING!))..
I got my Halloween costume(s), had an excellent crepe (caramelized banana, chocolate, & Baileys!), went shopping with Court, and was fairly productive.
Now, off to finish my history midterm (the professor spontaneously cancelled class this afternoon, which I really appreciated (JUST KIDDING!))..
23 October 2010
+53: Galway United Match!
I really, really, really, wanted to go to a soccer match while I was here in Ireland. On a whim, I checked the match listings on Monday and saw that Galway United's LAST home match of the season was on Friday...talk about crazy timing right?!
So, I asked around and Zach wanted to go, too; on Tuesday, we went to Elvery's, which is a local sporting goods store, to get jerseys. It turns out the team's sponsor changed from last season, which meant lots of jerseys on sale...ace, right?!
Anyway, I got the away jersey from last season, which is green, blue, and awesome and looks like this for 9€, which is an insane deal:
So, we left for Terryland Stadium (which is literally down the street from our apartments) at 7:00 for the 7:45 kickoff. We got to the stadium and noticed a lot of people drinking outside, which we later learned was because no alcohol is allowed, let alone sold, at the stadium--definitely a change from American sports! There were also two different entrances, depending on which team you supported. The two entrances led to two separate stands--fans were completely segregated. Really strange to see, but I guess the "soccer hooligan" stereotype is true! As a matter of fact, when there were about 10 minutes left in the match, there were several announcements asking Bohemians fans to stay behind 5 minutes after the match and to use a different exit than the United fans. There were also a ton of Gardai lined up in front of the Boh's stands to prevent fans from rushing the field after...I don't really blame them because Bohs fans set off fireworks when the scored. Definitely a little excessive and definitely a little illegal.
Onto the match! United scored about 20 minutes in, and the Bohs tied it about 3 minutes before half. Both teams scored again in the second half, and it looked like it would be a draw until about 5 minutes before the end of the match. That's when United rallied--it started back in defense and one player--couldn't tell you which one--stole the ball and CHARGED up the field. Another Galway man happened to be in the Boh's corner, dribbled past a few defenders practically up to the goal and scored. It was absolutely fantastic...the crowd went wild and the Bohs literally sat down on the field because they knew it was over.
SUCH an exciting match!
So, I asked around and Zach wanted to go, too; on Tuesday, we went to Elvery's, which is a local sporting goods store, to get jerseys. It turns out the team's sponsor changed from last season, which meant lots of jerseys on sale...ace, right?!
Anyway, I got the away jersey from last season, which is green, blue, and awesome and looks like this for 9€, which is an insane deal:
So, we left for Terryland Stadium (which is literally down the street from our apartments) at 7:00 for the 7:45 kickoff. We got to the stadium and noticed a lot of people drinking outside, which we later learned was because no alcohol is allowed, let alone sold, at the stadium--definitely a change from American sports! There were also two different entrances, depending on which team you supported. The two entrances led to two separate stands--fans were completely segregated. Really strange to see, but I guess the "soccer hooligan" stereotype is true! As a matter of fact, when there were about 10 minutes left in the match, there were several announcements asking Bohemians fans to stay behind 5 minutes after the match and to use a different exit than the United fans. There were also a ton of Gardai lined up in front of the Boh's stands to prevent fans from rushing the field after...I don't really blame them because Bohs fans set off fireworks when the scored. Definitely a little excessive and definitely a little illegal.
Onto the match! United scored about 20 minutes in, and the Bohs tied it about 3 minutes before half. Both teams scored again in the second half, and it looked like it would be a draw until about 5 minutes before the end of the match. That's when United rallied--it started back in defense and one player--couldn't tell you which one--stole the ball and CHARGED up the field. Another Galway man happened to be in the Boh's corner, dribbled past a few defenders practically up to the goal and scored. It was absolutely fantastic...the crowd went wild and the Bohs literally sat down on the field because they knew it was over.
SUCH an exciting match!
21 October 2010
19 October 2010
+49
Oy, my philosophy class today was absolutely painful! Lectures have been on Plato's Republic for the past 3 weeks or so, but no one has read ANYTHING.
At one point the tutor asked us to make a list of Plato's main points; I quickly jotted down Theory of the Forms, Divided Line, Allegory of the Cave (although it's called the "Simile of the Cave" over here), and the parallel structure of the city and the soul.
I'm really hesitant to speak up in the tutorial because I don't want to dominate the discussion because I've already read a lot of what we're going to do, so I held back.
The tutor called on someone else. She thought for a good two minutes and then said "Em.....Socrates?"
oy.
Oh well, there are bigger fish to fry--just got my history midterm assignment and another paper due for my Irish music class next week, not to mention the upcoming BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.
At one point the tutor asked us to make a list of Plato's main points; I quickly jotted down Theory of the Forms, Divided Line, Allegory of the Cave (although it's called the "Simile of the Cave" over here), and the parallel structure of the city and the soul.
I'm really hesitant to speak up in the tutorial because I don't want to dominate the discussion because I've already read a lot of what we're going to do, so I held back.
The tutor called on someone else. She thought for a good two minutes and then said "Em.....Socrates?"
oy.
Oh well, there are bigger fish to fry--just got my history midterm assignment and another paper due for my Irish music class next week, not to mention the upcoming BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.
17 October 2010
+47: Paris Recap!
Before you read any of this, hit "play" on the video below, and listen to it in the background.
Sparknotes: PARIS IS FANTASTIC!
Wednesday/Thursday:
We left for the bus station in Galway at around 11 on Wednesday night to catch the 12:15 bus to Dublin, which took about 3 hours.
We got to the airport at 3 for our 6:20 flight...waiting ensued. After arriving at 9:30 Paris time (an hour ahead of Ireland), we navigated the regional rail system and the metro to drop our bags off at our hotel in Montmarte, which is an adorable neighborhood.
From there, we saw:
Some really cool nerdy graffiti:
Le Sacré-Cœur, a 19th century basilica, which is amazing in its own right, but also offers AMAZING views of the city:
Le Tour Eiffel:
We ate baguettes in the park at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for dinner. Obviously. Then we went to the Musee D'Orsay, which has mostly Impressionist and post-Impressionist works in it. It was a great museum, built in an old train station. Even better, though, is the fact that we got in for FREE with our Garda registration cards. Basically, a lot of museums in Paris are free for EU residents (not citizens, residents), which includes us. Ace, right?
We headed back to Montmarte and sat at a cafe around the corner from our hotel....that's when we found out that Courtney ended up in Belgium, but that's a completely different story.
Friday:
(musical accompaniment:
)
We saw le Arc du Triumphe, then went shopping on les Champs-Élysées:
Then we met up with Willy, my philosophy TA from freshman year, and his girlfriend Caitlin, who moved to Paris a few months ago. They took us to this amazing falafel place for lunch, and then Willy showed Colleen & I around the city for a bit. We went to the park behind the Louvre for a bit, then went back to our hotel for a little while...then Colleen and I went to the Louvre. THE LOUVRE. There are no words that could possibly describe it. It's fantastic and amazing and I got lost more than once, but I guess that's to be expected:
At one point, I went to ask a guard for directions, so I went up to him and said: "Pardon, parlez-vous Anglais?" ("Sorry, do you speak English?"), and he looks at me and says "Mais vous parlez français.." (but you speak French!). I got flustered and told him that I only spoke a little bit, and he switched to English and pointed me in the right direction. Hilarious, really.
[Just a note on language: I got by pretty well with very limited French all weekend. And by pretty limited, I mean "Bonjour/Bonsoir" "Excusez moi" "Pardon" "s'il vous plaît" "oui" "non, merci" and "cafe au lait"--basically, I was very polite and well-caffienated.]
After the Louvre, we met back up with Willy and Cait and went to a bar in their neighborhood. I had this fantastic beer called Desparados--it's basically Corona with tequila in it, served with lemon. Yum!
Saturday:
We went to Notre Dame, saw the Sorbonne, etc. in the Latin Quarter:
There was this adorable philosophy bookstore next to the Sorbonne--if I had a million euros/ could read French, I totally would have bought all of the books.
Later, we met Courtney and Rachel, who also goes to HWS, for dinner at this cute traditional French restaurant by Notre Dame. Then they took us to get crepes by their hotel, which were sooooo good!
Aaaand, that's about all she wrote. Our flight (which we almost missed, honestly) was at 10:15, and we got back to Galway around 3:30. All in all, an awesome weekend!
Sparknotes: PARIS IS FANTASTIC!
Wednesday/Thursday:
We left for the bus station in Galway at around 11 on Wednesday night to catch the 12:15 bus to Dublin, which took about 3 hours.
We got to the airport at 3 for our 6:20 flight...waiting ensued. After arriving at 9:30 Paris time (an hour ahead of Ireland), we navigated the regional rail system and the metro to drop our bags off at our hotel in Montmarte, which is an adorable neighborhood.
From there, we saw:
Some really cool nerdy graffiti:
Le Sacré-Cœur, a 19th century basilica, which is amazing in its own right, but also offers AMAZING views of the city:
Le Tour Eiffel:
We ate baguettes in the park at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for dinner. Obviously. Then we went to the Musee D'Orsay, which has mostly Impressionist and post-Impressionist works in it. It was a great museum, built in an old train station. Even better, though, is the fact that we got in for FREE with our Garda registration cards. Basically, a lot of museums in Paris are free for EU residents (not citizens, residents), which includes us. Ace, right?
We headed back to Montmarte and sat at a cafe around the corner from our hotel....that's when we found out that Courtney ended up in Belgium, but that's a completely different story.
Friday:
(musical accompaniment:
)
We saw le Arc du Triumphe, then went shopping on les Champs-Élysées:
Then we met up with Willy, my philosophy TA from freshman year, and his girlfriend Caitlin, who moved to Paris a few months ago. They took us to this amazing falafel place for lunch, and then Willy showed Colleen & I around the city for a bit. We went to the park behind the Louvre for a bit, then went back to our hotel for a little while...then Colleen and I went to the Louvre. THE LOUVRE. There are no words that could possibly describe it. It's fantastic and amazing and I got lost more than once, but I guess that's to be expected:
At one point, I went to ask a guard for directions, so I went up to him and said: "Pardon, parlez-vous Anglais?" ("Sorry, do you speak English?"), and he looks at me and says "Mais vous parlez français.." (but you speak French!). I got flustered and told him that I only spoke a little bit, and he switched to English and pointed me in the right direction. Hilarious, really.
[Just a note on language: I got by pretty well with very limited French all weekend. And by pretty limited, I mean "Bonjour/Bonsoir" "Excusez moi" "Pardon" "s'il vous plaît" "oui" "non, merci" and "cafe au lait"--basically, I was very polite and well-caffienated.]
After the Louvre, we met back up with Willy and Cait and went to a bar in their neighborhood. I had this fantastic beer called Desparados--it's basically Corona with tequila in it, served with lemon. Yum!
Saturday:
We went to Notre Dame, saw the Sorbonne, etc. in the Latin Quarter:
There was this adorable philosophy bookstore next to the Sorbonne--if I had a million euros/ could read French, I totally would have bought all of the books.
Later, we met Courtney and Rachel, who also goes to HWS, for dinner at this cute traditional French restaurant by Notre Dame. Then they took us to get crepes by their hotel, which were sooooo good!
Aaaand, that's about all she wrote. Our flight (which we almost missed, honestly) was at 10:15, and we got back to Galway around 3:30. All in all, an awesome weekend!
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