Ireland!

Right after returning from Strasbourg I started packing for Ireland. I work in the office of an Irish MEP, and I was really excited to see a place that I had heard so much about.

In order to get our cheap flight we had to leave at 6:45 am, which proved to be especially difficult since we were departing from a "Brussels area" airport that is an hour bus ride away. We had to take a taxi to get to the train station in time to catch the 4:30 bus to the airport, but after a few taxi difficulties and an hour long bus ride we were at the airport and ready to go.

The first thing that we did when we arrived was check into our hostel, and then set out in search of a full Irish breakfast. Our plates were piled high with sausages, potatoes, beans and toast, bacon, and some kind of "pudding" that I later learned was made of pig's blood (who knew?). It was delicious, and enough to keep me full for the rest of the day!

The rest of the day was spent walking around Dublin. We took a tour of the Guinness Factory, wandered around O'Connell Street, stopped into Christchurch Cathedral, and lounged in the sun near St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was a really wonderful day!

The next day, we woke up bright and early and hopped on a tour bus out to Wicklow county to see the beautiful countryside. We spent the day riding the bus through beautiful hills and valleys, and had lots of time to get off the bus and walk around. I was blown away at how beautiful Ireland is! The hills were so gorgeous, and I was just amazed by it. It was also great to have our tour guide pointing out some subtle but beautiful things, explain to us why the lake was the color of Guiness, and go over some of the history of the region.

We stopped for lunch in a little town, and had a delicious carvery lunch. Then we set out to spend the afternoon in Glendalough, a really gorgeous little section of Wicklow.

Glendalough was the location of St. Kevin's monastic order, and there were lots of interesting stone towers and ruins of beautiful old churches. We wandered around, marveling at the beautiful forests, the sparkling lakes, and the towering mountains. We were all just completely blown away by the beauty.

After a full day of exploring we headed back to Dublin, excited to see more of Ireland. We wandered around the Trinity College Area and St. Stephens green. Then we hopped on the DART (Dublin Area Regional Transit) to go see the sunset in Howth.

Howth is a little fishing village about a 25 minute DART ride from Trinity College. When we arrived we strolled along the water, and watched the sun set over the rocky shoreline. It was simply perfect.

We set off in search of fish and chips, but as we walked along the water we heard some strange noises and decided to investigate only to find several seals swimming nearby! This was such a wonderful surprise and a real highlight of the trip! It was so cool to see these animals up close. I don't think my camera did it justice, but it was truly amazing.

After about 20 minutes of snapping pictures and marveling over the seals we left in search of some fish and chips. We stumbled upon a nice place that gave us a pretty good deal for some fresh fish and chips, and then headed to the pub to chat it up with the locals and watch Ireland take on Bulgaria in football.

We chatted with a former sailor who told us all about his days sailing and assured us that, having traveled all around the world, that Howth was the best place in the world. Ireland ended up tying with Bulgaria, but despite the anti-climatic result we really had a blast hanging out with the locals.

The next morning we packed up bright and early, were met with more taxi troubles (I seriously have the worst luck with taxis) but found our way to the airport anyway and headed home. It was really sad to leave Ireland. It was just such a beautiful country, the people were very friendly, and the convenience of being able to speak english was truly a comfort. Though I know it won't happen before I leave in May, I really hope to be able to visit Ireland again soon.

Pictures!

St. Patrick's

I saw this spray painted on the side of a building in Dublin and I thought it was pretty cool.

Wicklow

So Beautiful!


A lake the color of Guiness

Stone tower in Glendalough
Tombstones with the hills in the backround. Beautiful!


Is was soooo pretty!


View of the sunset over the ocean from Howth


Seals!

Commenting 101 and Other Musings

So I was talking with my parents the other day when they alerted me that there was some confusion surrounding my blog. Several people, my parents included, have expressed confusion about how to comment on this blog. So, for the readers that are unfamiliar with blogging, I thought I would write some instruction on how to leave comments.

First of all, anyone can leave comments. I set this blog up so that even people that are not members of blogspot can leave comments at the end of this blog. Just page down to the end of the entry and look at the text below. In gray and blue writing at the bottom it will say the time I posted and will have the labels that have put on the entry. It will also say "___ Comments" (Any number could be in the ____). If you click on that you can read any comments anyone else has made, and you can also make your own comments. To post go to the white square that says "Post a Comment" above it. You can write anything you'd like in the white square, and then go to the space that says "Comment As" and click on "anonymously" (unless you are a member). Then it will prompt you to type some letters that are displayed. Type the letter in, and you have successfully left a comment! Please just make sure that if you comment anonymously you still sign your name so I know who you are!

Now a Few Musings from Belgium...

-One thing about this place that makes me feel right at home is that Belgium is truly a nation of compulsive rule followers. Let me give you an example: All pedestrians here wait for the green signal before crossing. Seriously, almost everyone does this. The street could be completely clear, and everyone stands on the corner waiting for the green signal. Maybe one person breaks from this and crosses the street, and everyone eyes the rebel like they are crazy.

- My MEP (Member of the European Parliament) rocks. She is superwoman. She is incredibly knowledgeable about everything and is involved in so many committees, but always has time for her constituents. Recently, in light of the economic crisis she has volunteered to take a 20% reduction in pay. You can read about it more in the Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0205/1233787117361.html

-My parents sent me a Valentine. It made my day.

-I am beginning to understand the Irish frustration with the EU's current obsession with the Lisbon Treaty. In order for the treaty to pass it needs unanimous approval. The Irish voted it down, thus, it failed to get unanimous approval. You would think that people would count thier losses and move on, but no, instead they continue to reference Lisbon as if it were in force. They go further, and treat the Irish like crap for voting it down.

-I have heard about how unhealthy American food, and I'm not arguing with that, but Europeans put mayo on EVERYTHING. Literally, they use mayo like we use ranch. Everything is smothered in mayo or dipped in mayo. French Fries, oh I'm sorry, Belgian Fries are generally served with a giant glob of mayo on them. I am trying to step out of my box, but I just can't get into that.

That's all for now! Au Revoir!

Em