Holiday in Ireland

I have been traveling and playing in too many countries and with too many cultures to write anything for the last couple of weeks.  The adventures all started back on April 20th in Dublin with three good friends.

The babushkas were sleepy at the airport

Sevilla --> Dublin

Plan: Pack efficiently, then go to bed early enough to be well-rested at 5am.  Eat tostada, stop at Starbucks (no one else opens before 7), and be bright-eyed and chipper at the bus stop by 6:15am.

Reality: After a few hours of sleep (Facebook was just too good), sleep through 2 alarms, somehow wake up at 6:02. Panic. Shove toothbrush and whatever else is in hand into backpack, run to nearest taxi. Collapse at bus station at 6:27, just in time to catch the bus to the aeropuerto.

Dearest burger, I've waited SO LONG.

All's well that ends well.

The four of us made it safely to our hostel in Dublin with not too many more issues, where the die-hard Irish manager at Ashfield House wrote all over our map with different suggestions and advice. Our first mission was to find the nearest and best burger place for dinner.
Spanish hamburguesas are not even close to the giant stacks of beef so near and dear to our American hearts. When the waitress gave us fountain coke and free ice water with our meal, the collective gasps of joy from our table could be heard around the restaurant.
We then had a lively night at a touristy pub in Temple Bar with a crowd of Norwegians, but turned in early as we had an adventure waiting for us in the morning.

Galway Tour

When traveling, my group usually tends to stay away from the organized groups.  Walking tours involve too much walking and listening, and not enough sitting and drinking.  We typically like to search for coffee and other beverages, and by doing this explore a city for ourselves.  However.  We decided to give the all-day tour of Galway, the Burren, and the Cliffs of Moher a chance.  From 7am to 9pm we bused, walked, and frolicked all over the Irish countryside.

Our friendly tour guide John kicked off the tour with a hike all over the farm and surrounding mountains that have been in his family for hundreds of years.  We were very happy that we had chosen to rest the night before, as it was one of the very few workouts I've had this semester.

The Burren.  Beautifully green, surprisingly rocky, and to the upper-right you can kiiinda see the ocean.

Pie at Granny's Cottage

Frolic Mode: ON.

 From the farm we piled back on the bus for a short drive to the Cliffs of Moher.

We were lucky to have such a clear day!

You really have to be careful on the edge of those cliffs.

With all this talk of "frolicking" and "playtime," my time studying abroad is beginning to sound like some excuse to take a semester off and explore Europe with friends.

Erin didn't acquire a taste for Guinness.

That's a myth.  I'm learning lots.

Irish Lessons Learned

- Imitating a British accent does not qualify as an Irish accent.

- Also, fake accents are really not appreciated by the public.

- Everyone is nice in Ireland.  Everyone.  

- Guinness is made of five ingredients: water, hops, barley, yeast, and Arthur Guinness himself.

- Guinness is definitely an acquired taste.  But with practice, it is possible to enjoy a pint of the strong stout.

Making friends on Local Night.

- My family name is very popular in Cork, where my ancestors are from.
- When offered, always always always take the horse and carriage ride back to your neighborhood. Worth every euro.
- The ginger population really is abnormally high.I counted 105 redheads in four days.

MEXICAN FOOD?? Never leaving.

- Talking to elderly men at bars leads to invitations to local hotspots that even locals don't know about.

- In general, Irish old men are wonderful to talk to.

- Dublin knows how to make real guacamole, and actual spicy salsa.

- Darkey Kelly's Bar is home to authentic Irish music without the crowds of tourists. I mean, except us.

...so how do I pack these?

- Mention your grandfather was a potato farmer, and someone just might give you a bag of his father's homegrown potatoes.

- The popular song "Molly Malone" is very catchy, will get stuck in your head, and is about a prostitute.

- "Be garra be jeasus!" an old Irish phrase, has a meaning.  We're just not exactly sure what it is.

- Packing potatoes home will get dirt all over your stuff.

With all the burgers, Mexican food, and potatoes, Ireland actually reminded me a lot of home.  If home had fantastic accents and lusciously green rolling hills, of course.  The weekend in my motherland was all too short, but we wanted to be back in Sevilla for the week of Feria.  Also, continuously comparing everyone to leprechauns and Keebler Elves wasn't making us any friends.  Goodbye, dear Ireland.  I shall see you again one day!