After spending a week in Ireland I am happy to be back in Rome! It’s exciting to me that this place finally seems like home. Although I cannot deny that the idea of teleporting back to Crestwood Drive for a night or two, experiencing the wonders of DVR and a bowl of Mom’s chili, is extremely attractive, I have not experienced much homesickness at all.
 |
| The group outside the cafeteria at Trinity College |
Being able to spend time with my dear Christine in Ireland was amazing! My roommates and I arrived in Dublin quite late on Friday night. The whole travel experience was kind of a bummer because I had woken up that morning with a cold, then had to go take my Italian final (including an oral examination which my poor voice did not appreciate), and catch a flight directly after. Following a delicious (not) fast food meal we decided to just head to the hostel and hit the sack. The next day we walked around Trinity College with Christine and her two friends (one from her university in Cork, the other a student at Trinity) and saw the Book of Kells! The volume was breathtakingly beautiful and the Old Library commanded such a prescence that we scarcely feel in univerisities on the West Coast.
 |
| My roommates and me outside of the Guinness Factory |
After Trinity we (of course) toured the Guinness Factory. The museum was very well done and the student admission price was pretty reasonable considering at the top of the building everyone enjoyed a pint of Guinness free of charge (delicccccious). The Gravity Bar also offered a panoramic view of Dublin which, although the weather was less than perfect, was beautiful.
Within the next couple of days we visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol, and the famous Grafton Street. Of course at night we frequented Irish pubs, and even caught a good part of the Superbowl in one near our hostel! Very American but oh well. My roommate, Courtney managed to score free tickets to a show at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on Sunday night. The show was called "'Puttin' on the Ritz," based on the famous 1930's musical. The piece featured a singer named Lance Ellington as well as dancers. It was an experience I certainly never expected to have on my trip to Ireland but I'm glad I got the chance to see the Concert Hall and do something off the grid of normal tourist activities!
 |
| The National Concert Hall in Dublin |
 |
| St. Patrick's Cathedral |
 |
| Kilmainham jail cell- not my idea of a good time clearly |
After my roommates departed Tuesday morning I had the day to myself. I spent a good chunk of the morning walking around St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful park just a couple of blocks from the hostel. After that it was good-bye Dublin and on my way to Cork!
The bus ride took about four and a half hours but it weaved through some smaller towns along the way, as well as a good deal of countryside. I had to admit, it was a nice change from overwhelmingly urban Dublin. Christine met me at the bus station and we walked to her nearby apartment. She has three roommates and they all have their own bedrooms AND bathrooms, lucky ducks.
 |
| Full Irish breakfast- once you get past the idea of congealed blood it was really quite tasty :) |
That night we went Christine's favorite pub in Cork and listened to her housemate play the fiddle with Irish musicians. The music combined with the awesome Irish decor of the pub provided a real authentic experience!
One of the more surprising things about Ireland was that I found the food to be terrible! However, I was thrilled to see french fries (chips) all over the place, and Christine and I had a full Irish breakfast one morning that was delicious. And if that wasn't enough, one night Christine's two French roommates cooked an amazing meal for everyone. Guinness floats for dessert of course!
 |
| Kissing the Blarney stone- kind of frightening |
During my stay in Cork we visited the Blarney Stone (I am sad to say that by kissing it I do not believe I have been given the gift of gab...) as well as the grounds surrounding the castle which were gorgeous.
 |
| The grounds surrounding the castle |
One of the most cool things I got to do in Cork is walk around the University College Cork campus. I even sat in with Christine for her literature class!
All in all, I had a wonderful time in Ireland and was very sad to leave Christine at the end. It was nice to be around English speakers for a week (although I'm sure my Italian professor would not approve) and travel to a country I have always wanted to visit. I am quite glad to be back in my Italia however, and even more excited to start school tomorrow!
I begin Ancient Roman Art, Renaissance Art in Rome, and Rome: the Age of Baroque this week, in addition to a continuation of my Italian language course. I'm very excited because all of these classes have multiple site visits including the Vatican Museums, and even a day trip to Pompeii next month. It's hard to believe that I've been here for a month now, I am really starting to see that this time is going to fly by and I had better make the most of it!
Ciao!
