Hello everybody Happy Spring!
This weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go to Barcelona, Spain for 2 days and it was so beautiful! Spain is a country that I never actually thought I would ever make it to, and I am so happy I used my time in Europe to go there. I have a friend who is studying in Toledo, outside of Madrid, and she and a few friends came to Barcelona and we got to spend time with them which was SO nice. I always love seeing anyone from home, it is always so crazy to be able to say we were in Europe together!
Our flight left Friday morning at 6:45am out of the Shannon Airport which is an hour and a half from Galway, and we had to be there early for check in, so we took a short nap and got up and left the apartments at 2:45am to make it to the 3:30am bus. We thought we would have plenty of time because the bus station is about a half an hour walk, but it turns out there were a lot of travelers this weekend because we had to wait in a long line. I was so nervous we weren't going to get on the bus, and when we got to the front of the line he told us that we were the last people on the bus! We were so lucky, I have no idea what we would have done if they would have turned us away! When we finally got to the airport we took the two hour flight and got to Barcelona very easily, and after traveling for about 9 hours we finally got to our hostel and met up with Amy and her friends. We took off right away and walked the streets of Barcelona. D'Antonio Gaudi was a famous artist/architect in the early 1900's and he designed a lot of the buildings and famous sites in the city, so we got to see a few of his buildings on our way to his most famous one, the Cathedral Sagrada Familia! It is a huge Cathedral that Gaudi designed and started, but died in the middle of building it in the 1920's before it was finished. Since then it has been continued to be built, and when it was damaged during the Spanish Civil War restored. It is very, very intricate and crazy looking. The front of the building is centered around the crucifixion and the back is centered around the Nativity. Everywhere you look there is some new thing to see or interpret, I loved it! We decided once we got in that we wanted to pay the 2.50 Euro they were asking for to go up to the top, and it was totally worth it. The city looked so beautiful from the top of the church and it gave it such an older feel! Very Spanish looking from the top haha. After that we wnated to go find the Olympic Stadium from the 1992 Olympics, and we wandered around the city until we finally started seeing signs! It was a very beautiful part of town, they went all out for the Olympics and a lot of the fountains and other special monuments are there which were beautiful. We made our way to the "Dancing Waters" show outside of one of the Plaza's which was beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the one at Epcot in Disney World. We thought it was going to be much warmer then it was the whole weekend so it got pretty chilly sitting by the fountain in the cold weather, but it was still definitely warmer then Ireland! After the show we were all hungry and we headed to a Spanish restaurant where those of us not studying in Spain could try Paella, Tapas and Sangria! SO Yummy! My love of food definitely includes Spanish food, I didn't have anything I didn't like! I fell in love with Sangria, totally wonderful, hopefully the girls studying there will figure out how to make it!
The next day we were in no real hurry to go anywhere or do anything specific, it was a really relaxing day. I feel like the past few times I have traveled I have been so stressed with seeing everything I want to see that I didn't take time to really enjoy it! We walked down the street our hostel was on, Las Ramblas one of the biggest streets in Barcelona, toward the amazing city market. It is an everyday market that was HUGE! I know I mention these in almost every city that I visit, but I love the idea of buying things so fresh and yummy everyday. Something I definitely wish I could do at home more often. After our fix of the market we walked across the city to one of Gaudi's most famous structures, Park Guell. It is a big park where a lot of the buildings look like gingerbread houses haha. The park was beautiful and the view was even more amazing. We found some steps and we decided to see where they led. After 325 stairs we were at the top of the park with an AMAZING view of the city all the way to the Mediterranean! It was totally worth the steps! The man who worked at our hostel told us there was another pretty park that we thought we might try and get to but we didn't know where we were going and the map was kind of confusing. A few of the girls went into the Pharmacy to ask for directions, and a little old Spanish lady told her that we couldn't get there by foot we had to take a bus, and she would show us (all in Spanish of course!) This woman was SO adorable, and one of the nicest ladies I have ever met. I had no idea what she was saying, but I still love her haha. She walked us through this neighborhood all the way to the correct bus station then got on the bus and told the conductor where we were headed and asked him to make sure we got off at the right stop. She offered us her bus pass, but already had one so we said we were fine. She was so genuinely nice and wanted us to have such a good time, it was so comforting! It also helped that all of the girls I was with spoke very good Spanish so I just got to follow haha. If it wasn't numbers or colors I was pretty much out of luck. Once we got off the bus we found a little supermarket and bought baguettes, cheese, meat, chips, and pop and walked to the park for a picnic. It was so beautiful and so relaxing just to sit and enjoy where we were. Probably one of my favorite moments of the weekend. We then decided we were ready for the beach!
It was only about 60 degrees tops, but we were bound and determined to sit on the beach, even if that meant sitting there in our long sleeves and jeans. It was SO beautiful sitting and watching the waves and the surfers and just taking it all in. We walked along the beach for a while and touched the water (BRR! It was like Lake Superior!) and then walked on the sidewalks along the ocean once it got a little too cold to be in the water. It was such a nice relaxing afternoon with no agenda and no time limit. We walked and found a Spanish band playing by the port and sat and watched them for a little while, then found dinner at a little Italian restaurant with more Sangria! It was a great weekend with great friends!
This weekend my friend Angie who I stayed with in London is coming to visit just for one night, but it is always nice to have visitors! I only have this week and next week left of classes, then a nice long break before my two finals! I will keep you updated when anything else exciting happens, next weekend I am going to Nice, France for another relaxing weekend so that should be great! I miss you all so much!! Write if you get the chance!!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Happy St. Patty's Day!!!
Hello!
It is March 18 which means I survived St. Patrick's Day in Ireland! It was so much fun and I wish you all could have been here to experience it! It was BY FAR the most beautiful day we have had since I arrived, not a cloud in the sky, sunny, and 60's! We were in t-shirts and totally comfortable which is unheard of for the past 2.5 months at least. My friends and I started out by making brunch at 10am which was a really great way to start a super fun day. The parade was at 12:30, and from what I have read and heard it is the biggest on in Ireland. There are like 50,000 spectators and the streets are not very big in the first place! It was weird, this weekend there were a lot of tourists downtown and I began to feel very territorial like it is actually my home which I think is good:) After the parade we stayed downtown and went to a few of our favorite pubs for the afternoon. They all had traditional music playing and the people were so much fun! We took a break for the evening and headed back into town at about 10pm for round 2, and the streets and pubs were still packed. Everyone was in such high spirits (I don't know if that was because of the weather or the alcohol, I think both helped :)) All of the green was crazy and fun. It honestly is more of an American holiday and it really isn't too much different here then any other day except it is a bank holiday so no classes and work for a lot of people. Of course as an American it felt totally different and was definitely a reason to celebrate! I promise, they all did there share of celebrating as well:)
Other then that the past week has been fairly uneventful. My semester is winding down quick, only 2 weeks of classes left, which means I am writing papers much more often then I would like to be. The weather today was another absolutely gorgeous day which makes homework even harder, but being happy so much easier! I got my final exam schedule last week and it was a little different then what I had planned. At first everyone told us that we had spring break from April 4-24, but it turns out that isn't the case! My friends and I had planned a trip to Italy at that time but lucky for us we didn't book anything just in case, so now we moved our trip to the first weeks in May. I am done with classes on April 2, then have a final April 17 and May 1 so April is going to be a long month! It will definitely be nice to get to go places around Ireland that I was worried I wasn't going to make it to, and to experience Galway to its absolute fullest. Since exams are different I moved my flight and am coming home a week early! May 17 at 8pm I will be back in MN exhausted and happy!
This weekend I am going to Barcelona for a short visit and am meeting up with one of my friends from St. Norbert who is studying in Spain so that will be so nice! It is supposed to be sunny and warm and relaxing! All of these opportunities are so amazing, I am so blessed that I get to do all of these things and experience all of these different cultures. It definitely makes me more gracious for what I have and take for granted every day. I am totally falling in love with it here, but there are things that are just better at home (like a clean bathroom/living space, blankets, and hugs!)or that they don't have here (i.e. corn chips and salsa, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and cheap ice cream haha) I have 8 weeks left which sometimes seems like an eternity and sometimes feels like it is flying by. Either way I am trying to live everyday as much as I can! I love you all so much, I hope spring is being nice to you! Write if you can!
It is March 18 which means I survived St. Patrick's Day in Ireland! It was so much fun and I wish you all could have been here to experience it! It was BY FAR the most beautiful day we have had since I arrived, not a cloud in the sky, sunny, and 60's! We were in t-shirts and totally comfortable which is unheard of for the past 2.5 months at least. My friends and I started out by making brunch at 10am which was a really great way to start a super fun day. The parade was at 12:30, and from what I have read and heard it is the biggest on in Ireland. There are like 50,000 spectators and the streets are not very big in the first place! It was weird, this weekend there were a lot of tourists downtown and I began to feel very territorial like it is actually my home which I think is good:) After the parade we stayed downtown and went to a few of our favorite pubs for the afternoon. They all had traditional music playing and the people were so much fun! We took a break for the evening and headed back into town at about 10pm for round 2, and the streets and pubs were still packed. Everyone was in such high spirits (I don't know if that was because of the weather or the alcohol, I think both helped :)) All of the green was crazy and fun. It honestly is more of an American holiday and it really isn't too much different here then any other day except it is a bank holiday so no classes and work for a lot of people. Of course as an American it felt totally different and was definitely a reason to celebrate! I promise, they all did there share of celebrating as well:)
Other then that the past week has been fairly uneventful. My semester is winding down quick, only 2 weeks of classes left, which means I am writing papers much more often then I would like to be. The weather today was another absolutely gorgeous day which makes homework even harder, but being happy so much easier! I got my final exam schedule last week and it was a little different then what I had planned. At first everyone told us that we had spring break from April 4-24, but it turns out that isn't the case! My friends and I had planned a trip to Italy at that time but lucky for us we didn't book anything just in case, so now we moved our trip to the first weeks in May. I am done with classes on April 2, then have a final April 17 and May 1 so April is going to be a long month! It will definitely be nice to get to go places around Ireland that I was worried I wasn't going to make it to, and to experience Galway to its absolute fullest. Since exams are different I moved my flight and am coming home a week early! May 17 at 8pm I will be back in MN exhausted and happy!
This weekend I am going to Barcelona for a short visit and am meeting up with one of my friends from St. Norbert who is studying in Spain so that will be so nice! It is supposed to be sunny and warm and relaxing! All of these opportunities are so amazing, I am so blessed that I get to do all of these things and experience all of these different cultures. It definitely makes me more gracious for what I have and take for granted every day. I am totally falling in love with it here, but there are things that are just better at home (like a clean bathroom/living space, blankets, and hugs!)or that they don't have here (i.e. corn chips and salsa, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and cheap ice cream haha) I have 8 weeks left which sometimes seems like an eternity and sometimes feels like it is flying by. Either way I am trying to live everyday as much as I can! I love you all so much, I hope spring is being nice to you! Write if you can!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Rach's visit and the Aran Islands
Hi Everybody!
This past week had flown by since I have returned from London. When I first got back I was feeling really sick so I finally went to go see the nurse on Wednesday who had me see the Doctor on Thursday who gave me medication for my sinus infection! I was very happy about it because I am now almost totally healthy after over two weeks of being sick. On Thursday night my friend Rachel, who was my freshmen and sophomore roommate at SNC, flew in from studying in Rome. She didn't get into Galway until 2:40am, but we got to spend the whole weekend together! It was so nice to have a visitor and see a new face.
On Friday morning we powered through on very little sleep and woke up to go see the Aran Islands. There are three islands off the western coast of Ireland right outside of Galway that are often considered to be the most beautiful part of Ireland, and also the most "Irish" part of the country. It is said that the more west you go the more traditionally Irish the people and land are, so where I am and the islands are more traditional then Dublin or places more in the East. The Islands are incredibly traditional, and have only had electricity for the past thirty years. There are only around 800 people living on the big island if Innis Moor where we visited, with three Catholic churches, three schools, and around twelve farms. It was absolutely gorgeous and I was so excited that I got to share that with Rach. I will attach the link to pictures in my email! When we woke up Friday morning it was raining in Galway which doesn't really make for the best tourist weather, but we decided to get on the bus anyway. We had to take a 45 minute bus ride then a 45 minute ferry ride out to the island, and by the time we got there the rain had stopped. We got off the ferry and saw van tours for 10 Euro, and decided because it was cold and we didn't really feel like walking or biking in the wind this looked like a good option. The guide took us all around the whole island and gave us the history and pointed out important things. he had grown up there and learned English as a second language after Irish, so he was a great resource. He gave us two hours at the highest point of the island where we had to climb up a large hill to the cliffs, and when we got there the sky was blue and the wind had died down. It was so beautiful looking out over the sea and the island! After we returned to the center after our tour we shopped a little bit and found Aran Island wool sweaters that we fell in love with. It was a great day!!
That evening we got back and met up with friends to have fish and chips at what we are told is the best fish and chips in all of Ireland! It is downtown Galway called McDonnugh's, and it was a really great meal. After we went out to a traditional pub so Rach could experience Galway and listened to some great music!
Saturday was very very rainy and windy so our plans to go to the market and the ocean were cut a little short. We tried for a little while but we were pretty wet! That night we went to see "He's Just Not That Into You" because Rach was craving an English movie after all of the Italian she hears all the time. It was a really nice relaxing day with some great friends. Rach left at 5:30am Sunday morning in a hail and windstorm, but overall the weekend was so much fun!!!
Yesterday I had to do some of my very first homework since I arrived here 2 months ago, sad I know. As much as I go to class here it is definitely easy to forget that I am a student sometimes. The work load is so much lighter and easier then at home, not that i am complaining about that at all ha. It is definitely going to be interesting going back to student teach in the fall and to have to remember how to work hard and get things done! My classes are actually coming to an end in a few weeks which is very crazy, I can't believe that I am halfway done with being here! In two weekends I am heading to Barcelona to meet up with a friend studying in Spain, and then I have a trip to Nice, France planned for a weekend after that then a 12 day trip in Italy! I am so blessed to have all of these opportunities, and realize how much I take for granted when I am at home. I miss you all so much! Have a great week and I can't wait to hear from you!
Love from Ireland!!
This past week had flown by since I have returned from London. When I first got back I was feeling really sick so I finally went to go see the nurse on Wednesday who had me see the Doctor on Thursday who gave me medication for my sinus infection! I was very happy about it because I am now almost totally healthy after over two weeks of being sick. On Thursday night my friend Rachel, who was my freshmen and sophomore roommate at SNC, flew in from studying in Rome. She didn't get into Galway until 2:40am, but we got to spend the whole weekend together! It was so nice to have a visitor and see a new face.
On Friday morning we powered through on very little sleep and woke up to go see the Aran Islands. There are three islands off the western coast of Ireland right outside of Galway that are often considered to be the most beautiful part of Ireland, and also the most "Irish" part of the country. It is said that the more west you go the more traditionally Irish the people and land are, so where I am and the islands are more traditional then Dublin or places more in the East. The Islands are incredibly traditional, and have only had electricity for the past thirty years. There are only around 800 people living on the big island if Innis Moor where we visited, with three Catholic churches, three schools, and around twelve farms. It was absolutely gorgeous and I was so excited that I got to share that with Rach. I will attach the link to pictures in my email! When we woke up Friday morning it was raining in Galway which doesn't really make for the best tourist weather, but we decided to get on the bus anyway. We had to take a 45 minute bus ride then a 45 minute ferry ride out to the island, and by the time we got there the rain had stopped. We got off the ferry and saw van tours for 10 Euro, and decided because it was cold and we didn't really feel like walking or biking in the wind this looked like a good option. The guide took us all around the whole island and gave us the history and pointed out important things. he had grown up there and learned English as a second language after Irish, so he was a great resource. He gave us two hours at the highest point of the island where we had to climb up a large hill to the cliffs, and when we got there the sky was blue and the wind had died down. It was so beautiful looking out over the sea and the island! After we returned to the center after our tour we shopped a little bit and found Aran Island wool sweaters that we fell in love with. It was a great day!!
That evening we got back and met up with friends to have fish and chips at what we are told is the best fish and chips in all of Ireland! It is downtown Galway called McDonnugh's, and it was a really great meal. After we went out to a traditional pub so Rach could experience Galway and listened to some great music!
Saturday was very very rainy and windy so our plans to go to the market and the ocean were cut a little short. We tried for a little while but we were pretty wet! That night we went to see "He's Just Not That Into You" because Rach was craving an English movie after all of the Italian she hears all the time. It was a really nice relaxing day with some great friends. Rach left at 5:30am Sunday morning in a hail and windstorm, but overall the weekend was so much fun!!!
Yesterday I had to do some of my very first homework since I arrived here 2 months ago, sad I know. As much as I go to class here it is definitely easy to forget that I am a student sometimes. The work load is so much lighter and easier then at home, not that i am complaining about that at all ha. It is definitely going to be interesting going back to student teach in the fall and to have to remember how to work hard and get things done! My classes are actually coming to an end in a few weeks which is very crazy, I can't believe that I am halfway done with being here! In two weekends I am heading to Barcelona to meet up with a friend studying in Spain, and then I have a trip to Nice, France planned for a weekend after that then a 12 day trip in Italy! I am so blessed to have all of these opportunities, and realize how much I take for granted when I am at home. I miss you all so much! Have a great week and I can't wait to hear from you!
Love from Ireland!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
London!!!!!
This weekend I had the amazing opportunity to spend 4 days in London, and I completely fell in love. It is such a fun city with so much history and so much going on all the time. It was just Alexa and I who went, but we were able to stay with my friend Angie for the weekend. She was my best friend when I lived in Sartell and we haven't seen each other for a few years, but we reunited in Europe!! It was so nice to have someone who knew what was going on and could give us suggestions and help us get around a little easier. She met us at the underground station when we got in Thursday night and took us out to karaoke with her friends. It was so much fun! A great way to start a really good weekend.
Friday Alexa and I decided we should get our bearings and try to see as much as we could, so we bought a tour bus ticket and got 48 hours to ride on the topless red double decker buses. Boy did we use it! On Friday we saw Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and a lot of other little things that we wouldn't have picked out without the bus tour guides. While we were at the Tower of London we decided to get ice cream and walk by the Thames, and as we were walking a bird pooped in my hair. That was a fun little adventure:) By the time we had seen most of the sights it was time to go back and meet Ang to go get dinner and see our first show, Spring Awakening!!! If you have never heard of it, look it up and listen to the music. It was the 2007 Tony Award Show of the year, and it is absolutely amazing. It is the story of young teens in the nineteenth century finding all about sex and the parts of life that their parents are sheltering them from. It was sooooo much fun. We went and got fish and chips before hand, and it was the perfect British night:)
Saturday Lex and I woke up early and went to the center of where theater tickets are sold and tried to find cheap tickets for as many shows as we could. We ended up buying matinées tickets for Billy Elliot (so good, amazing dancing) and then tickets for Wicked that night! I saw it on Broadway my senior year of high school, but it was definitely worth seeing for a second time. I swear I am never happier then when I am in the theater. Before our shows started we got back on the bus and rode it to Harrod's and around a little bit more to hear more about the sights. After Billy Elliot we ate at this really cute Italian restaurant down by the theaters and ate yummy pizza and wine. 2 perfect nights in a row, I am so blessed I can't even put it into words.
Sunday we woke up to catch the free boat tour down the Thames that we got with our bus tickets and rode the boat to Greenwich. I decided that I want to move here when I get the chance, it is such a cute town with everything I need, including a HUGE daily market. We went up the hill to the Royal Observatory to straddle the Prime Meridian and walked around the city a little bit, then took the underground over to King's Cross to play Harry Potter and see Platform 9 and 3/4. It was a little disappointing, but totally worth it! Then we headed to the British Museum for a while, then made our way to Mass in a BEAUTIFUL Cathedral. It is called St. James Parish on George Street, and it was one of the most beautiful churches I have been in since I arrived and it was in the middle of the city. After mass we met up with Ang to get on the London Eye to see London at night! It was a completely different view, and totally breathtaking. It was so nice to spend time with Ang and do some of these amazing things with her. I also totally fell in love with the underground system, strange I know, but it was so efficient and reliable and took us EVERYWHERE. I have yet to live somewhere where public transportation is popular, maybe someday.
It was one of my favorite weekends since I arrived two months ago. I am still battling a sinus infection, but somehow that seems less important when in Europe. This weekend my freshman and sophomore roommate Rachel who is studying in Rome is coming to visit and I could not be more excited! It is going to be so wonderful to have someone from home here and get to show her all of what Galway has to offer. I think we may even try to sneak off to the Aran Islands for a day which would be fantastic.
I know spring breaks are starting, so have fun and be safe if and when it is yours! I love you all so much and cannot believe that I am not even halfway through. Sometimes that is really exciting and sometimes it is really exhausting, but I can't wait to hear from all of you! Love you!
Friday Alexa and I decided we should get our bearings and try to see as much as we could, so we bought a tour bus ticket and got 48 hours to ride on the topless red double decker buses. Boy did we use it! On Friday we saw Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and a lot of other little things that we wouldn't have picked out without the bus tour guides. While we were at the Tower of London we decided to get ice cream and walk by the Thames, and as we were walking a bird pooped in my hair. That was a fun little adventure:) By the time we had seen most of the sights it was time to go back and meet Ang to go get dinner and see our first show, Spring Awakening!!! If you have never heard of it, look it up and listen to the music. It was the 2007 Tony Award Show of the year, and it is absolutely amazing. It is the story of young teens in the nineteenth century finding all about sex and the parts of life that their parents are sheltering them from. It was sooooo much fun. We went and got fish and chips before hand, and it was the perfect British night:)
Saturday Lex and I woke up early and went to the center of where theater tickets are sold and tried to find cheap tickets for as many shows as we could. We ended up buying matinées tickets for Billy Elliot (so good, amazing dancing) and then tickets for Wicked that night! I saw it on Broadway my senior year of high school, but it was definitely worth seeing for a second time. I swear I am never happier then when I am in the theater. Before our shows started we got back on the bus and rode it to Harrod's and around a little bit more to hear more about the sights. After Billy Elliot we ate at this really cute Italian restaurant down by the theaters and ate yummy pizza and wine. 2 perfect nights in a row, I am so blessed I can't even put it into words.
Sunday we woke up to catch the free boat tour down the Thames that we got with our bus tickets and rode the boat to Greenwich. I decided that I want to move here when I get the chance, it is such a cute town with everything I need, including a HUGE daily market. We went up the hill to the Royal Observatory to straddle the Prime Meridian and walked around the city a little bit, then took the underground over to King's Cross to play Harry Potter and see Platform 9 and 3/4. It was a little disappointing, but totally worth it! Then we headed to the British Museum for a while, then made our way to Mass in a BEAUTIFUL Cathedral. It is called St. James Parish on George Street, and it was one of the most beautiful churches I have been in since I arrived and it was in the middle of the city. After mass we met up with Ang to get on the London Eye to see London at night! It was a completely different view, and totally breathtaking. It was so nice to spend time with Ang and do some of these amazing things with her. I also totally fell in love with the underground system, strange I know, but it was so efficient and reliable and took us EVERYWHERE. I have yet to live somewhere where public transportation is popular, maybe someday.
It was one of my favorite weekends since I arrived two months ago. I am still battling a sinus infection, but somehow that seems less important when in Europe. This weekend my freshman and sophomore roommate Rachel who is studying in Rome is coming to visit and I could not be more excited! It is going to be so wonderful to have someone from home here and get to show her all of what Galway has to offer. I think we may even try to sneak off to the Aran Islands for a day which would be fantastic.
I know spring breaks are starting, so have fun and be safe if and when it is yours! I love you all so much and cannot believe that I am not even halfway through. Sometimes that is really exciting and sometimes it is really exhausting, but I can't wait to hear from all of you! Love you!
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