City of Islands

Venice was by far the most unique place we visited. Over 100 islands connected by over 400 bridges! We stayed across a large canal from the main islands, on Guidecca island. Our hostel was right on the water. You have to take "water taxis" to and from many places, which is remarkably similar to the metro but far more peaceful and scenic. On our first night we ate on Guidecca, watching a beautiful sunset (Catherine and I pictured right). Her seafood risotto had quite the octopus surprise, and I tried gnocci for the first time. Besides being in a room with 14 rude high school French girls, the hostel was good.
The next day we headed straight for San Marco Square, known for its pidgeons and St. Mark's Basilica. Everywhere I turned there were painters and gondolo boats. We decided to wander all day, finding shops full of glamorous masks and colorful Venetian glass. We walked through a maze of houses and buildings with weathered walls and flower-filled window boxes, crossing over uncountable small bridges with gondolos passing underneath (pictured left). It was fun to get lost! We enjoyed sitting in the warm sun (so different from Ireland!) while eating fruit and watching the busy canal. We ended our wandering at Ristorante Riva Del Vin, where we had a wonderful meal and indulged in everything from red wine to tiramisu!

Firenze

How different Florence was from Rome! It almost reminded me of going from Dublin to Cork (in a much larger sense). Our hostel overbooked, so we got lucky with a private room in a nicer "apartment." We cherished the soft beds, privacy and nice shower head! I loved wandering around the tent market, with merchants trying to bargain anything leather. I was in dire need of some other walking shoes besides boots, and of something purple, so I purchased my beloved Italian purple sneakers! We ate at a lovely outdoor ristorante the first night, where I had veal scallopini with mushrooms and rosemary potatoes. Yum! We also discovered Italian sparkling white wine. I like it much more than champagne!

Our second day was filled of sight-seeing and wandering the town. We got to the Accademia first thing when it opened so we could be the first to see David. I had no idea that the statue was so huge! The detail was amazing. Il Duomo was by far the most impressive structure, as the picture above does not give it justice. We climbed the 414 steps to the top of the dome for a great view, and vowed to never look at stairs again! Ponte Vecchio was another fun sight - the oldest bridge that wasn't destroyed by the Nazi's (built in 1345). The jewelry shops on the bridge were a tease but fun to look at all the sparkles. We then waited in a long line at Galleria degli Uffizi - known as the oldest art museum in the world, which houses "The Birth of Venus." The building itself was gorgeous inside. My neck hurt from looking at the ceiling - ornate with gold leaflets and colorful paintings - as I walked through the maze of rooms. As we wandered, we came upon lovely surprises such as a darling carousel and a lovely pottery shop that I could have spent hours in. We ended our trip with another lovely meal - vegetable pizza and Italian red wine!

The Pope and Pasta

Rome was simply breathtaking. The amount of history surrounding you is a feeling unfit for words. On our first day, we wandered through the Vatican Museum open-mouthed and wide-eyed. The maze of hallways and rooms parallels that of the Louvre. The ceilings were ornate with paintings and gold was everywhere. We then walked over to St. Peter's Basilica, but the church was closed so we relaxed in the open area and ate some authentic pizza. Once we returned, a line had formed to enter the Basilica, and we decided to wait because of how beautiful we knew the inside would be. After an hour and a half, the gates opened. We were confused as to why there was so many people, especially nuns. When we asked a priest why everyone had yellow tickets, he simply handed us three tickets from his jacket. Those who did not have tickets sat outside, those with tickets entered the basilica. When the ushers handed me the program, I read that it was Mass being held in honor of the anniversary of Pope Giovanni Paolo II's death. At 6pm the procession of priests, bishops and soldiers began, followed by Pope Benedict XVI. We were shocked. We had waited simply to see the church, and now we were at Mass being given by the Pope. As we were nearly 10 feet away from him, it was unreal how everyone around us fretted over a celebrity. After the spectacle of the grand entrance, the service was lovely. The bright lights were turned on, illuminating the baroque basilica. A full orchestra and beautiful singing voices echoed as the crowd of hundreds were silent. After two hours of such a spiritual experience, we enjoyed some wonderful lasagna at a ristorante. (Pictured: Mass at the Vatican)

The next day was full of sightseeing, from the Colosseum to the Spanish Steps. It was amazing to stand in the massive Colosseum, imagining that the Roman Emperor once had 10,000 Gladiators and 11,000 wild animals to fight as spectacle. Our overall favorite was the ancient town of Palatino and the Roman Forum. Such beautiful flowers and remains of columns and buildings. After climbing up the steps to the Campidoglio, the view of Ancient Rome was remarkable. I then enjoyed my first gelatto, pistachio flavored, as we wandered through the rest of the city. Exhausted at the end of the day, Aileen and I went to a small ristorante close to our hostel, which was busy with only Italians. Needless to say, the pasta was homemade and tasted how pasta is supposed to be enjoyed. I would pay $30 back home for what I got for 8 Euro in Italy! (Pictured: Me in the Roman Forum)

5 Cities in 2 Weeks

I have only been gone for two weeks and I feel like it was a month! Yet I could have spent a week in each city we visited: Rome, Florence, Venice, Nice and Barcelona. The trip also made me long to visit so many other cities. So here's a brief review of the trip: Aileen, Catherine and I booked our flights into Rome and out of Barcelona through Aer Lingus for very cheap. We then booked hostels in each city we wanted to visit. The one part that I was hesitant about was not booking the transportation (trains) between cities. Fortunately it worked out very well. For the young, on-budget traveler it was ideal. We did not mind being on trains for long periods (regional trains versus Eurostar are much cheaper) and we could buy tickets the day of and be fine. If we would have booked the 4 train rides through Rail Europe online beforehand, we would have paid 100 or 200 more Euro. No one was pick-pocketed and nothing was taken from our hostel rooms. No one got sick from food or water, and no one ran out of money. The typical travel fears did not come true. But I must admit that when we were waiting in line at the Barcelona airport to check in for our flight to Cork, it was wonderful to see all of the friendly Irish faces. And almost each person was sun burnt, like me and my Irish skin! So even though the wonderful trip is over, being back in Eire makes it all okay. (Posts to come for each city. This picture is of me in the ancient ruins of Palatine Hill in Rome. Such a beautiful place! And I love the purple tree :))

A Week of Celebrations

After having two visitors come over a two-week period, I could not stay glum for long after they left because it was time for St. Paddy's Day in Ireland! The best way I can explain the day is to compare it to Thanksgiving. Everyone sleeps in, enjoys time with friends and family and perhaps watches a parade. I suppose a big difference is many people go out to pubs and enjoy a few drinks throughout the day. Traditionally, Irish families eat bacon and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, like we would eat turkey. I went to the Cork Parade with some friends, and there were lots of families with children out there enjoying the sunny day. Many young Irish people (like our friend Matt pictured here with Catherine and me) do go all out and paint themselves or dye their hair. There are also tons of tourists wearing Irish paraphernalia. Overall it was a great time, but you can't have too much fun because work and school starts all over the next day (which was Wednesday). Thursday night we threw a "surprise" 21st birthday party for my flat mate and fellow Wolfpacker Catherine. Even though the legal drinking age is 18 in Ireland, 21st birthdays are a huge occasion in the Irish culture. It was great craic! On Saturday, after studying in the library all afternoon, I went to a local pub with some friends to watch Ireland compete in the finals of the 6 Nations Rugby Tournament (England, Wales, Scotland, Italy, France and Ireland). Over the past few months Ireland has been undefeated and came up against the defending champions, Wales. It was the most exciting sporting event I have ever watched! It was amazing to watch a game where NO ONE could be rooting for the opposing team. Ireland won 17-15 and received their medals from Prince William. It was the first time in 61 years that Ireland has won this tournament, so it was a night for celebration.

Belgian Waffle

Shannon, my sorority sister and roommate from last year, came to visit over her spring break, and we flew over to Brussels for the weekend! After getting lost in Dublin and waking up at 3am for our flight, we finally made it. Our very first experience in Brussels was indulging in a Belgian waffle from a street vendor. Adorned with chocolate and strawberries, I could not have been more excited at 10am. Yet the combination of a styrofoam plate and plastic fork did not work well for me, and as my waffle flew in the air, I clutched it to my chest. Thus I walked around town for the rest of the day with chocolate all over my coat, but I still salvaged the delicious breakfast.

My favorite parts of our visits were enjoying aspects of the culture: Sitting outside at a cafe to enjoy a blonde beer (Duvel was our favorite), eating chocolate strawberries while walking, and having restaurant maitre d's try to persuade us to eat at their establishment. At the chocolate museum we watched the "chocolate master" as he mixed and molded chocolate to make Belgian treats. As we walked throughout the city, we visited three cathedrals and admired their grandeur and architectural differences. The buildings of La Grande Place, the center of the old city, reminded me of Paris. I also had the chance to practice some of my French, mostly with some young men from the Ivory Coast and Gabon that we met at a popular bar called Delirium. However, with so many wonderful smells of chocolate and pastries, along with having to pay 2.50 euro for water at a restaurant, I decided that I would go bankrupt in this city.

Many First Experiences...

Last Friday (February 20) Anna, Catherine's and my flat mate, invited us to go home with her to Kilmacthomas. After an hour and fifteen minutes of scenic driving, we were at Anna's lovely home. We were in awe as we sat in her living room with the view of green farmland and the ocean in the distance on one side and then the view of the mountains on the other side. After getting our bearings, Mrs. Hearn prepared a wonderful "dinner" (lunch) of stew and spuds. Mr. Hearn got a good laugh at Catherine and I trying to peel them with a knife. After a cup of tea, we all put on our Wellies and headed outside. We got to walk the greyhounds (extremely well behaved) and watched them practice racing. I asked how long it took to train them, and Anna said it's all natural. Definitely a first! The one that Catherine walked had a race that night and won! We "met" the dozens of beef cattle and then drove down to another part of the farm. This farm is where they raise dairy cattle and grow barley. After having a cup of coffee with Aunt Mary, who lives in the family homeplace, we helped load some barley into the milking parlor. Then I watched in amazement as the cows were guided into the parlor, 16 at a time, and were milked by a very sophisticated machine. Most definitely a first. Then I watched as Anna filled up her family's milk bucket with the pure product. After feeding the calves, we headed back in time to meet Anna's twin Joy, have "tea" (dinner), and go to Dungarven to see a movie.

Saturday morning we headed down to the beach with Anna, Joy and their younger sister Emily (home from working in Dublin). The rocks on the beach were beautiful. We then went to another aunt's house to pick up a tart, and we stayed for tea and a chat. After dinner, we went up into the mountains for a walk to the waterfall (Emily, Anna, Catherine and me pictured above). Overall, the days were scenic and the time with Anna's family was filled with delightful conversation, hospitality, food and tea! That evening we all headed to the nearest city, Dungarven, for a night on the town. We met up with our other flat mate, Hannah, who is from a small town near Dungarven (all four flat mates pictured below!). Sunday we went to 11:30 mass, followed by an exquisite Sunday dinner, and we were off to Cork again. No wonder Anna goes home on the weekends...