Today was again gray and rainy, but Lia, Jill, and I grabbed
the minimal included breakfast and set off for the tourism office to take a bus
tour. There were multiple different
places we thought we might go explore on our own, but we were a bit tired and
didn’t want to have to think too much.
And, despite Jill and I being super planners, neither of us had taken
the time to do so. So we took the easy
way out and paid someone else to herd us around for the day. We wanted to do the Rock of Cashel and
Waterford tour, but it turns out we had to book that one the night before. Boo.
So we adjusted and took the Collins Day Tour to Glendalough and
Kilkenny. It was nice from the aspect of
not having to think much, but I got a little tired on the bus. Glendalough was pretty. It’s the ruins of a 6th century
monastic settlement, including an old cemetery.
There’s something about old European cemeteries that intrigues me. The headstones are usually much more
interesting, and there’s a sense of peace that may be weird, but I like.
There is also a lovely lake there, and we took a walk around
part of it and through the woods. It was
FREEZING and very windy up at the lake – our tour guide, Jerry, said “it was
fresh –a level below cold.” Very lovely
though, and it didn’t rain while we were there.
We then continued driving through the Wicklow Gap, which was pretty. It was nice to get out in the countryside a
bit and see what Ireland is like beyond Dublin. This tour definitely provided some of
that. Lots of green, some sheep, some
cows. Quite relaxing. Jerry provided commentary part of the time
(some amusing, although his rants against the Irish government got old after a
while, reinforcing the comment I’ve heard that what you say about others is
reflected back on yourself…people tend to associate what you say with
you.) Anyway, the rest of the time Jerry
played various cds of traditional Irish music, which was kind of fun (and
actually relaxing).
We got into Kilkenny in time for a late lunch, then we
skipped out on the guided town tour and explored on our own. I wanted to go in the castle and St. Canice’s
Cathedral, but was outvoted. So instead
we walked around the outside of the castle, popped into St. Mary’s Cathedral,
walked the little downtown area, and did a bit of tourist shopping. It rained on and off while we were there, but
no torrential downpours. It was a nice
day – not the way I typically travel, but considering everything it worked out
well.
Back in Dublin, we went to The
Bank where the girls partook in happy hour.
It’s (shockingly) an old bank-turned-classy-bar, and really pretty
inside (and out). Then we went for
dinner, and then tried to find an internet connection. Our rooms in Goldsmith don’t have any, and
apparently places close early on the weekend in Dublin. We finally got a signal in a covered walkway
on campus, so Lia let us borrow her iPad (the wireless card in my laptop seems
to have gone out) to make quick Skype calls home. It was good to talk to Bryan for a few
minutes! Then we trudged back across campus to our rooms, devised a plan
for the next day, and once again went to bed late. Seems to be a trend here…doesn’t help that
it’s light so dang late.
I think Ireland is most like the States of any foreign place
I’ve been. The weather is significantly
different than Colorado, but other than accents the language is the same –
which is probably the biggest factor.
I’m not sure what else it is…there are obviously neat old buildings and
differences such as driving on the left (and lack of constant internet access),
but I feel comfortable here – not as much like I’m thousands of miles away from
home. Could also be that we’re mostly
working/studying vs. sight-seeing, which has tuned me in to the work ethic and intelligence this country possesses. So glad I get to experience it in person!
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