Howth and a lot of Rain!

I woke up to a dreary, wet, gray Sunday and was prepared to continue my sleep when my friend texted me that, in fact, our plans to go to Howth were still on. Howth is a fishing town about 30 minutes north of Dublin but with the weather being not stellar I was fine taking a literal rain check. But she was excited, and her friend from out of town was excited, so I put on my excited (yet tired) face and prepared to leave.

We had a 20-minute walk to the train station and the rain was spitting on and off the entire time. I was very glad to get my ticket, have found the station, and ultimately to settle in my seat on the train.The journey was uneventful - except for the mother with young children that slipped as she exited the coach - and luckily all of the surrounding Samaritans jumped to her rescue and made sure she was okay. You see, the weather was bad.

When we got to Howth my feet were killing me. The boots I wore that day are normally very comfortable and good for walking. Yet, occasionally, they really hurt my feet and I have no idea why or when it will happen. This was one of those days.

We walked along the shore in Howth and saw the beautiful, foggy views in front of us. They really were nice, but the pelting wind was a bit unattractive. We started up this hill and, after deciding to do the 45-minute hike, we somehow wandered onto the 2.5 hour hike. 

We slipped and trudged around the peninsula, with a steep mountain side to our right, steep cliffs and the ocean on our left, layers of mud and water beneath our feet, and rain above our heads. I am a quick walker so led the way with my umbrella as the two others followed and one of them slipped in a puddle in a particularly muddy spot.

I tried to keep my spirits up and did a decent job but nearly ran to civilization as soon as I saw it. We must have looked so disheveled with our hair soaked and windblown, our bodies muddy and our faces tired.

Once we got the the end of the hike, the top of the mountain, we had to walk via pavement back to the village which was about 30 minutes away. We settled into a cute cafe for lunch and after deciding on a quesadilla the server (of course) told me they were out. Well then a chicken and cheese panini it is sir, which resulted as my final choice. I also got a chocolate milkshake which, though small, was tasty.

For dessert we went to the Howth Market where we had seen sweets earlier. I wandered over to a dessert vender who said I could get two things for three euros (as opposed to one for two euros as marked). Naturally I settled on and ate away a chocolate cheesecake and a kiwi cake. Halfway through I was full and we walked back towards the station.

On the way back I hopped off the train downtown and ran some errands before heading back to my apartment. It felt good to do some shopping after a day in the rain and nature.

Howth is definitely a cute place for hiking and milling about. I am glad that I got to go their as a nice day trip but am even more excited to return when the weather is warmer and sunny! As I would with every place I suppose. 

Yours,

The Opinionated Lassie

Great Stay in Galway - Day Three

Sunday we concluded our weekend with a visit to the Dunguaire Castle, Burren National Park, Cliffs of Moher, Poulnabrone Dolmen, and other interesting places.

Even though the morning was very wet and dreary, when we stopped at the awesome Dunguaire Castle, we all climbed, slid, and muddied our way around the cool structure. The back of the castle is right along a bank with water at the bottom. I had one friend that fell and got soaked and covered in mud. I, however, began to fall and grabbed the closest thing to me - a branch - a very thorny branch that, though it saved my life killed my hand. But it could have been much worse, and I still had fun!

Then we went to yet another Abbey, Corcomroe Abbey to be exact. And although I am totally supportive of Abbeys and Friarys and such this was like the 100th one on the trip so forgive me as I don't remember anything spectacular about it... the flowers in front were pretty though.

Paul. Tour guide Paul.

We then made a really cool stop at this stone fort. We were told that the people who lived there would have been in charge of the entire area because they were on the top of the hill. In Medieval Ireland, geographical position was very important and the "high ground" was strategically and socioeconomically significant.

Because we really love stone forts. A LOT.

Poulnabrone Dolmen is the oldest sacred burial sight discovered in Ireland and is located in the heart of the Burren National Park. The Burren is known for its interesting landscape and plant-life. It is a very rocky terrain which strikes stark contrast to the typical rolling hills expected from the country.

Poulnabrone Dolmen. 

For lunch we stopped in Doolin at this really cute, really efficient pub. Seriously I ordered this chicken and they brought it, and my friends' food out, within two minutes. Which was great because we were starving!

For the third time in my life I got to visit the beautiful and majestic Cliffs of Moher. It was very very muddy and we were slipping and sliding as we walked along the cliffs.

I was very excited that I remembered to bring my Jayhawk so I could get a cool picture. But right after this was taken and I stood up on the edge I SLIPPED AND FELL. My friends leaped on me in hopes that I would not tumble to my death and after we realized that I was safe I thought it was the funniest thing ever. 

I got so muddy. And was only about 5 feet from the unprotected edge of the cliff (702 feet tall).

But it was just so hysterical. And my friends all screamed when it happened.

And I LOST THE DAMN JAYHAWK. But it's appropriate as the Cliffs are a bird sanctuary - so now they have a Jayhawk. 

But I also involuntarily littered which stinks.

And my tumble was the ongoing joke for the rest of my day.

And I suspect my life.

You know what they say: "Third time's a charm!" ...that's a lie.

On the way home we stopped at a gas station/rest stop that is dedicated and named after President Barack Obama. Because it is where his Irish family is from. And I thought this was so awesome. 

I got an Obama coin out of the machine as a souvenir.

And back to UCD we went! It sure was a great weekend and while it was exhausting I don't think I could have had a more thorough look at the Galway area! 

Until next time,

The Opinionated Lassie

Great Stay in Galway - Day Two

Our second day in Galway took my group to the stunning Connemara National Park, Kylemore Abbey, and the cute village of Cong. After waking up early, enjoying a simple continental breakfast at the hostel, and drinking a cafe mocha from the hostel's coffee shop, we set off on our way. 

Of all of the beautiful things we saw that weekend, our tour guide, Paul, was most excited to take us to Connemara. Because Ireland is so small and the tour guides are so personable, it is common for them to have spent time in the areas they show and, in some cases, have grown up there. Paul had spent a lot of time in Connemara as a boy and, now living in Galway, remembers those happy days every time he drives through. By noting that the next stop was his "favorite place in all of Ireland," we all looked harder and appreciated more, the beauty in front of us. And we soon understood why he loves it so much. 

Here nothing happened. That is the important historic event commemorated by a large memorial in the park and a huge statue of Conn, Son of the Sea, erected by Joyce's Craft Shop in 1999. All weekend Paul told us that the Irish love their tales, and their mischief, and to "never let the truth get in the way of a good story." This site embodies that facetious spirit for sure!

We then followed the Lough Nafooey Valley Route through the huge area and stopped for photo opportunities along the way. Even though it was a bit chilly, the place was so expansively gorgeous and incredible. To think that people live in the National Park and get to look at this treasure every morning is wild and lucky. I think we felt fortunate just to breath the fresh air. (Which is so fresh, that the plant lichen, what reindeers eat, grows in the area. Interestingly, lichen is so delicate that it can only grow in areas with zero air pollution. So really, really fresh air.)

Killary Harbour.

Kylemore Abbey was our next stop as we continued through the valleys and watching a beautiful building emerge as we rounded a mountain was a sight to see! This building was constructed by London doctor Mitchell Henry in 1871 as a private estate for his family with beautiful grounds and an English garden. Normally the Irish would have disliked a wealthy Englishman building such a lavish home and interrupting the local culture in the late 1800s, however the Henrys were so nice to the locals that they were loved by everyone in the area. 

Unfortunately Henry's wife, Margaret, passed in 1875 after contracting a fever in Egypt. Mitchell, who was devastated, built her a beautiful memorial church on the grounds which is open to visitors. Henry went on to sell the property as he couldn't bare living in a place that she loved so much. In later years it was a Benedictine Abbey and finally a girls' boarding school that closed in 2010. The area now serves solely as a tourist attraction.

Kylemore Abbey. 

A view of the gardens.

The tropical part of the gardens.

A portrait of Margaret Henry.

Margaret Henry Memorial Church.

Inside the church, I lit a candle as usual. 

Pretty sure that this is not historical...

We made a quick stop for a picture opportunity overlooking Paul's favorite place in Connemara, and thus his favorite place in Ireland. This is the same valley where a scene from the movie Marley and Me was shot. Apparently when Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston were filming in the area, Paul drove by with his tour bus and all of this passengers got to meet the two celebrities. He said that they were both very nice and happy to visit with fans. The scene they were filming was one in which a group of sheep blocked the road (the acting sheep were owned by Paul's friend - of course) and we even experienced this in real life as we drove through.

My group scouring the mountain.

Me and my roommate, Miranda!

The weather then changed and I captured this beautifully eerie shot. 

We then went to the village of Cong to see the abbey there, to visit its beautiful woods, and to drink some hot chocolate. Cong's claim to fame is that John Wayne's film, The Quiet Man, was shot there (a movie I learned about last semester that is apparently full of poor accents and hurtful stereotypes, but I haven't seen it myself). After, we continued to our final stop at Ross Errily Friary just as the sun went down.

The friary's wall was numbered and I couldn't figure out why! Also, these local boys were playing soccer in the Friary which I thought was so hysterical as we were visiting it as a sacred place and they were kicking a ball off the walls and everywhere else. 

After such an exhausting day I went with some girls to dinner in town. I think I ordered a Mexican burrito but can't be sure, and then stopped in a pub for some music and a drink. And man did I sleep well that night!

Yours,

The Opinionated Lassie

Also, for another perspective on this trip, visit my roommate Miranda's blog as linked below:
http://traveling-twamp.tumblr.com/