I Am A Part Of All I Have Seen

Well, I made it back in one piece.

The trip home sucked... I had to go through the stuff to claim line when I got back to Phili. Then I went through the wrong place and didn't recheck my suitcase. The security people wouldn't let me go back through the doors to check it either.

So I rolled this ridiculously heavy suitcase around trying to find someone to tell me where to go. Finally, about an hour later, I just went back through security to the ticket counter and gave the bag to TSA.

So I get on that plane and get to LGA.

The sign says gate 4. My ticket says gate 4. I'm waiting around and its like 15 minutes before take off and no one is boarding. I check the little TV above gate 4 and Syracuse isn't listed. It was moved across the hall to gate 8.

I get over there and it was a weight restricted flight. There's 2 standby people getting all pissed. I'm like well I DO have a seat on this plane and the lady was STILL not going to let me get on the friggin plane.

Then the capitan radios her saying they can fit 1 more person so I was like c-yaaaa. Then I get to Cuse about 30 minutes early and my luggage isn't there.

Ok... what the...

It's probably on the flight from LGA to Cuse that left at 7:30 and it will be in at 9:05. So Nonny and Poppy took me to Applebees around the corner from the airport and when we got back to the airport the luggage was just coming out and thankfully it was there.

Yay!

Anyway, it was really sad to leave Ireland. I loved it there (well, I liked Longford, Dublin was nothing too special) and will definitely go back again sometime. Next time I'm renting a car... and maybe a traveling companion lol. It was awesome to travel alone though and I think I prefer it.

Well - here's some of my favorite pictures! And now that I'm home I can post some with me in it! haha


Me & the River Shannon:




A Fairy Garden at Belvedere House:




A Field in County Clare:




One of the oldest buildings in Cork:




Of course, kissing the Blarney Stone:




And I will leave you with a nice orb photo in front of the church at the 40 Steps.





And I thank you all for following!
Next Trip: To Be Announced

The Blood Is The Life!

Today I headed out around 11-11:30. I was dropped off near BNY and then walked down past the Custom House. From there I made my way to the Dublin Tourism Center on foot since it was so very nice out again today.

I ate at Pizza Hut (chicken fingers haha) and then waited for the bus to go to Malahide Castle. While I waited I spotted a couple familiar faces! It was a couple from Chicago that I sat on the train with yesterday. (They got off to go on the Clare trip while I stayed on the train to go to Cork.) We ended up exchanging numbers and everything... cool people.

It was a good time. The castle was awesome - like an actual castle where people would actually be capable of living haha. Unfortunatley there was no photography allowed inside :(





After the castle we went to Dublin Bay to take a few pictures...





When we got back into Dublin I just got a taxi back to the hotel. I ordered dinner (yes, chicken) and took a quick little nap. Then it was time for the Ghost Bus! WOOOOO!


We had to sit on the 2nd story of the bus and all the curtains were drawn. Red lights were on. Scary music was playing in the background. Dun dun duuuuuun.

The guide was hysterical... trying to be all 'spooky' and 'mystical' sounding.

We first toured a little around the city. We saw where Bram Stocker was born, and his bachelor pad. We saw the college of physicians where body snatchers would bring stolen dead bodies.

Then we went to an old old cemetary. The graves were all dug up in the 1940's and the bones burned. Some headstones were sitting along the walls. There's what remains of a church... when Henry VIII did that whole anti-catholic thing for Anne Boylen a bishop still gave sermons there secretly. Someone ratted him out and he was tortured and hanged. After that he was quartered and sent around the world to have each limb buried.

His followers went and found the pieces and put them into the walls of the church... creeeeeepy. Here's a picture of where the alter used to be....





Then we left and went to the 'most haunted place in Dublin' which is called the 40 Stairs, or also, Hell.

The story is a little long so I won't retell it... but it involved lepers, a bunch of criminals, and a 'witch' although not in combination with each other.


Here's a picture of where the tunnel opening for Hell used to be...





and one of the stairs...





Sorry they're a little dark... a flash will only do so much.

I'm heading home tomorrow - I'll do a final posting once I arrive with some of my favorite photos.

Cormac McCarthy fortis me fieri fecit ad 1466.

Cormac McCarthy the strong caused me to be built here in the year of our lord 1466... Blarney Castle...

I woke up at 5am again today and got down to the train station around 6:30. The train left at 7 and arrived in Cork around 10. We drove out to the castle and it was a beautiful day!

A grandmother & grandfather were there with their 15 year old grandson and I kind of tagged along with them. (They offered, I didn't impose.) There were only 7 of us on the trip which was really nice.

First I explored a dungeon and then the grandson and I climbed to the top to kiss the stone!





Pretty eh?

From there we did a tour around the city of Cork which was alright.





Then we stopped at a very nice cathedral (St. Colemans). This was the last thing the immigrants saw when they left.





From there we stopped to see the dock that all the immigrants walked out on when they left Ireland most likely the last time...





Finally we stopped at Cobh (formerly Queenstown) to see where the immigrants were processed. This is also the place where the Lusitania and Titanic left for the last time. The statue of Annie Moore is outside. She was the first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island.





I sat with another girl from our group (from NJ, works in NYC) who was traveling alone on the train on the way back to Dublin. She was really cool too.

The tour guide, Liam, was friggin awesome! Funny old guy hehe ^_^

So, it was another long day but I had fun. It was nice to see where my ancestors probably left their home land for the final time, and yet the place was a little depressing. (Liam said that it was also called the Dock of Tears.)

Well - one day to go and I'm coming back to the States :'( I'm really looking forward to Malahide Castle and the GhostBust though.

Spend the Afternoon. You can't take it with you.

I was still very tired from yesterdays trip but I set my alarm for 7:30am. I got ready and had a cab take me to Grafton Street. Grafton street is a famous shopping area.





I didn't shop there because the rumor is that everything is really expensive. Instead I walked the whole way down the street just to say I was there, and that end of Grafton is St. Stephen's Green. It's a beautiful park (I guess comparable with Central Park but a lot smaller) and there were ducks and a swam swimming around.




After I looked around there for a little while I walked across the road to St. Stephen's Green Shopping Center. It was 3 floors and very nice. I had a little breakfast pasty thing with chocolate chips and did a bit of shopping.





When you buy stuff and you're not from the EU they give you a little thing stapled to your receipt that you fill out and put into an envelope. When you go through customs you put the envelope into a box or something and they will send you money back. There is a VAT tax here of like 20% or something so I'll get a god chunk back.

After I left the mall I went to a little store on Grafton that sells papers and magazines and such. I got newspapers for Poppy and Becky. I also got a big bottle of water and a sandwich for lunch. It's a strange sandwich : ham and coleslaw. It's not bad though... but it's a cheap way to eat haha.

So I got back about 12:30 and ate half the sanwich and took a nap. I woke up again st 6:30, lol. I guess I was more tired that I realized. Now I'm just watching TV and sorting my gifts and such. I ate the rest of my sandwich and am just relaxing.

I feel like I should be out seeing Dublin but I'm just not interested in it... maybe if I liked bars. It's nice to just relax though. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing after all and tomorrrow will be another long day.

County Cork!! I'll be kissing the Blarney Stone. ^_^

Also, I've found something of extreme interest. The lady at Carroll's Irish Gift Store gave me a map of Dublin (even though I had one already) and it's got some ads on it. One was for Ghostbus. I'm going on the tour Saturday at 9:30pm.

(http://194.106.151.179/sightseeing/ghostbus.aspx)

The site says:
Dublin Tour - GhostBus
Let us put you at your unease on the world's only Ghostbus, and introduce you to the dark romance of a city of gaslight ghosts and chilling legends.

The bus itself is a unique attraction, it is a mobile theatre decorated in the gothic style and features a live storyteller who takes you on a spellbinding trip through Dublin. Once onboard, we take advantage of this atmospheric setting to spirit you away to a world of felons, fiends and phantoms and put you in the mood for being both charmed and spooked at the same time.

En route you learn the real origins of Dracula and his Dublin born inventor, Bram Stoker. We stop at the College of Physicians to recreate the strange activities of Dr. Clossy, whose spirit is still seen walking the corridors carrying a bucket of human entrails. We visit the site where Walking Gallows, the notorious judge, jury and hangman dispatched his victims in a most gruesome fashion.

This tour may not suit those of a nervous disposition!

Tour Highlights:
• Theatrical experience with professional actors
• snatching in St Kevin's Graveyard
• Visit the Haunted Steps
• Discover Dracula's Dublin origins


What seems the coolest to me is the Dracula part and this:
St Audoen's and the Forty Steps
This is one of Dublin's best kept secrets, few people get to pass through the ancient gates of this most haunted place. It is situated in the heart of what old Dubs used to call 'Hell' where tales are told to this date about mysterious lepers, ghostly bells and Dublin's notorious Hellfire Club. Please do not be surprised if a supernatural phenomenon occurs in this place, we are used to it!!!

Anyway, check out the site and I'll be posting some pretty cool pictures tomorrow night.

In The Name Of The Father, The Son, And The Holy Toast

Today was exhausting... ugh...

I woke up at 5 and went to the train station. We left at 7 for Limerick and arrived around 9. (I made a new friend who was also traveling alone. She's from the US and we hung out all day.) We got on a bus and drove around town a little.

(The title for today's post is from Angela's Ashes, which takes place there.)

Then we drove to Bunratty Castle. It was kind of interesting.





We also saw Folk Park...





After that we went to lunch at a little pub. I had chicken, surprise surprise. After that we went to the Cliffs of Moher...





Then we went to see The Burren which is limestone which was left over after the icebergs went out to sea...





After that, to be honest, I was ready to be done. It was cold and windy. I was tired. I was sick of listening to the tour guide even though he was nice.

But we had to drive to Galway to get to the train station to come back to Dublin. So while we were there we did a little tour with commentary ... here's a picture of Galway Bay...





There's not much to say really - the photos speak for themselves. There were some gift shops where I managed to get a lot of present shopping done. Tomorrow I'll finish it. Oh, and I bought myself a nice aran sweater.

As I said, I'm beat. I had room service for dinner when I got back around 9:30 and now I'm going to bed.

~Until tomorrow~

No Act Of Kindness, No Matter How Small, Is Ever Wasted.

I have no words to express how much I appreciate what my new friend did for me today. It was by far the most fun I've had here yet.

I was eating my scone when he arrived and he had some coffee with me. From there we headed to Belvedere House and since it was such a nice day out he came on the tour with me. It was so nice to have company and he is a very fun guy.

Belvedere House itself was awesome. (Check out the Jealous wall) The gardens are probably beautiful when it's in bloom because they're pretty now. The house was huge and pretty cool. The wall was my favorite part though.




(the house...)






After that he drove me to Newcastle Hotel because the man that owns it is from Manhattan. No one was there but at least I got to see the outside. Then we walked down a little walk path to see the back of the hotel. (It used to be a house... photooo...)






After that we went back to the hotel and I had a Red Bull & Coke, lol. I checked out and he drove me to Longford. He drove around and showed me a lock on the Royal Canal and a bog!! A real live bog! So awesome... I didn't get a picture of that... ah poo.

Then he took me to the train station so I could catch my bus and waited with me until I got on. He even called me to make sure I arrived alright! So nice... I can't say thanks enough.

Well, I'll tell you about Dublin now. The taxi driver was awesome! He's going to come back for me Sunday at 9am to take me to the airport since he lives near here. (I hope he doesn't forget me... he's slightly old lol)

I was put into a room where the internet didn't work so they moved me to this room. It's very nice here! Fancy fancy. I even go a hamburger for roomservice so I didn't have to eat alone in a resturant lol.

Now I'm in my pjs and watching some corny Irish drama on tv. I have to get up at 5am for my trip to County Clare tomorrow and since I napped yesterday afternoon I couldn't sleep very well last night.

Well, I guess that's about it for today! ^_^

One Must Have Sunshine, Freedom, And A Little Flower.

Today I had no sunshine, no freedom, and weeds.
I waited outside in the cold, mist like rain for 30 minutes for a bus that never came. The girl at Daybreak (a little convience store) said it was coming, but guess what, no freaking bus.
I went back into the hotel feeling cold and wet and slightly miserable.
The receptionist tried to help me out. She looked online at the bus schedules and then called taxis. None of the taxis answered. So, she suggested a few other things. One was a valid, open option... Athlone Castle. I remembered seeing it in my travel book and thought eh, what the heck, all castles are cool.
35 euros later....
The castle looks like one on the outside, sure enough... on the inside there were a couple of spots that overlooked the city all from way back in the day. The River Shannon was right there, so that was about the only cool part. Not that the river itself was cool because it was just a river... but because I've heard of it before, haha. Also, there was a swam swimming around.
Back to the castle... I paid 6 euros to bore myself to death with videos (those of you who have been inside the Fort Stanwix visitors center and sat through the videos know what I'm talking about, although none of you have, I'm sure).
After that, and walking around the tiny lil area & by the river, I decided to at least walk around town a bit.
The buildings were kind of fun. Every foriegn looking. There was a nice church.
Some old nasty guy with a big beard started talking to me. At first he was nice, talking about his trip to CA. Then he asked me to go down to a bar and have a drink with him. I said no, I don't drink and I was heading back. Then he said 'you don't drink? that's no good. how's a guy supposed to get you drunk?' My answer: "he's not." Then he said something else I can't remember to which I replied "I didn't come to Ireland for guys." (yea yea - we joked about it but in all honesty I'm not.) He asked me if I was into girls then. O_o Riiight, time to go! I made my exit as soon as possible and found a taxi in the street.
Another 35 euros later...
One of the helpful women from this morning was like "you're back!!" hahaha I said yea there was nothing to see really because everything was closed. (true, but it was raining and it's a slightly boring town.) As I walked through the bar the nice guy from ast night said hello so I stopped and had a coke with him.
He offered to drive me to Mullingar tomorrow so I can see Belvedere House since I couldn't today! It's really nice of him but I feel a little guilty having him take me all the way out there... well he says it suits him so I'll go along with it.
I napped until 9 and then went down because we had to figure out a time to go. (settled on 10:30-11am) I chatted with them for a bit and then a drunk man started talking to me. He was alright, drunk, started hitting on me, proposed marriage, then he kissed my hand. I know he didn't mean anything by it but I was still slightly creeped out so when he went to the bathroom I made my exit.
I came back up and packed my suitcase up for tomorrow except the essentials.
Now, to bed I go...

Here's some pictures ...

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

I woke up at 6, I showered and got ready, and went to breakfast at 9am. I ordered the mini Irish breakfast because, lets be honest, I can't eat a whole one alone. It wasn't that mini though. It had a sausage link (uneaten), a sunny-side up egg (ew - scrambled is the only good way to eat them), the black pudding (enough said)... but what I DID eat was: white pudding, toast, ham, and some sort of strange thing... I don't know what it was but it's probably better that way. It was like... hmmm maybe an Irish pancake?? It was in the shape of a piece of pizza though and I liked it. I also had orange juice, and get this, tea!! I had to try it even though I'm not a tea fan. I put so much milk in it though that you couldn't really taste the tea.

After I ate I brushed my teeth, grabbed my zip-up hoodie, and I was out!

(An older couple rode down on the elevator with me and commented to me how nice the weather was. It's about 50 and the sun is shining! If it stays like this it will be great. It can rain Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. That's it, please.)

First I headed to the end of the road (about half a block) and took a couple pictures. My plan was to go down one side then back up the other. Turns out the road isn't that long... When I was just about out of sidewalk there was this side road. There were three horses in a pasture a little ways down so I thought I'd jet up that way for a bit and see what else there was. (This is the point I decided to check the road out.)






A little ways turned into an hour and a half walk. It was so nice! Everything was green. The road was quiet. Only a few cars passed by and a coule other walkers, who were friendly. One woman had two dogs and stopped to say hello. There were cows and some crows, which I swear were evil. Then finally I found it ... a field full of SHEEP!!! My excitment was too much for such a thing but it's Ireland... you expect to see sheep farms!

This particular farm was at the end of that road I took (a very very long road might I add) which Y-ed at the end. In the middle of the Y was sheep. Lots of them. They were painted with different colors right behind their heads too... strange. Some were red and some were blue. Check out the nice close up I got:






Okay, moving away from the exciting sheep. Dogs. They're everywhere and they're not on leashes. They wander aimlessly and pay you no mind. I don't know how I feel about that... well, as long as they're nice, whatever, haha.

On my way back I ran into a man with (probably) his grandson. They were egg hunting! The old man said 'the Easter bunny stopped by last night' lol. It was cute. Apparently there was an egg hunt in Tang and the little boy had some eggs in his hand. Oh, he also had a dog with him. A little Jack Russell. Cute cute.

Before I turned around for home though I found something totally awesome!

I saw a break in the wall on both sides of the road... when I got up to it there was a dirt road following a little river. To the right there was a bridge further down and to the left, this:


I was so tempted to go check it out but I didn't know if it was private property. I looked around. No one else was walking there. There were no houses. Heck, I was in the middle of no where! God's county! Even more of a wilderness that the wilderness! ( :P ) I made my way down this dirt path nonchalantly, camera in hand.

When I got closer the only thing I could think was 'whoa'.

Perhaps it was a house, or two? A barn maybe? In either case, at one point there were two buildings there right next to each other. Now it's just walls where windows and doors used to be. Vines had overgrown it so much that it looks like a tree. One of the buildings has graffiti, but the other didn't. Ahh, so cool!














Moving on... on the way back I stopped at the SuperValue market and bought a bottle of water, some Kelloggs Nutri-Grain Ginger bars, and a bottle of Lucozade, so I didn't have to go buy dinner everytime I was a little hungry. Now this Lucozade stuff... everywhere I went I saw it so I wanted to try it. My recommendation : don't. Yuck. Carbonated nastiness. And on the back of the bottle it says 'Lucozade is not appropriate for replacing the fluid lost during diarrhoea.' Ahuh, okay then.

I went down and asked about how to get to Mullingar tomorrow. A nice worker lady helped me out. She gave me a list of numbers for taxis but then said it was probably going to be about 40 euros so she tried to find me a cheaper way. She said to go down the road to The County Store Gala (Daybreak) for a timetable of buses.

(Oh yea, there's a bus that goes to Ballymahon... 27 euros for a taxi wasted! I wonder how much a bus will be...)

So I go down the road and the girl gives me a time table for Ballymahon to Athlone, where I will need to get another bus to Mullingar. I also took a picture of the sign below the bus stop sign that gave times. (While I was out I picked up the Longford newspaper for Poppy.)

Here's tomorrows plan:
Go down for breakfast around 8:30-8:45.
Catch a bus from Ballymahon to Longford at 9:30am. Arrive at Longford at 10:05.
Catch a bus from Longford to Mullingar at 11:05. Arrive at Mullingar at 11:45.
From there, I was told Belvedere House is about 5 minutes, so I'll be taking a cab.
Belvedere House is supposed to take about 3 hours, so I figure from 12-3, then I'll look around the town of Mullingar until my bus back to Longford.

When I went down for dinner tonight (chicken with curry and rice) the really nice guy was working. He lived in Boston for a couple years. He said I should go back down at 10pm for the music. There's another band playing, and the 1st floor (really the 2nd but they number floors differently, like Europe does) is a night club. (Surprised me too.) Not my cup of tea really... bars either, but a bar is more my speed and I have nothing else to do, so I thought, what the heck.

Well, the woman singing (traditonal Irish stuff) is actually one of the final 3 people on a tv show (kind of like American Idol I guess but on the Irish Language Channel).

I was introduced to his wife and her friend. I stayed until 1am talking with them. I was introduced to lots of people and they were all super nice.

All in all - great day! Now I'll go to sleep and wake up at 7am to start my day.

It's A Question Of Whether We're Going To Go Forward Into The Future Or Back Into The Past

I have done it! I've arrived in the county of my ancestors! It was no small conquest. I was about to pass out from exhaustion before I arrived...

The plane landed in Philadelphia at 7:30pm and the woman sitting next to me said "well, that was uneventful." Ahuuuh... I'm not exactly sure what she was expecting but I for one am glad it was uneventful.

I took the shuttle bus from terminal F to terminal A (this is when I hung up on you, Nonny lol) and then proceeded to walk all the way to the other side of the airport to get to gate 22. I sat there for about 45-50 minutes and then began the boarding process. (I got a window seat in both flights btw.) I was storing my carry-on in the overhead compartment and the guy on the end (a little older than myself) helped. Well... then it falls out and almost hits a lady in the head. O_O I was like.. umm ok, I'll just put it under the seat. No, no, he HAS to put it back for me. Ok, fine. He shuts it in this time. Anyway, the guy in the middle came over, who was my age, and was from Oakland, but moved from Ireland at age 11. He was pretty nice. I talked to him for a bit then tried to sleep.

The key word in that sentence is 'tried'. If I put my head against the window it was cold and vibrated too much. If I didn't put my head on anything I couldn't fall asleep. If I put my head down on the tray with the pillow then I was bent over too much. Also, my arms fell asleep cuz I put them under my cheek to raise my head a little.

So... I hardly got any sleep at all.

Then the plane landed at 8:30am Ireland time. I got my bags and trotted along to the exit. I had no idea where the bus stop was so I stopped at the little window for bus questions. The girl there informed me that they didn't pick up from the airport and that I had to go to the bus station... ok great... where's that?

Take the 747 bus, she says, it's the green buses. Okey dokey, easy enough... 6 euros later I'm sitting on another shuttle bus. Half an hour after that I arrive at the bus station in Dublin and only had to wait 5-10 minutes for my bus. Good timing if I do say so myself!

The bus is comfy. I got a window seat to enjoy the scenery. Then this Irish girl asks if she can sit next to me. Sure, no problemo. Then I catch the sent of alcohol. If that wasn't enough confirmation of her drunken state, she gets a phone call and she's like "oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to leave you like that! I don't know what happened? Did I go to the loo and just not come back? I was supposed to catch the 8am bus. I'm so F***ked. Well, I'm f***cked anyway, but I'm on my way back now..." blah blah - I stopped listening and ended up falling asleep.

This was not any more comfortable that the plane, mind you, so the amount of sleep I got wasn't worth mentioning.

Anyway - I got to Longford Rail Station with no real problems at all. The woman behind the counter called me a cab and said to wait inside, the driver would come in to get me. (And this is where I learned I was saying Ballymahon completely wrong... it sounds like BallymahAn.) Sure enough, five minutes later an older gentleman comes inside and grabs my suitcase.

He was pleasant enough. He was in NYC awhile back... went to a couple Irish bars there, lol. (He stayed in Queens, Batman!) I asked him what I should do in Ballymahon and he laughed, hahaha... hmmm... not comforting. When we get into town he's like "this is it... here's the town."

Think the town of Westmoreland and you've about summed this place up.

So, I checked in... very nice rooms, btw. The comforter is so thick and heavy that you can move around all you want and not mess it up. Awesome. I need to find me one of these at home. I unpacked everything I'd need. I put the clothes I'll use until Thursday into the shelf-cubey things and put all my shower stuff in the bathroom.

I finished all this at about 2pm and crawled into bed like a zombie. I just wanted to take a nap for a couple hours but ended up sleeping until 6pm. Ooops. I took a shower and got dressed. I tried to dry my hair but I couldn't figure out why the hair dryer wouldn't work with the plug converter. After I toweled dried my hair I found out you have to flip a little switch to turn on the outlet. Weird.

I went downstairs and ordered some seaseme chicken. I was honestly too tired to be hungry but I knew I had to eat. After that I went back up to my room (room 204) and went back to sleep until 11 because of all the music. I went downstairs again and there was a band playing and lots of people. So I ordered a coke and watched the band play 2 songs. (Both American songs that I don't remember.) I remember doing that last bit but it's all a slight fog because I was so tired. Back to bed I went.

Day 1 : Completed


Here's a photo of the sunrise from the plane...

Greetings from Ireland

Well, no internet in Longford but I'm here safe.I'll do seperate posts for each day on Tuesday when I hit Dublin so make sure to check them all!

It's A Dangerous Business Frodo, Going Out Your Door

Tomorrow at this time I will be flying from Philadelphia to Dublin. With any luck I'll be fast asleep as we cruise over the ocean... for hours... and hours.

I've purchased a bus ticket from Dublin to Longford, and another from Longford to Dublin. I wasn't 100% sure how to read the time tables for departure and arrival for the buses... but I THINK we leave the airport at 10:30. Well, I'll be fine anyway.

Actually my credit card company called about the bus tickets ... it was out of the ordinary so they put a freeze on my account. It's awesome they do that, but I'm very thankful they called today and not tomorrow! There's now a note on all my credit card accounts saying I'm going to be overseas so not to do that. I don't need to be somewhere and have my card denied because they think it's fraudulent, haha.

Besides that everything is set! As soon as I eat and shower after work tomorrow (I leave at 2) I'll pack the remaining items (toothbrush, ect. ect.) and head out about 3:30. If it takes about an hour to get there I should be to the airport at 4:30, leaving the recommended about of time before take off.

In the words of Helen Keller:
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

And I will again quote the same quote from my first post:
"Fortune favors the brave" - Publius Terence

I will post again as soon as I can! Possible short posts from my blackberry if there's no internet in Longford. Pictures and a real post are guaranteed for Tuesday the 14th!

With that ~ I leave you all ~ Wish me luck

When Things Go Wrong Don't Go With Them

I'm still withering in pain over this car thing... I guess I'm going with public transportation. The lucky winning choice : the bus.

I went a day early to active my SIMS card so I could call my hotel in Longford. They said take a train or bus to Longford or Anthlone, then take a taxi... which is what I kind of figured anyway.

I went on the bus website ( http://www.buseireann.ie/index.php ) and tried to buy tickets but it's down for the moment. I'll try to wake up early and give them a call. My printer is messed right the frig up so I'm having trouble getting the things I need...

I'm rearranging my entire trip now. It looks vaguely like this:

Sat.
Arrive via bus to Longford at 12:35
Take a taxi (approx 25 min) to the hotel
Check in , shower , eat lunch , explore surrounding area

Sun.
More exploring? I'm sure there's something in the general area to see. I'll just walk the countryside or something ... I have a map and infinite spare time now.

Mon.
I'll get a taxi and bus to Mullingar to see Belvedere House. It looks like I can be there about the time they open (9:30am).

Tues.
Catch a taxi and bus back to Dublin.
Check into the hotel at 2pm.
Shop around... explore... eat dinner... I don't know.

Wed.
County Clare

Thurs.
St. Stephen's Green Shopping Center! It looks like a pretty cool mall.

Fri.
County Cork

Sat.
I've booked a new trip out of Dublin! If I can't drive to Malahide Castle then I'll take the trip for $33.75! The bus leaves at 2pm and gets back at 5:30pm.
Here's what it says on Expedia...
Journey through Clontarf to Malahide, home of the 14th-century Talbot Castle. Browse the castle's extensive art collection, stroll through the gardens, or enjoy afternoon tea. Then drive through the seaside village of Howth toward Howth summit where you will stop to capture superb views over Dublin Bay.
Inclusions :
* Guided tour of Dublin Bay and Malahide Castle
* Admission and guided tour of Malahide Castle
* Roundtrip transportation via coach


Sun.
Coming back home


Not as fun as before... no Trim castle or Fore Abbey which I was greatly looking forward to. :::sigh::: I guess that means I'll have to make another trip someday.


Anyway, stay turned for one more post tomorrow before I leave.

Mayday!! Mayday!!

:::sirens:::

:::horns:::

:::whistles:::

I'm 22.

You have to be 25 to rent a car in Ireland.

Yes, Expedia told me that they would simply charge me an extra "young driver" fee.

Well - WRONG!

I'm currently car-less and confused as to how to even get to my Longford hotel. A train can be taken to Longford, or even Anthlone... but in either directions it's like 13 miles to the hotel.

What the hell...

I'll post again tomorrow after I know more...

Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind and try to take the path less traveled by.

One week left!!! How time flies! I feel like I just booked the trip yesterday!

I've started to pack! I put all my shirts into the space-saving bags so I wouldn't wear them before it's time to leave. (Don't want to have something I need be dirty!) I've also pack socks and underwear. I've filled my small travel, flip-top bottles with shampoo/conditoner (2in1), body soap, and lotion. Nonny had the great idea of putting them into one of those bags that curtains come in - you know, the thick plastic ones that zip shut - in case they come open in the suitcase. Props to Nonny!

The duffel bag I was originally going to use was 6 inches too big to use as a carry-on. Poo poo. I went to Wal-Mart last night (and ran into Aunt Kathy, Uncle Mark & Matilda!) and bought an over the shoulder book bag for $15. I can fit the laptop, both maps, my notebook, my travel book, a reading book, and the folder with all the info from Expedia & my directions inside with spare room for any small gifts I might want to put in my carry-on. A well spent $15 if I may say so. It's small but holds so much! (Makes me wonder what kids are carrying to school these days O_o)

As I said last week, I'll share my personal packing list!! If anyone thinks I'm missing something, please let me know!

Packing List:

Clothing:
Shirts
Hoodies
Jeans
Belt
Socks
Underwear
Bras
PJS
Boots
Sneakers
Purse

Electronics:
Cell Phone
Cell Charger
Laptop
Laptop Charger
Camera
Camera Charger
Camera Cord
Plug Adapters

Bath:
Soap
Loofa
Shampoo/Conditoner
Razor
Deodarant
Lotion
Face Wash
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Q-Tips
Hair Brush
Anti Frizz
Hair Dryer
MakeUp
Laundry Bag
Lint Roller

Important Papers/Misc:
Passport
International DL
Maps
Travel Book
Notebook
Folder
Euros
Book
Glasses
Aleve
Tissues
Tide2Go
Hand Sanitizer
First Aid Kit
Scissors


Good thing I have a big suitcase!! (It's a Jeep brand, Batman! Gotta represent!)





I'll pack everything I can this weekend. I'll have to leave out a few things (like my toothbrush, makeup, cell phone, ect ect ect)

Other than that, I have two things left to do!

On Wednesday (72 hours before take off) I have to call and confirm my flights.
On Thursday I have to go to Verizon to activate a SIMS card & oversea features.

Thanks for following me this far! See you next week!
(the title of this post is from a Nickleback song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryYTkISzN2s if you want to check it out)

A Few Small Notes

Firstly, I have added another gadget to my blog!
All of the websites I have mentioned (along with a few extra) are now located at the right of the blog under the archives in click-able links. Take a look o_o ~~~>

Okay, I'm a few days late! There are a few things to say...

A) I found a packing list online (http://www.travellerspoint.com/packing-list.cfm). It seems pretty thorough. I'll be posting my own personal list next week. I stopped by Wal-Mart on Tuesday and got a few travel items: Q-Tips, a small travel first aide kit by Band Aide, a bottle to put lotion in, and a couple little packs of tissues. Today I picked out all of my outfits and put them into the space-saver bags I bought so I'm not tempted to wear them before I leave. I'll add my jeans later. I bought a small make-up bag last Saturday when I was at the mall with Lindsay, and I got a travel shower bag from Wal-Mart. I have to find out US Airways policy on laptops in a carry on...

B) I don't think I've mentioned the international drivers license! Maybe I have and don't remember... anyways... the best travel book everrrr said it's not required, but it's a good idea. It also tells you were you can get one. So, to AAA I went. $15 dollars later I had a little paper packet with my picture glued to it. It's good for a year, which is nice. She made mine effective beginning April 1st. You have to keep it with a valid license from your own country too. In any case, if I do get into any traffic relative problems then this should make things a little easier. (The picture below is obviously not mine, but just so you get the idea.)





C) I'm still in the process of google-ing all the directions I'll need. My Blackberry has them too, but better to be safe than sorry (or lost)! I'm sure people will be friendly enough to help me out if I need it though. I'm starting to get a little freaked out honestly...

D) Going back to the outlet converters for a second... I was looking at the one I got that does convert voltage and it doesn't have 3 prongs. My first thought was 'great, now how am I supposed to plug in my laptop?!' but!! in looking at the little box on the cord it can handle 100-240v. It needs no converting! Lovely. (The thought of plugging it in still scares me though... there's a lot to lose on this computer. I'll try to survive on mere battery as long as I can.) I started looking at the rest of my electronics and all of them can handle up to 240v so far. I haven't checked everything yet, like the hair dryer, but hooray! And the stupid cell phone came with all the plugs, so I don't need a outlet or voltage converter for that. One more point for the piece of poo phone... speaking of the phone... I need to go get the SIMS card for that after work sometime this week and check the rates in Ireland...

Thanks for reading - until next week!

Test

Test

(seeing if i can post on this w my blackberry - it worked - at least it can do SOMETHING right >_> )

To Claim Or Not To Claim, That Is The Question

Well, the question should be what do I NEED to claim when returning to the US. I'm actually very confused about the whole thing... I emailed US Airways and got a response of "keep a list of what you buy and the price."

As helpful as that was..........

I guess anything I buy I have to declare. I'll just write down what I spend in what store and generalize what it was.

I found this on a government website:

What You Must Declare

* Items you purchased and are carrying with you upon return to the United States.
* Items you received as gifts, such as wedding or birthday presents.
* Items you inherited.
* Items you bought in duty-free shops, on the ship, or on the plane.
* Repairs or alterations to any items you took abroad and then brought back, even if the repairs/alterations were performed free of charge.
* Items you brought home for someone else.
* Items you intend to sell or use in your business.

Also, if you acquired items in the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or in a Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act country (see section on $800 exemption for a list of these countries) and asked the merchant to send them to you, you must still declare them when you go through customs. This differs from the usual procedure for mailed items, which is discussed in the section on Sending Goods to the United States.

You must state on the CBP declaration, in U.S. currency, what you actually paid for each item. The price must include all taxes. If you don’t know for sure, estimate. If you did not buy the item yourself—for example, if it is a gift—estimate its fair retail value in the country where you received it.

Remember: Even if you used the item you bought on your trip, it’s still dutiable. You must declare the item at the price you paid or, if it was a gift, at its fair market value"


Hmmm... well... I don't think I'll be spending $800 on stuff lol

Nothing is what it seems.

Well, I got my phone!

It's cool because I can check my email and everything right there... the keyboard will take some getting used to.

But, on a bad note, it's way too confusing. Nothing is under the same category as a normal phone. It took an act of congress for it to let me change my ringtone. Oh, and to receive picture messages I have to sign into some weird website. O_o Just let me see the picture....

Speaking of pictures... this phone has no camera. What the **** kind of phone in 2009 doesn't have a camera??? Well, apparently the Blackberry 8830 World Edition. >:-|

Oh yea, and people are having a hard time understanding me.

Mmmhm... I miss my beloved orange EnV already :'(

UPDATE: This phone has turn by turn directions for anywhere in the world!! (Even has a map) I put in my Longford hotel to my Dublin hotel to see if it would work and it did! YAY! A redeeming quality!

Life is a festival only to the wise.

Well, not that I'm going to make it to any of these, but I'm running out of plans to tell you guys! (Suggestions are always good, so comment if you have some lol) I'm going to talk about the festivals Ireland has during the year. I'd actually like to go to a couple... maybe if I make another trip...

Spring

March:
The obvious one - St. Patrick's Day! There are parades in Downpatrick, Armagh, Dublin, Cork, Limerick and a bunch of other places.
Jameson International Dublin Film Festival
Horse Ploughing Match & Heavy Horse Show

April:
Feis Ceiol (a classical music festival)
Pan Celtic Festival
Cork Choral Festival

May:
Fleadh Nua (4 days of traditional Irish music, songs, and dance)

Summer

June:
Laytown Beach Races (horse races)
County Wicklow Garden Festival
National County Fair
Music in Great Irish Houses
Castle Ward Opera
County Wexford Strawberry Fair


July:
Battle of the Boyne Day
Galway Arts Festival
Lughnasa Fair (medieval fair)

August:
Stradbally Steam-engine Rally
Dublin Horse Show
Puck Fair (a wild goat is crowned king for 2 days lol)
Rose of the Tralee Festival
Blessing of the Sea

Fall

September:
Heritage Week
All-Ireland Hurling Final
Galway Oyster Festival
All-Ireland Football Festival

October:
Octoberfest (all month ; dance/poetry/film/comedy/theater/music)
Cork Film Festival
Ballinasloe Fair (one of Europe's oldest horse fairs)
Dublin Theater Festival
Cork Jazz Festival

November:
Sligo International Choral Festival
Eigse Sliabh Rua (local history & music)

Winter

December:
St. Stephen's Day
Leopardstown Races

January:
Salmon and Sea Trout Season

February:
Dublin Film Festival
Six Nations Rugby Tournament


Photo from Ballinasloe Fair:





Also! Here are the public holidays (2009):
New Years Day - 1/1
St. Patricks Day - 3/17
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May Day (1st Monday in May)
June Bank Holiday (1st Monday in June)
August Bank Holiday (1st Monday in August)
October Bank Holiday (last Monday in October)
Christmas Day 12/25
St. Stephen's Day - 12/26

I like all the bank holidays!! Too bad I don't work in the Dublin offices! lol

Until next week........

Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow.

I was surprised at the amount of people, that when they found out I was going to Ireland, asked me: "What language do they speak there?"

English. They speak English. They speak English with a very very cute accent.

But, there is also Gaelic. (British rule and the famine drained the country of many of the native speakers.) The county is bilingual, but English is the spoken language everywhere expect for a few places called Gaeltachts. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaeltacht )

Again, my awesome travel guide has come in handy. It says there are still some words used in Gaelic. There was a list of useful words (most likely to see) in the back:

an banc - bank
an lar - town center
an tra - beach
ar aghaidh - go
bad - boat
bealach amach - exit
bealach isteach - enterance
dunta - closed
failte - welcome
fir - men
gardai - police
leithreas - toilet
mna - woman
oifig an phoist - post office
oscailte - open
ostan - hotel
siopa - shop
ticead - ticket
traein - train

Some road signs are in both English and Gaelic.






(A hundred thousand welcomes)




Until next Thursday! (I'll only be saying that for 5 weeks!)

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.

Lucky for me, I DO know where to shop. My oh-so-awesome travel books has tons of stores. It lists everything from food, to jewelry, to souvenir shops! It lists their phone numbers and addresses too.

I'd rather buy souvenirs from stores that aren't chains. Handmade stuff even. There are street vendors in county Clare (I think it said??) which would be awesome. I already know what I'm buying for a couple people (any hints are welcome though). I'm not 100% sure where to find one of the things... but I will manage, I'm sure.

There's even a special section about shopping in Dublin. A couple recommended souvenir shops are: Carrolls Irish Gift Shop ( http://www.carrollsirishgifts.com/ ) and, of course, the Guinness Storehouse.

The stores there close pretty early compared to ours. Their hours are generally Mon-Sat 9-6. Large towns and shopping centers tend to be open late on night, usually Thurs or Fri (Thurs in Dublin), until 9.

There is a 21% sales tax on items in Ireland. O_O It's included in the sale price. Visitors from outside the European Union can reclaim the taxes before departure though.

That's all I have on shopping...

The countdown is on! 50 days to go!

People say conversation is a lost art.

I'm a bit late - but Happy Valentine's Day!!

I decided that while I'm in Ireland it would be a good idea to have a way to call for help in case of emergency. And I need a way to call all you fine folks at home and let you know I'm alive.

Instead of getting a calling card, I heard that cell phone companies can unlock your phone with some code so you can use it internationally. I called Verizon and, of course, they don't have a contract with Ireland. So that option was out.

I spoke with a man named Ahamd (prolly spelled that wrong) and he was very helpful. I could rent a phone from them. It's shipped to my house and I can have it for 30 days. I have to spend $9.99 to ship it back after that. There were two packages I could pick from. Standard - no monthly charge and $1.29/minute, or Value - $4.99 for the month and 99 cents a minute. Texts are 50 cents to send and 5 cents to receive. (Don't text me while I'm gone, lol) The model is a Motorola 26C, which I think looks something like this:





But instead of that... I'm going to buy the Blackberry World Edition. That way I will have my own phone while I'm there, and hey, it's a Blackberry. lol. I'm getting the red one:





I can upgrade April 19, but they said since I'm leaving the 10th I should be able to get it a few days early. ^_^

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead.

My #1 fear for this trip is the driving. I'm pretty freaked out by it actually. I'm sure I'll get used to driving on the other side of the road, but man, I don't think it will be easy.

I've used my oh-so-awesome travel book once again.....

The speed limits there don't seem to bad, and get this, they use MPH! Yay! No converting to km/h needed! In built up areas the speed limit is 30mph, 60mph outside built up areas, and 70mph on motorways. On certain roads it will specify 40mph or 50mph, otherwise it's 60.

Road signs are in both English and Gaelic. The new-style white & green signs read distance in km but the old black & white ones are in miles.

Apparently you can drive for miles without seeing another car. That's nice for the fact that I don't have to worry about hitting them, but sucks if I get lost or need help. Well... I can use my cell if I get stuck. (More on cell phones next week.) Even major roads are quiet. The roads are also full of curves and turns.























And here's a road going to the Wicklow Mountains:

A danger foreseen is half avoided.

Well... I was doing a little surfing around the web out of boredom a little while ago and found this site:

http://goireland.about.com/od/safetyinireland/a/woman_ireland.htm

It's all about women traveling alone in Ireland.

I will be completely honest with you fine readers ... I am so-freaking-beat tonight. After vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, dusting, and the sad (failed) attempt at putting away laundry... I'm just not able to put my all into this. ~Sorry~ I'll copy/paste a couple key points though...





Things to Avoid in Ireland

There are a few things you might better avoid if traveling alone as a female in Ireland:

* Avoid lingering - if you object to any contact, state so clearly and break away from it.
* Avoid ambiguity - use a clear, loud "No!" and appropriate body language to make your point.
* Avoid getting drunk - if you render yourself defenseless you are a fool, watch out for "spiked" drinks.
* Avoid physical contact until you are really sure you want any.
* Avoid being alone with (a) male stranger(s), especially with somebody wanting to show you "a short cut".
* Avoid hitch-hiking alone.
* Avoid any known troublespots, enquire at your accommodation about them.
* Avoid following any invitation to a "house party" with strangers.

And finally - never assume that all is well because you heard the Irish are all so nice and helpful. There are nutcases and potential perpetrators about everywhere, even on the Emerald Isle.


~*~ Like I said, just use common sense, lol ~*~



In an Emergency ...

... run!


~*~ and I just like this part ^_^ ~*~

Money often costs too much.

I didn't want to bother with the hassle of getting money exchanged once I arrived so I went to Rome Savings Bank and ordered some Euros. They charge a $10 fee to order them, but hey... I'll be prepared.

I looked online at the exchange rate, and for 600 USD I should have received about 435 Euros. Well, they gave me 400 Euros for 591.04 USD. Well, hmmm... I didn't think that was right.

Rome Savings orders their Euros from Bank of America because they aren't an international bank, so they have to go by their rate. Now... how can BOA charge a different rate than anyone else?!?!?! Good question.

I called RSB and they couldn't help, so I looked up BOA's number at work and called them. They told me that the rate is different for businesses and non businesses. Ahuh... right. But I guess if you have millions of dollars you're going to get a better deal? Well, I think it's bull crap.

Anywho - I have Euros, so I won't get off the plane penniless at least. I wonder how far 400 Euros will get me...... O_o Well, I'll hope and pray most places will take credit.






Pretty money, no?

See you next week.

Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.

Well, I bought a plug converter for my electronics from Wal-Mart for $10. It turns out that it didn't convert voltage, just the plug. The US runs on 110 volts while the UK runs on 220 volts. So, without the voltage converter I would be frying all my stuff, so I took it back.

I then went to Best Buy and found one that converts voltage... but it didn't say how many watts it could handle, so I returned that one too.

Then I looked at Wal-Mart again and they had one for $20. It has two different settings. One for lower voltage items like electric razors and another for higher voltage items like hair driers. It goes up to 100 something watts, and my laptop uses 65, so it should be okay.

Here's what a converter looks like, it's in the UK setting:





With any luck I won't short circuit the hotels .....

It's late in the day when the Irish Oak sails from Cork…

An early post this week since I'm all excited.^^

~*~ Friday, April 17 ~*~

Tour to Cork by Train
(quoting the site again)


"Kiss the Blarney Stone on this tour to Country Cork. Then uncover the stories of the millions of Irish emigrants who set sail from Cobh to make new lives in America."

"Relax onboard a train as you make your way to County Cork. Visit Blarney Castle, one of the oldest and most historic castles in Ireland, and home to the Blarney Stone—said to bestow the gift of eternal eloquence upon all those who kiss it.

Continue to Cobh, a pleasant port town situated on one of the islands in Cork harbour. Visit the Queenstown Story in the restored railway station and learn about the 2 1/2 million people who sailed from here to America between 1845 and 1950."


The price (which is the same as trip to Clare) includes:

* Guided coach tour to Blarney Castle and Cobh
* Roundtrip train transfer from Dublin to Cork
* Reserved seats and host on the train
* Admission to Blarney Castle
* Admission to the Queenstown Story
* Information pack, including detailed itinerary

This trip is 13.5 hours.

We leave Heuston Station at 7am (again, we have to arrive at 6:40) and return at 8:20pm.

Some phoooootos --

Blarney Castle:





Cobh:





A statue of Annie Moore
(she became the first ever emigrant to be processed in Ellis Island)






Until next time ...