Sorry about the delay in posts, folks! Homework combined with brief visits to various cities (both done with horrible internet connections) have left my brain scrambled with priorities. Now that I have some time, here's what you've missed:
Our two glorious weeks in Galway sadly came to an end. We took three tests and our classes in the Jury's Inn bar (I made sure to sit right in front of the Guinness tap!), and suddenly and onslaught of complaints was brought up concerning our workload for this trip. I understand that this is an academic experience overall, but when you have tests on the same day that count for the majority of your grade, it kinda sucks to have to only see Ireland from your hotel window while reading horrible accounts of rock formations. God help us. Somehow we managed to survive it, and make the most or our stay.
Two days after our dreaded midterms were over, we took a ferry over to Inishmor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. The boat ride over was supposed to be smooth sailing according to our professor, but giant waves turned it into a fun roller coaster ride for most of us, and a puke fest for others. Upon arrival, we had bikes rented and ready to go for us, and our teachers informed us of Dun Aengus, a well-preserved ring fort on the opposite end of the island that we should try to reach. My group of friends decided to make a quick stop to the Aran Woolen Market where we each purchased our individualized Aran sweaters before beginning our journey to the fort. Let me pause briefly to note that riding my bike along the coastal shore of Inishmor was perhaps the most glorifying thing I have ever done and probably will do again when I return to Ireland. It was majestically beautiful, quiet, and full of salty sea air. Well, it was until we noticed the giant Irish rain cloud headed our way. Within minutes, the strong but enjoyable winds turned to vicious attackers: it slanted the rain at us and jabbed at our faces like a million tiny needles. We took shelter in the ruins of a building and endured the lessened storm until it passed by as quickly as it came. Soaked and laughing, we decided to try to make it a bit further until we were hit again and turned tail for the town. We saw a few seals on the way back and finally took shelter in an adorable cafe where we ate our hearts out. With a few hours left before the ferry was to return to the mainland (only 1 ferry ride a day that arrives and leaves with the tide), we headed in a different direction to a deserted beach to enjoy the sea. However, on the sand dunes we found the cutest little dog the ran through the waves and chased after shells that we tossed for him. We named him Naoise after the Irish story of Deidre, and he followed us into town as we decided what to do with the lost pup. Making our way back to the Aran Market and saving Naoise from oncoming tour buses, we found out that he is a local wanderer that everyone knows as Guinness due to his black and brown markings. Guinness then disappeared around a corner with some Asian tourists as we made our way to the ferry. Another incredible ride over the high seas found us back to Ireland where we swiftly fell asleep on the bus back to Galway.
On Tuesday, April 23rd, we were shuttled out to the infamous Burren, a landscape made up of karst limestone (so many geology readings...) that looks intimidatingly barren and eerie. However, the flora of this area is the richest in the entirety of Ireland! Our bio professor set up a meeting with an archeologist/stone mason to teach us dry mI tasonry in order to help repair a farmer's stone wall. We learned quickly, for as soon as we drove out to the site, the most difficult part proved to be just getting to the wall itself! We stacked large stones on top of dips in the wall, and it is actually important that there is space between the rocks because if there isn't, strong winds will actually knock over close stones. Instead, gaps provide aerodynamic escapes for gusts, which is why many stone walls have been up for hundreds of years! The ancient Irishmen continue to impress...
Once the wall was completed, our guide led us up the landscape-a difficult climb indeed-and to a ring fort located at the top of the site. Again, we got to see the results of a true architect: the fort itself has no adhesive to keep rocks together! Perhaps we'll be good enough to build something like that one day!
The climb back down was more terrifying than going up; steep sides caused us to slip and slide down grassy patches until, bruised and fatigued, we made it to an area close to the bottom where our guide pointed out the words "EIRE" made out of stones. These words mean "Ireland", and were used to notify German pilots in WW2 that the land they were flying over and potentially trying to bomb was not their intended target (Britain). It was amazing to see that these signs were still present on the Irish coast even after half a century of wear and tear.
Two final notes on Galway: a friend asked us to accompany her to Athenry where she could visit a holy well for her senior project as well as a heritage center that taught people some archery and history of the town (known for the song The Fields of Athenry). Archery? HECK YES! A large group of us headed there where I discovered I am an excellent archer (making the middle of the target twice!), a competitive maze runner, and a knight in shining armor. That's right: along with the tour of the heritage center, we got to dress up as ladies or knights, and there was no way I was trading chain mail and swords in for a gown! The tour was phenomenal as we learned of weaponry and country life, and a stop at a local cafe ended our day at Athenry.
On our last day in Galway, we walked around town finding a light house in the distance and then hit up several bars (Bierhaus, The Spanish Arch, and The Quays) before dancing all night in a cozy nightclub called the Electric Garden. It was the perfect end to an exciting stay in probably the greatest city in Ireland.
Next up, Sligo!
No comments:
Post a Comment