Bray

Shortly before lunch, a group of us headed down to the city center this morning to check out the Temple Bar Farmers Market.

As I had already eaten before we went, I decided to get a little dessert, made from chocolate tea biscuits (or chocolate digestives as they are more commonly called). It was absolutely scrumptious.


We walked around for a bit and then headed down to a craft market which Cathy had told us about. Melissa and Molly found beautiful dresses; I unfortunately was too tall for any of the options but still had fun trying on different things.



From the markets, we took the DART to Bray, a southern coast. It was apparent that everyone had the same idea, because the DART was packed. After a quick 50 minute ride we had arrived and set out for the water.


The rocky beach was a bit difficult to walk on. I had to laugh as Molly struggled with the little rocks until she came up shore.
Very different from the New Jersey sand, that's for sure.

With the sun shining we decided we had to take a little nap!

These little yellow flowers smell like coconuts...can you believe it?

There was a "cliffwalk" between Bray and another coast called Greystones. Although we did not make it all the way to the second coast, the walk was beautiful and we strayed from the path for a bit of excitement.

Before we knew it, it was 6:00 and time to head home! The DART took us back to the city center and we caught a bus back to DCU. It was a wonderful day with no specific agenda and I was very thankful for the gorgeous weather.

Dublin's Nearest Coast

This morning marked our last official class of the semester! We have a field trip next Thursday night for my Arts in Ireland class and then a final on Friday morning and then we are finished! We will still have a portfolio to finish which corresponds to our internship, but things are quickly winding down.

After a three hour class this morning, we decided we needed to do something to get moving and enjoy the weather so Meghan and I ran to the coast. With the help of google maps, we planned our route and took off. The route was only about three miles one way and we were fairly successful on the way down, chatting the whole time. We found we were running at quite the busy time, for kids were getting out of school and we had to strategically wind through crowds of little school boys in uniforms who were too excited for the weekend to pay attention to us. Once we reached the water, we took a break and walked for a bit, taking in the sights. I love being so close to such beautiful scenery; it's a nice reminder to take the time to enjoy it all.

Being so close to the water, the wind had picked up and we were pretty cold quite quickly. We turned to head the three miles back, realizing that most of our energy had dissipated in the process. We weren't breaking any records for sure, but with a nice mix of running and walking we made it back to DCU in time to meet up with Molly and Melissa in the park. In comparison to weather back home, I'm sure this seems chilly, but it is an incredibly refreshing after a whole lot of rain!

Irish Lingo

I don't know whether it is the realization that my time in Ireland is quickly coming to an end, or in fact if today was a bit out of the ordinary, but I could not help but notice the abundance of new (and familiar) phrases coming my way today. I was sent looking for "plasters" (band aids) and was met with an energetic "cheers" (thanks!) on my return. I realized the physio had her hair "plaited" (braided) and a fortnight is two weeks time. Things were a "wee" bit better after a spurt of cleaning this afternoon and my American accent continues to sell me out to all of the children. Whether or not I'm still listening through rose tinted ears does not matter, I still consider the Irish culture to be a very positive and energetic one, and that is due in large part to their language. The work day was another positive one, and with the sun still shining the commute to and from Sandymount was easy.

After work and a quick grocery run, I did my best to focus and write my paper before our Irish dance lesson. Week two was just as much fun. This time, Molly was my partner, and we did our best to swing despite our slightly significant height difference, a fact which made us both laugh. I left with my head spinning and the music still in my head, a sign of a successful evening. We conquered two of the four parts of the set, and I'm looking forward to learning the rest so I can show off my complete set of skills!

Tennis Tuesday

The work week is halfway over already; it's very hard to believe. My routine is set and I have been having good luck with the busses in the morning, catching bus #4 which conveniently drops me off on the O'Connell Street bridge in the city center. The commute is standard, taking just about an hour, and I arrive in Sandymount with plenty of time for a cup of tea (or coffee, depending on my level of alertness that morning.)

I spent most of the day working with one physiotherapist. She is quite young and really is great at what she does. She can pull a smile out of any child, regardless of the situation, and I am learning so much by just observing her interactions with the children. I am very fortunate that she lets me get involved, and the time passes by all too quickly. For lunch, I joined a group of therapists as they took their break in the park. The sun was beautiful, once again, and the conversation was very interesting. I am amazed by the realization that one minute I seem to relate to much of the conversation and then the next second the topic changes and I am reminded I am in Ireland. I appreciate these moments when I am forced to step back and acknowledge the fact that the culture is different, and I should embrace it while I am here. I feel I have adapted to the accent, but still get caught up on some of the lingo. Regardless of my level of understanding, I love it all.

Tuesday is tennis day! After work, we all changed into our tennis attire and I drove over with two of the girls as we listened to the Glee soundtrack. I sat in the front seat (on the left hand side of course) and continued to fight the urge to grab the steering wheel which I believed should have been located in front of me. They laughed when I shared this instinct and the drive was very fun nonetheless. The tennis match was lighthearted and after an hour or so I was given a ride back to the DART station and made my way back to DCU.

As the semester is quickly coming to an end, the workload seems to be increasing. My next obstacle is a paper due this Friday for my Arts in Ireland class. I cannot complain; as with the rest of the country, when the sun is out, the problems in Ireland disappear.

Gourmet Burger

"Ah, I haven't seen you in awhile! Have you been on holiday?" These were the words that greeted me this morning at the DART station as I bought my daily round trip ticket to Sandymount. I couldn't help but smile at his kindness and marvel at the fact that I had become a regular at the Tara St. Station. I quickly explained why I had been gone, bought my ticket, and boarded the train for another eventful day.

At work today, I had the opportunity to participate in a hydrotherapy session. The experience was an incredibly positive one, and I immediately realized the benefits of such therapy. The time in the pool flew by and before I knew it I the session was over. I am already looking forward to next Monday for another go! After lunch, we took a quick walk outside to get a little sunshine. We walked down to the water (I didn't even realize Sandymount was close to the bay) and I could smell the sea! It was wonderful, and sent thoughts of New Jersey running through my head.

After work, I met up with Meghan, Melissa, Elizabeth and Molly for dinner. This is my fifth week of work, and we have yet to celebrate a day of work in Dublin so today was the day. We chose the Gourmet Burger, as we were all craving food of the sort. I had the most mouthwatering hamburger, something that I had not enjoyed in quite some time.





It was really nice to sit down and relax after the busy day and hear about everyone's day. We were able to eat outside, something I have not been able to do yet in Ireland, so overall I would have to say it was a wonderful day.

DCU Hiking

Many of my recent posts have included comments regarding the Irish weather we have been experiencing. I have to say that today has been the best day yet. With weather forecasts predicting 20 degree Celsius weather, I knew it had to be good.

Today I went hiking with the DCU hiking club. I had joined the club earlier in the semester, but have been away when they were holding their other hikes so I was excited to be able to join in on this one. I was a little unsure of what I was getting myself into in the beginning, but once we began I had a blast. The club is formed mainly by international students, so I had the opportunity to meet some exchange students from both Germany and France. Everyone was really welcoming and the day was great.

The three hour hike took place in Glendalough and was the perfect opportunity to see the whole site. I had been to Glendalough once before, but the visit was short and we were not able to explore as much as I would have liked. I got that desire out of my system today for we saw it all!

There are two lakes at Glendalough. We parked on one side and walked down along them both to the far side to start the hike.

Here begins our climb!

Other members of the group.
This is the top of one of the many waterfalls flowing into the lake.



We made it to the top. It was so exhilarating.
This is part of the trail we took up the mountain.

The way down was a little tricky. My eyes wanted to look around, but my feet were sending constant reminders that I could fall at any minute. I did not want to miss a step and roll down the mountain so I was forced to pay close attention.

Dipping my feet in the lake after the hike. The water was a bit cool but felt glorious after such hard work.

We had about an hour after our hike before we had to board the bus so we got soft serve ice cream and sat by the lake. It was quite the adventure and it was sad to say goodbye, but I'm very glad I was able to experience it. Very exhausted, I have to say that I actually fell asleep on the bus ride home...sign of a great day!

Dublin Zoo

First, here is a quick update for yesterday...

Springtime has arrived and I could not be happier. The sunshine that graced the end of last week is still shining and I'm finding that it really does make all the difference. Friday I had my Arts in Ireland class from 10:00 to 1:00 and after I met my friend Déarbhla for tea. We went to her little secret cafe near DCU's campus, and I had the best afternoon getting to talk with her. Time passed too quickly, and before we knew it the afternoon was almost over. She has been so helpful throughout my stay and has given me some more ideas of things that I need to see before I leave. I hope to see her again in the next couple of weeks.

Last night, Mary, Kate and I went into the city center to O'Donoghues Pub for an evening of music. Mary had seen this pub on a PBS special, advertising their live music and we decided we should check it out. The place was crowded, but we were fortunate enough to get a set close to the action and had a really relaxing and entertaining time listening to the talented musicians. Three older men made up the entertainment, playing the Irish whistle, banjo, and guitar. What I loved was that the man playing the whistle must have been in his seventies and still really loved playing. We were able to talk to them between songs, and were told that they come play in the same pub almost every Friday together which I thought was really neat.

Now for today...the Dublin Zoo

Tara and I headed down to the city center to go to the zoo. After a quick coffee treat at Butlers, we caught the 10 bus which brought us right to the zoo. Apparently everyone in Dublin had the same idea, and after making our way through the long line we were inside! I can't remember the last time I had been to the zoo, and I think the two of us were just as excited as many of the little children we shared the park with. Here were some highlights of the afternoon!

















On the way back to the bus stop, we walked through Pheonix Park, one of the largest enclosed urban parks in Europe. The day was spectacular, and I was sad to see the time end.