Connemara & Cork

     Oh my, where to begin?!? What a whirlwind of a weekend. Early Friday morning I left for Connemara with my CEA program. With only 11 of us total and Brian our program director we're getting to know one another quite well. It's nice to have such a small group and spend time traveling together. We took a bus tour to Connemara and stopped at a couple small villages between Galway and our final destination of the Kylemore Abbey.

Kylmore Abbey

The Abbey was originally a castle and private home built, by Mitchel Henry, as a wedding present for his wife. Nicely done Mr. Henry! Although I wouldn't mind it, I'm not so sure I'll be receiving a wedding present quite like this. One can always dream! In 1920 the castle was founded by the Benedictine nuns and turned into an Abbey. Currently 12 nuns still reside in the castle planting the walled gardens and running the gift shop. Inside the gift shop I found beautiful blankets that I would have loved to purchase...if I had much more money. (I feel as though I'll say this line many more times throughout my travels)

Beautiful Wool Blankets

     Near the Abbey a chapel is located on top a small hill. The green marble used inside the chapel is famous for it's beautiful color and found locally in Connemara.

Green Connemara Marble

A few picturesque views along the way:

     Just before arriving in Connemara we passed through a small village where I ran into a little piece of home. Check out what I saw through my bus window...

A John Deere!!

Yes indeed a John Deere tractor! It made me feel right at home :  ) Along the way our tour guide explained to us that 60% of Ireland is made up of bog. For those who don't know what a bog is, it's a wetland with acidic peat on top. Basically grass which floats upon acidic water. Up at camp we have the Blueberry bog which is quite a bit of fun to walk on. Anyway Ireland's farmers harvest the peat for fuel. Seeing as though it floats on water it's very wet when harvested and requires 7-8 weeks to dry. Once dried it is used as fuel to burn. This little tidbit helped answer quite a few questions Abby C. and I had. Walking outside there is a specific odor of something burning that we couldn't quite place. We are both used to the smell of burning logs...which I greatly miss. Peat doesn't necessarily smell bad, however nothing beats coming home to a glowing stack of logs in the fireplace made by Dad.

     During our trip Martin, our bus driver played us traditional Irish music. I will greatly miss the music when I leave, however there were two songs that stuck out to me. We drove along listening to the beautiful music and then we heard Cotton-Eyed-Joe...the Irish version. All the girls paused, looked around at one another and erupted in laughter. Cotton-Eyed-Joe is not a traditional Irish song. The other song that made me smile was Morning Has Broken, because it is one of Dad's favorites. Another small reminder of home.

     While driving through the countryside you see sheep everywhere. I was able to see sheep from just a few inches outside my bus window all the way to the tops of the mountains. Due to a lack of fences or boundaries sheep are marked with red and blue paint to distinguish ownership. I wondered if this would ruin the wool, but Martin explained that these sheep are raised for their meat. Taking a closer look at them he showed us how their wool is very stringy and not puffy and soft like kind you would want to use to create wool. 

     At one of our stops we found a tree with a collection of random items thrown or tied on it. UW-Eau Claire has the gum tree and U of M has the shoe tree, well it looks like Ireland has the ribbon and socks tree.

      The weather in Connemara was absolutely beautiful with sunshine and blue skies all day. I'm thankful I went on the trip with my CEA group. Returning at 5:20pm I ran into my apartment, threw leftovers in the microwave and collected my bags for Cork. Shoving the food down I ran out the door in a hurry to get to the bus station for my trip to Cork. My bus didn't leave until 6:30, but I had yet to purchase a ticket, meaning it was important I get there earlier. Thankfully I arrived in plenty of time to purchase my ticket and secure a seat on the bus. 

Side note: This mad rush also reminds me of my panic to find my Violence class on Thursday. I had read the dates wrong and missed the first class last week. With only 17 students attendance and participation are very important. Leaving early to give myself plenty of time to find the classroom I unfortunately misread the e-mail and I took down the professors office number rather than the classroom number. With the class starting in a matter of minutes and no classroom number I began to panic. My face became flushed and I could feel myself begin to become flustered not knowing where to turn. It only took a few seconds before I thought "Abby, what are you doing?...relax. How is panicking going to help you find your classroom. God's in control, there's no reason to panic. Remember Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding with guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." After reciting the verse I took a deep breathe and set out to find the sociology department. On my way there I ran into my friend Chris, together we found the room number and he pointed me in the right direction. No reason to panic, God is in control. 

     I thought of this situation because of the bus ticket dilemma. Over the last year God has given me a whole new perspective on life. Last year, I would have been trapped in panic and self-pity not knowing what to do, too caught up in the struggle and anxiety of the moment. God has shown me His sovereignty and I've gotten my heart to not only know this as Truth, but also believe He is in control.  I am able to trust him even in the times of panic. What a blessing; talk about making life easier. Knowing He is guiding my every step I don't have to worry 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all of your cares unto Him, because He cares for you."

     After a 3.5 hour bus ride I arrived in Cork. The girls collected me from the bus stop and wanted to go out for a drink. We ended up at the Washington Inn Pub, but I was a bit too tired. Not wanting a drink I turned to my trusty companion, my camelbak water bottle. After the pub we turned in for the night at the hostel knowing we had an early morning bus tour ahead of us. This was my very first stay in a hostel, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Hearing stories from Katie and other travelers I had a little mental picture, but I decided I would prepare myself for the worst. I know it sounds a bit nuts, but I pictured wooden bunk beds, dirt floors and bugs. With such low expectations I would be pleased with anything better than this. So to my delight I walked in to find a brightly painted room with carpeted floors and metal bunk beds.

Kinlay House Hostel

In the morning we had free toast, jam and tea. I wasn't expecting this little morning treat, so again it was a pleasant surprise. The girls purchased bread, ham and cheese to make sandwiches for our lunch during the day. Unfortunately, our ham was stolen out of the fridge.  We opted for cheese sandwiches, which ended up to be much tastier and filling than I had thought. 

Locking lips in Ireland:

     Our bus tour took us to the Blarney Castle, Kinsale and Cobh. I have indeed locked lips in Ireland, and it's not with Michael...with the Blarney stone of course! Leaning backwards off the top of the Blarney castle I kissed the infamous stone. It is said, once kissed, you are supposedly given the gift of gab for 7 years. I can't say I believe the myth, but it's fun to say I've done the deed. 

Kissing the Blarney Stone

The stairs leading up to the top of the castle were incredibly narrow. With mom's claustrophobia I'm not sure how much she would have enjoyed the small stairwells and doorways.

Tiny doorway!

Just hanging out off the top of the castle...pun intended!

Blarney Castle

Inner stairwell of Blarney

On our exploration of the castle we found the dungeon. Creepy, dark and wet, yep fits the classic description of a dungeon. It was fun to explore, but I can't say I'd ever want to spend a serious amount of time down there.

The dungeon!

     We finished our tour of the Blarney Castle and moved on to Kinsale. A small quiet town with cute boutiques and nice cafes. Here we sat outside the supermarket to eat our cheese sandwiches and enjoy the warm sunshine.

Lunchtime

Loved the brightly colored buildings

     Our next stop was Cobh, a small costal village centered around sea life. We passed store after store selling fresh fish, the mariner spirit was alive and well in the small village. The village is pronounced cove because the "bh" makes a "v" sound in Irish.  Cobh has turned into a special destination for many because of it's notorious history surrounding the Titanic. Before sinking the Titanic made it's last stop for passengers picking up 120 Irish in Cobh. Sadly only about 40 survived. Although the village is small the St. Colmans cathedral is massive. Many villagers who once lived in Cobh or had loved ones that were lost at sea have said the citizens of Cobh take great care of those left behind. This incredible sense of hospitality leaves behind lasting memories and gratitude, hence the large donations given to build the cathedral.

Cobh

St. Colman's Cathedral

     Our stop at Cobh concluded our bus tour as we headed back into Cork. Most of the girls returned to the hostel, but Aurelie, Elise and I decided to journey off to see UCC. University College Cork is known  for it's beautiful campus and Quadrangle building. It was unanimous we were quite jealous and wished our campus was as pretty as UCC.

     Returning back to the hostel around 6:30 I was starving. In the states my dinner time is generally between 5-5:30. The French don't eat dinner until 7-8:30. Thankfully I brought a long a few crackers to hold me over. We ate pizza's and drank wine for dinner. The girls said the white wine was awful, I had no idea. I've only tried wine a handful of times. They promised by the time I leave they will teach me what good and bad wine is. Cork was much colder than Galway so I was quite cold from being outside all day. Downing 4 cups of tea in 20 minutes I knew I was assimilating to the habits of Irish tea drinking. 

Wine & Tea:
the result of living in Ireland and eating with the French.

Saved by the ring:
     During dinner a man was sitting alone across from us at another table. He began a conversation engaging in small talk. Something seemed off, giving short answers and looking down we tried to quickly end the conversation. After dinner Abby C. and I both agreed that we were much too tired to go out that night. However, the other girls always seem ready for a pub or club...or maybe both! Staying in Abby C. and I went to the living room to watch T.V.  The odd man from dinner showed up and began speaking with us again. Not wanting to be rude I continued small talk with him, but tried to end the conversation multiple times. Taking a hint wasn't his speciality, so he continued on and on. Just when I thought he was done he told me that I was "cute, very beautiful...I'm impressed, very beautiful. Could we meet up sometime, you think you & me? We could go out tonight, we could meet up sometime?" EWWWW! Okay I'm done, Abby C. and I left to get tea. Well guess who followed us to the kitchen and continued to ask if we could meet up. Now I was desperate, the situation had turned from awkward to creepy and very uncomfortable. Looking down at my tea I spotted my purity ring from my father. I've got a solution! Shooting up my hand I flashed him my ring, I proceeded to explain how I was engaged. I told him "my lad and I are separated for 5 months while I study here, but as soon as I return to the states we will be happily married." His face displayed a shocked and confused look. He then had the audacity to ask "oh so you think maybe we could meet up?" My heavens, I just told him I was engaged! Noticing the horrified look on my face he said "well okay maybe I shouldn't interrupt." Well sir, no I don't think you should. Geez next time I'll say I'm married with two kids! Of course I am NOT actually engaged, just to clear the air.

     Sunday morning we were required to be out of our hostel by 10am. This meant 6 hours of carrying our bags, thank goodness Katie lent me her backpacking backpack. We walked the city stopping at various locations like the Cork Butter Museum and other historical sites. Even a small stop at the lake to visit the swans.

Pillars with pictures engraved

Swan line up

Excitement:

      Last night after returning from Cork I was able to Skype with mom. On the bus ride home I prayed that I would challenge Mom to run a triathlon with me. Nervous about her response I wasn't sure when I've bring up the topic. Before I had the chance she told me she is doing a team triathlon June 5th. I just about lost my mind I was so excited. I could hardly contain myself. A prayer requests answered in just 3 hours. Wow! Exhausted from the weekend I desperately needed sleep, but I could hardly contain my excitement. Had it not been dangerous for me to go running alone at 1 am I would have done it! I will be back from Ireland, but not sure if I'll be in town on the day of the race. Depending on where God places me for the summer I would absolutely love to join her team!

The thought of running a triathlon with Mom!

      After two weeks of absolutely beautiful weather, the rain came back. Seeing as though Abby C. and I  already paid for our yoga class we weren't about to skip it. Utilizing our new rain gear we put our suits to the test. I must say, they are quite handy. We were able to stay warm and dry during out 40 minute walk to class. We had a bit of fun playing around in our gear

We'll brave the rain.

The joy of a good rain suit!

     However, we returned to our apartment to find this mess and a giant hole in the side of our wall. For quite awhile the window in Aurelie's bathroom has been leaking. They picked an awful nasty day to fix it, but nonetheless it should be repaired.

Bathroom Repairs

     It has been a crazy and exhausting weekend, but well worth it. What a joy it's been to take in more and more of God's creation and explore Ireland.

With Love from Galway