But time nor tide nor waters wide can wean my heart away, For ever true it flies to you, my dear old Galway Bay

It's been a great last week, I can't believe it's really over. I'm almost all packed, just a few more things to squish into my bags. It's tough because I have no idea how much they might weigh or anything..ohh well what can you do.

Earlier this week I met up with Aunt Kathy downtown for lunch. She was travelling to Cork with her sisters, and they stopped in Galway to say hi! It was so great to see her, and I'm so glad she made the stop!

Yesterday was awesome. It was so nice out, and actually really hot. We finally made it to Salthill, and walked the prom. There were a ton of people down by the diving platform, and we sucked it up and went in! The tide was really low, so we couldn't jump off the top, but after a lot of shrieking and Irish people laughing at us we finally went in. It was freezing!!!!! Almost painful to go under. Eventually we got used to it, and swam around for a while. A few guys were jumping off the lowest diving board, so Lindsey and I tried it, it was so much fun, and I got really sunburnt!!

We did a pub crawl last night and went to all the pubs we haven't tried yet. We did have our last late night meal at the Charcoal Grill, I'm really going to miss those taco fries! Our plan for our last day is to head in town for lunch, do a little last minute shopping, and then go to our favorites tonight. The Quays, Taafes's and An Pucan. I'm hoping to hear some good music.

This will probably be my last post since my time here is ending. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to Lindsey and Galway. We will definitely be coming back sometime in the near future!

Thanks for reading my Galway blog, I hope you enjoyed it!

Horse Rides, Bangers & Mash

Killarney was a good time, for our last trip! When we got there, we walked around the town a bit, and did a little gift shopping. Then we headed towards the National Park to take a walk, but ended up getting a horse and carriage ride! The guy gave us a good deal and took us to Ross Castle at the opposite end of the park. It was really pretty and right on one of the Lakes of Killarney. After the ride, we went to check into our hotel and then went back to the National Park to take a walk to the gardens. There were so many different types of pretty flowers and other plants. There was a huge tree that we tried to climb, it was quite the sight. That night we went to a pub called The Danny Man Inn, and it had great Trad Music. They sang all the classics, and we had a great time just sitting and listening to the band.

The next day we did the Ring of Kerry tour. I have to say, I didn't find it as impressive as everyone says it was. It could be because it wasn't a very nice day out, but I found the Connemara and Cliffs of Moher tours to be much better. We stopped at a few places to take pictures, and went to a demonstration on how sheep dog herd the sheep which was pretty cool. After the tour, we went out for some dinner and got "Bangers and Mash." So good! We went back the Danny Man's that night, and there was another great band playing.

Yesterday we went to our last market! It was very sad, I got a bunch of my favorite donuts (they're all gone already) and we said bye to all our favorite people. The donut man was especially sad to see us go, I think we were his best customers!

The End is Near...Please Slow Down, Time!

I'm done! I took my last final yesterday afternoon and handed in my last two papers. It feels so great to have nothing hanging over my head. Now I can enjoy these last eleven days without any stress (not that the word stress is even a part of the Irish vocabulary). I was so happy to finally get those papers done, they were taking me forever! It wasn't that they were hard, its just that they were painfully boring. Who wants to write three thousand words on the defenses of timber castles? Nevermind the poor professor who has to read them all. After our exam we headed straight to the college bar. It was so much fun in there. I wish we had been going all semester, except hitting up the bar after class may have gotten a little pricey (nevermind unhealthy).

I have to get up super early tomorrow to catch a bus to Killarney. It's our last trip of the semester...so sad! We're staying in Killarney city and then doing the Ring of Kerry tour. It's supposed to be really beautiful, I can't wait to see it.

I'm starting to get really sad that my time here is almost up. We're trying to squeeze so much into our last few days, like our going to every single one of our favorite pubs once more, eating at our favorite lunch spots, trying new things we've been meaning to try, and shopping at our favorite shops. I'm going to miss Galway so much, it really has become my home away from home. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to come home and see my family and friends, but who knows when I'll be able to get back here. And even when I do, it will just be for a short visit. I'm pretty sure I'll never be actually living here again. But who knows...

*The picture at the top is a cute little rowboat parked in Galway Bay.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to County Mayo

So my trip to Westport and Achill Island was very interesting to say the least. We had a lot of very different and interesting experiences. We went to Westport first, and it was a very cute little town. We checked into our hostel and explored the town a bit. We got dinner (Steak & Guinness Pie, yum!) and walked down to Clew Bay. When we came back we went to Matt Molloy's Pub, which is apparently very famous. I guess a member of the Chieftan's owns it. After a few pints we went to the Clock Tower pub, which was really fun and we hung around until close.

We had planned to go to Achill Island the next morning, and spend two nights there. We asked the woman working at the desk what time the buses were at, and we did not like our answer. Because Monday was a bank holiday, the only bus was not until ten that night! We asked her what the best way to get to Achill was, and she simply answered, "You could hitchhike." At first, we laughed, and thought she was kidding, but no our surprise she was dead serious. She explained that it was completely normal in the area, and she's even picked up a few "hitchers" herself. After asking her about a hundred times if she was positive we'd be alright, we set out to "thumb it." (Dad, what's done is done, I'm alive, no need to panic!)

We walked up to the main road, dropped our bags, and of course, I was elected to give the first attempt. I stood on the side of the road with my thumb in the air, waving at cars as they zoomed past. After about a half hour of "sorry" waves, a car pulled over! We were so shocked we didn't know what to do, and after about thirty seconds of staring at it I walked over. I asked him if he was going towards Achill, and he said he could take us as far as Newport, and told us to hop in. He was a cute little old man, probably in about his seventies, so we knew we'd be ok. His name was Tony, and he talked to us for about 15 km. I was relieved when we passed another group of hitchhikers, so I knew we weren't the only ones out there and what we were doing was not completely insane. He dropped us off, and after a few minutes of thumbing, a truck pulled over to pick us up. We threw our bags in the back of his pickup and the three of us squished into the front of a farmers truck! He took us about another 15km, and talked to us the whole way as well. He told us he picks up hitchers whenever he sees them, and has met plenty of interesting people that way. We hadn't hopped out of his truck for thirty seconds when another car pulled over to let us in. This time it was a young woman, and she told us "you all look harmless enough, I've never picked up before!" She was a woman from Dublin visiting her parents in Achill Sound, and brought us as far as there. Soon enough, another girl picked up and brought us the rest of the way to Achill Island.

When we made there, we still couldn't believe what we had done. You hear all these crazy stories about crazy hitchhikers and the kooks that pick them up, but it's completely normal to do in the countryside of Ireland. When we were asking people if we'd be safe, they told us we'd be fine, and would definitely make it. It was such a crazy and different experience!

We got to our hostel, and it had the most amazing view! Achill Island really was beautiful. However, I was very surprised at how dead it was. The town center consisted of a supermarket, pub, and chinese restaurant. That's it. I have never seen so many sheep either. They lined the side of the road, and roamed the town like they owned it. Lindsey and I kept trying to pet the baby lambs, but they kept running away from us. That night we went to the pub, and as we were leaving the bartender asked us what our plans were for the next day. "You girls really should get to Keem Bay, it's worth the visit, If ye don't have a car, I bet Liam here will take ye," she said, pointing to a kid about our age sitting at the bar. He didn't even looked phased, and asked us if we wanted to go. He said he'd pick us up at our hostel, and gave me his number to call him the next day.

Since there was not much else to do and it wasn't exactly a beach day, we decided to take Liam up on his offer. Sure enough, he picked us up and drove us all over the island, telling us the history and taking us to all the coolest places and beaches. He even mentioned his girlfriend, so we knew he was just taking us around and being a nice local guy. I can't imagine anyone at home just offering to take random tourists around and show them the sights. He ended up driving us around for three hours, and wouldn't take anything besides a pint of Guinness.

The next day we caught a bus (no more hitching) back to Westport and then one to Achill. This weekend showed me even more how generous and nice the people in Ireland are compared to at home. They have no problem doing a favor for a perfect stranger, even if it means carting them around for three hours so they can snap pictures. It makes me realize how much I'm going to miss it here when I come home in these two short weeks.

Farewell?

Last night we had our farewell dinner at a restaurant downtown. I know it's a little early to start saying goodbye, but some people are already done with finals and leaving early. I don't get it. I mean, I miss home and everything, but I don't want to leave a day earlier than May 22. Who knows when I'll be able to get back here again, I want to enjoy every minute I have left.

It is kind of hard to enjoy it when I have so much work to do though. I have barely had any homework this entire semester, and now I can three final papers to finish by May 10th as well as a test on the 6th and the 10th. I've been trying to work on my papers, but it's like I forget how to do work! The smallest things keep distracting me, like writing a new blog post for example.

We also booked a spontaneous trip to County Mayo for next week. Sunday we're leaving to go to Westport and then we're spending two nights on Achill Island. When we first got here, we met a man from Dublin at a pub, and he told us that we could not leave Ireland without going to Achill Island. According to him, it is one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. I guess it has really nice beaches, so I'm praying for good weather! We also might go for a hike and go canoeing or something, I'm really excited!

Thats enough procrastinating via blog for now, I guess I'll get back to the essay writing....

Spring Break: The Never Ending Journey

I'm back!!! And thank God. It feels so good to be back in Galway. I'm happy to not be living out of a duffel, not having to share a bed with anyone, and to be able to cook my own dinners. I know I shouldn't complain, Italy was great, I just hated being stranded.

Ok, so here's an abridged version of my extra long spring break trip:

BARCELONA: The weather was perfect the whole time we were there. We got there really late the first night, so just hung in and woke up early the next morning to explore the city a little. We walked along the main road, Las Ramblas, and went to this really cool fruit market. There were hundreds of different fruit stands, candy stands, nuts, and dried fruits. We bought a bunch of strawberries for really cheap for the beach. Right next to the fruit market was a.....DUNKIN DONUTS! I got a large iced coffee, for euro, but it was worth every penny. We finally made it to the beach, and it was so nice! We met up with our friend Tony, and got dinner at an outdoor cafe near the ocean. I got paella and chicken, a Spanish rice dish, it was so good. We went out for drinks and got lots and lots of "Special Sangria" and had a great night.

The next morning we woke up early to get to the beach, and spent the day there. We were joking because we were in this amazing city, with so much cool history and architecture, yet our only concern was getting to the beach and lying in the sun. Honestly, it was much more enjoyable than looking at buildings! We had to get up early to catch our flight to Italy the next morning, so we spent the night roaming around looking for churros, and finally found some.

FLORENCE: I was so happy to get to see my roommate, Stacy! We stayed at her apartment, and she took us out for a great time on our first night. We went out to dinner at a restaurant near her apartment, and got some great Italian food and wine. Apparently, at restaurants in Italy, if the waiter likes you, he'll refill your wine liter free of charge. I think ours really liked us, because he kept it flowing! We went to her usual bar after dinner, which was of course, an Irish pub. I ran into a bunch of Roger Williams kids, and it was great to see them all.

Stacy had to go to her classes, so Mary, Lindsey, and I spent most of the days just wandering around Florence. It was such a cool city, and there was so much to see. My favorite was the leather market, where they sell all sorts of leather jackets, purses, wallets, and other stuff. They also had tons of cool jewelry, and it was easy to bargain with the people. I got myself a purse, and a few bracelets. Just about every day we got a gelato (or two). There were so many different flavors, there was no way I could try them all. I think my favorite would have to be fragola (strawberry) and melon. We also had plenty of pizza, and pasta, and the Italian food definitely lived up to it's standards!

VENICE: We left Florence to head to Venice on Friday. At this point, we had heard about the volcano in Iceland but had no idea how much trouble it would cause us. We were supposed to fly out of Venice on Monday, and didn't even consider that the ash would hold off flights until then. The train ride was about three hours long, but as soon as we stepped out of the train station we realized it was well worth it. It was literally the coolest place I have ever seen. Instead of streets, there was just water. The only way to travel through the city was either on foot or by boat, there wasn't even bikes. We took a water taxi to our hostel and were greatest by two of the nicest Italian men I have ever met. They were so funny, and even upgraded us into a private room free of charge. We walked around and went out for dinner that night, and had some more amazing Italian food.

The next morning I unfortunately woke up to a message from Stacy letting me know that our flight had definitely been cancelled. Even though Venice was so beautiful, we could not fully enjoy it because we kept worrying about how we were going to get home to Ireland. We explored Venice more, and tried to decide what we were going to do. We didn't know how long we were going to be stuck for, and whether we should go back to Florence and stay with Stacy for free, or pay to stay in our hostel. After talking to a bunch of people we met who were also stranded, and calling the airport dozens of times, we realized that flights would not be going out until the end of the week. We decided to go back to Florence on Monday.

FLORENCE (again!): Even though we were upset that we were stranded, we still had a great extra week in Italy. Lindsey celebrated her 21t birthday, and we had a special dinner, cake, and went out for the night. We went to the leaning tower of Pisa, and took some cool pictures. At first, we didn't think we were going to be able to get a flight until Monday, but after checking online numerous times, we finally were able to book one for Friday out of Rome, so back on the train we got...

ROME: I'm really glad we ended up getting to go to Rome. Even though we were only there for less than a day, we managed to see a lot. We went on a bus tour, and it took us all over the city. We saw the Coliseum, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. It was cool to get to see the Vatican, but we couldn't go inside because admission was way to expensive and there was a three hour line. The Trevi Fountain was my favorite, it was so pretty! We had some of the best pizza I've ever had for lunch, and managed to see the main sights in a day. I wasn't sad to go though, because we flew home to Ireland that night! We were so happy once our plane took off, and excited to get home. I had a great time in Spain and Italy, but I definitely am an Irish girl for sure!

Stuck...

Spring break was great, but I'm definitely ready for it to end. As of now, I'm stuck in Italy thanks to the Iceland volcano until further notice. We were supposed to fly out of Venice yesterday, but our flight got canceled. The next thing we could find is not until Monday, and who even knows if that will end up going out. To save money, we took a train back to Florence to crash with my roommate Stacy until we can get back to Galway. I know I shouldn't complain about getting to spend extra days in Italy, but all I really want to do is get back to Galway. I just hate the feeling of not knowing when we'll be able to get back and no one having answers. We've heard so many different things, from flights starting up again this week or them not starting for up to four weeks. We feel so stranded and helpless. If I miss Ireland this much now, when I've only been away from it for a two weeks, how am I going to deal when I get back to the states? I guess all we can do is enjoy the pasta and gelato for now....

On a happier note, Nora had her baby! Bridget Anne Finn was born on April 14th! Here's a picture Chelsey sent me. Congrats to Nora and Uncle John! I can't wait to get home and meet her.