Italia – Ciao Bella!!
I just got back from my week-long trip to Italy and it was aaamaazzinngg. We did a lot - Venezia, Firenze, and Roma - so I’ll break this up into 3 posts. In Italy overall we found out they have strange laws on construction – they can only do it certain years and times of the year – and we went during prime construction. So every famous basilica and building had tons of scaffolding, but it was still unbelievable to see.
Our first stop was Venice, and it was my absolute favorite city out the three. My Italian tour book described it as “disturbingly beautiful,” which at first I thought was an odd choice of words. But once there I realized what it meant – the humidity makes everything hazy so it’s almost dreamlike. It was like a storybook - small and charming. When we got there it was about 9:00 at night and we had no idea where to go – all we knew was that we needed to take a water taxi to the island of Lido where our hotel was. So not to freak out mom I’ll just say it was a nightmare, but after a long night we got to our hotel safely by 12:30amish. It was really nice and right on the water.
We woke up really early and got on our water taxi and headed towards the main parts of Venice – first stop Piazza San Marco. The water trip was amazing – all these little islands surrounded us filled with palm trees and buildings you’d see in an old Spanish movie. The Piazza is gorgeous and we couldn’t go into the Basilica because of the line, but it was beautiful to look at. We then put the map away and just started meandering through the little streets. Shops filled with beautiful Murano glass and jewelry were lined up one after the other, and windows were filled with Venetian masks and mannequins in stunning masquerade costumes. The streets were like little alleys and as you went along you’d come across a bridge over a waterway and beneath you would be a gondola trimmed in gold and velvet. The gondoliers would yell after me, “You! Blondy girl! Ride?” Since we wound through the streets I’m not exactly sure of all the famous sites we saw, but we popped into beautiful churches as we went – one was enormous on the inside and the pillars were covered in red velvet –I think it was San Stefano. It was just so much fun – you’d be in these narrow shady streets and then out of nowhere you’d be in this huge open piazza filled with music and people. The buildings were all reds and oragnes, and some were blues with the plaster peeling away to reveal red brick beneath. Lilacs were flowing over every wall so the city smelled of salt water and lilacs. All over are water fountains with water just flowing out into a pool, and people drank from them, but I wasn’t daring around.
Our first gelato was as amazing as they tell you – I got a vanilla with nutella mixed in for a euro. Then we got pizza for lunch – and Ireland doesn’t have good pizza so this was an unbelievable treat. It tasted like pizza on Arthur Ave, but better! A man was outside Chiesa San Rocco singing opera songs in a beautiful tenor voice as we ate. We then went to the beginning of the Grand Canal, hopped on a water taxi and took a tour for an hour. The water taxis are like subways, but on water with a great view of all the buildings and bridges. We then walked through this great market by the Ponte di Rialto which is a beautiful bridge that connects two huge sections of Venice. We then stopped for dinner at a cute outdoor restaurant and I got lasagna and a glass of the house red – delicious!!! But most restaurants charge you to sit and for the service, so we didn’t eat out much. We were pretty beat so we headed back to our island, and walked around Lido down to the beach and I’m not kidding, it was so humid and hazy you could barely see 100 ft. down the beach, but it didn’t feel gross – it just looked so mysterious. We then went to the other side of the island and sat on the canal at sunset and couldn’t believe where we were.
The next day was basically the same, but we went to the island of Murano where all the famous glass comes from. It was small and adorable and then we went back to Venice and strolled through the streets again. We had lucked out the day before by walking around early because in the afternoon those tiny streets are packed with people so you can barely move. We then went back to Lido and hung out on the beach for the afternoon. The water was so clear and it was so hot – something I haven’t experienced in Ireland and forgot about!!
I wish I could describe every minute but it’s just impossible. The people in Venice were so friendly and nice and spoke excellent English and were willing to help us with any question or directions. When they found out we were Americans they didn’t get that look of dollar signs in their eyes like everywhere else we’ve been – instead they just seemed intrigued and wanted to chat. Sunset each night was gorgeous – it’s really a city for lovers and Katie and I just watched all these couples with extreme envy. The water taxis and gondolas and speed boats are so much fun to watch, and the food was amazing. People stand around the piazzas dressed in masquerade costumes and masks posing for pictures and money – it’s a riot! The city is a breeze to walk – it takes maybe a half hour to walk from top to bottom and probably an hour side to side – but there is so much to stop and see!! I really loved it, and will without a doubt make it back there when I have money and someone to ride a gondola with!!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Easter
Last week was Easter – Sunday April 2, 2007 – in Gaillimh, Ireland. It was so nice, and by nice I mean lovely, wonderful and comfortable. For the first time I felt pangs of homesickness since I’ve been in Ireland because of all the small but extraordinary things my mom always does on Easter. She outdoes herself every holiday, but particularly on Easter because of the effort she puts into thinking of the perfect present. I mean she still pretends to be Santa for my 35 year old sister – that’s how amazing she is, but on Easter it’s just a basket, and it’s perfect. Around 8am she sneaks into my room and puts a basket on the floor next to my bed; I know it’s her because I wake up and look at her and we always exchange a smile when she’s caught in the act.
“Happy Easter babydolly,” is all she says, and I fall back asleep with my Easter morning complete. That’s all I need – that could be it – that could be all that happens on Easter and it would be complete. That moment where we look at each other, catch eyes and share a knowing smile. I love her. I love her because she’s the most considerate person I have ever and will ever know. I try to emulate her consideration and ability to make everyone feel unbelievably special, but I always come up short.
This Easter though I’m across the Atlantic Ocean. When baseball season opened I missed home because of what baseball is – America, green grass being cut, T-shirts, hot dogs, and an escape from the mundane. But I love Easter – my mom makes about 5 baskets just to put around the house, she buys everyone bunny stuffed animals, candy they especially like, costume jewelry and a simple everyday-type shirt.
So this year I played Mom. I made my friend Katie an Easter basket – sort of. I bought her a pink purse I could only hope she’d like or use, and since Ireland doesn’t have the fake grass I stuffed it with this Tri-color feather boa I had for St. Paddy’s. Then I placed a chocolate bunny on top, and placed a dark-chocolate Kit-Kat, Cadbury mini-eggs, Lindt eggs, and a Butler’s chocolate egg in the bag around the bunny. It was the best I could do. I made a similar one for my friend Chris – sans the purse. I did for the sense of normalcy it would bring for all of us. I needed to do this for them as much as for myself so we wouldn’t miss home too much. The look on their faces made it all worthwhile – I know them both well and I can’t say I’ve seen such a happy look on either of their faces.
Chris, Katie and I went to 10am Mass which was nice, but lacked music so it was anti-climatic. We all anticipated the annual “Jesus Christ is risen today...” but were denied. After Mass we headed back to our apartment and I made chocolate chip pancakes and had Chris cut up a fresh pineapple. My roommate Sarah supplied some Irish bacon, then we all sat together at the spots where I puts place cards down ( I made them) for each person. It was actually really nice.
Afterwards the three of us headed down to the Salthill beach and just goofed around for a bit. We played soccer with a potato the whole walk down and then dropped it into the ocean – an Easter feast for the fish.
Once we returned home I began dinner. I cooked a ham, mashed potatoes, a veggie mix, and warmed up mac n’cheese. Chris is a vegetarian and Katie is the pickiest eater on the planet, but I found a way to please everyone. It was just nice – and nice is a really good thing. Chris and I finished 3 bottles of wine and a Kopperburg – maybe that’s what made everything so pleasant! Or that fact that I finally found jelly beans to put out with my centerpiece (jellybeans, an Easter card from my rents, and my Easter palm/pine branch).
Then after sitting and watching TV for a bit I put the cookies I had baked the day before in the oven and reheated them for about 2 minutes and put them out for the three of us to enjoy. My roommate had left for her own feast hours before, so no worries – she wasn’t excluded.
A few minutes later my family called from Whitestone, NY. They were all almost there – minus my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. I spoke to almost everyone which really made my night, but it was a 45-minute call!! But I needed it. Easter is usually low-key, but it was quite the party from the sounds of it. Of course the year I leave! I guess it’s just because we’ve all finally grown up. My cousin James is the youngest at around 10 and his brother is 15…but the rest of us are 20 and older. My sisters are married to great men and my other cousins are men themselves now. It’s now food, music, laughter and drink, instead of tears and yelling like when we were kids. Listening to their joy didn’t so much make me sad as it did just happy that they were happy. There was no fighting at this point in the day and it was so comforting to hear their joy.
So that was my Easter – my makeshift family and I loved it. I missed my real family, but it was nice. It wasn’t with the “closest thing to family” it was with family as makeshift as it is. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Yes I’d have loved to be home with my other family, but Galway has finally started to feel like home - I’m in love with this place and I’m in love with Chris and Katie as family.
I do miss home-home family, but I feel like Europe is where I belong, for right now at least.
“Happy Easter babydolly,” is all she says, and I fall back asleep with my Easter morning complete. That’s all I need – that could be it – that could be all that happens on Easter and it would be complete. That moment where we look at each other, catch eyes and share a knowing smile. I love her. I love her because she’s the most considerate person I have ever and will ever know. I try to emulate her consideration and ability to make everyone feel unbelievably special, but I always come up short.
This Easter though I’m across the Atlantic Ocean. When baseball season opened I missed home because of what baseball is – America, green grass being cut, T-shirts, hot dogs, and an escape from the mundane. But I love Easter – my mom makes about 5 baskets just to put around the house, she buys everyone bunny stuffed animals, candy they especially like, costume jewelry and a simple everyday-type shirt.
So this year I played Mom. I made my friend Katie an Easter basket – sort of. I bought her a pink purse I could only hope she’d like or use, and since Ireland doesn’t have the fake grass I stuffed it with this Tri-color feather boa I had for St. Paddy’s. Then I placed a chocolate bunny on top, and placed a dark-chocolate Kit-Kat, Cadbury mini-eggs, Lindt eggs, and a Butler’s chocolate egg in the bag around the bunny. It was the best I could do. I made a similar one for my friend Chris – sans the purse. I did for the sense of normalcy it would bring for all of us. I needed to do this for them as much as for myself so we wouldn’t miss home too much. The look on their faces made it all worthwhile – I know them both well and I can’t say I’ve seen such a happy look on either of their faces.
Chris, Katie and I went to 10am Mass which was nice, but lacked music so it was anti-climatic. We all anticipated the annual “Jesus Christ is risen today...” but were denied. After Mass we headed back to our apartment and I made chocolate chip pancakes and had Chris cut up a fresh pineapple. My roommate Sarah supplied some Irish bacon, then we all sat together at the spots where I puts place cards down ( I made them) for each person. It was actually really nice.
Afterwards the three of us headed down to the Salthill beach and just goofed around for a bit. We played soccer with a potato the whole walk down and then dropped it into the ocean – an Easter feast for the fish.
Once we returned home I began dinner. I cooked a ham, mashed potatoes, a veggie mix, and warmed up mac n’cheese. Chris is a vegetarian and Katie is the pickiest eater on the planet, but I found a way to please everyone. It was just nice – and nice is a really good thing. Chris and I finished 3 bottles of wine and a Kopperburg – maybe that’s what made everything so pleasant! Or that fact that I finally found jelly beans to put out with my centerpiece (jellybeans, an Easter card from my rents, and my Easter palm/pine branch).
Then after sitting and watching TV for a bit I put the cookies I had baked the day before in the oven and reheated them for about 2 minutes and put them out for the three of us to enjoy. My roommate had left for her own feast hours before, so no worries – she wasn’t excluded.
A few minutes later my family called from Whitestone, NY. They were all almost there – minus my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. I spoke to almost everyone which really made my night, but it was a 45-minute call!! But I needed it. Easter is usually low-key, but it was quite the party from the sounds of it. Of course the year I leave! I guess it’s just because we’ve all finally grown up. My cousin James is the youngest at around 10 and his brother is 15…but the rest of us are 20 and older. My sisters are married to great men and my other cousins are men themselves now. It’s now food, music, laughter and drink, instead of tears and yelling like when we were kids. Listening to their joy didn’t so much make me sad as it did just happy that they were happy. There was no fighting at this point in the day and it was so comforting to hear their joy.
So that was my Easter – my makeshift family and I loved it. I missed my real family, but it was nice. It wasn’t with the “closest thing to family” it was with family as makeshift as it is. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Yes I’d have loved to be home with my other family, but Galway has finally started to feel like home - I’m in love with this place and I’m in love with Chris and Katie as family.
I do miss home-home family, but I feel like Europe is where I belong, for right now at least.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Lá Fhéile Pádraig
Lá Fhéile Pádraig!! Well, it's way past St. Paddy's Day, but that was the last major event.
Two of my friends from home came to visit for a week and it was pretty intense! My other roomie had 2 friends also, so it was quite the packed house. It was an interesting mix of people too - we had three people from Wisconsin, 2 from Jersey, 1 from Boston, and 1 from Connecticut. At one point 2 other people stayed so we had 4 from Wisconsin and 2 from CT, trust me - the accent ratio was insane and we had a lot of fun with that.
Kris, Jacks, Kat, and I hit up the Cliffs of Moher which were just unbelievably beautiful. I had been there years ago, but it's something you can never see too many times. The weather was perfect - sunny, cool, and clear. Driving through the Burren alone made the trip worth it. The rolling Irish hills were in perfect form for our friends. I had class during their stay so I couldn't visit Connemara with them on another day, but I'll get there. I had to pass up on a trip to the Aran Islands also, but I'll make it there no doubt.
At the end of the week was St. Patrick's Day - which contrary to some American's belief, it is a big deal in Ireland. A very big deal. Thousands of people descended upon Galway from around the world, but the weather was awful so you didn't really see half of them.
We started off in Monroe's, a great pub, and a marching band played some music to kick off the parade. We hid under an awning during the actual parade because the rain was so bad. The parade was short but cute - lots of kids in uniforms and bagpipers. We then hit up Wards Hotel for some lunch and to watch the big rugby match. Ireland won, but not by enough points to secure the entire six-nations games. Nighttime was when the real festivities began. The rain relaxed a bit and we hit downtown.
We went to the Quays first and met some obnoxious Irish boys. I was almost set on fire by some idiot, and that idiot then literally set his friend on fire. I was asked by multiple boys for a kiss - it's the Irish pick-up line. We met up with some more American friends we had made earlier in the day and then went to Hole in the Wall. We met more crazy Irish people and danced for awhile, where we met some great people. We followed them back to their apartment and went to a real Irish house party. It was amazing.
We drank, we sang, people Irish danced and played the tin whistle, and I met some great people. We all even fell in love for the night with some nice Irish boys with great Irish names. We partied till 4am and had probably the best night in Ireland thus far. I miss my family and friends and NYC, but I am in love with Galway!!!
Two of my friends from home came to visit for a week and it was pretty intense! My other roomie had 2 friends also, so it was quite the packed house. It was an interesting mix of people too - we had three people from Wisconsin, 2 from Jersey, 1 from Boston, and 1 from Connecticut. At one point 2 other people stayed so we had 4 from Wisconsin and 2 from CT, trust me - the accent ratio was insane and we had a lot of fun with that.
Kris, Jacks, Kat, and I hit up the Cliffs of Moher which were just unbelievably beautiful. I had been there years ago, but it's something you can never see too many times. The weather was perfect - sunny, cool, and clear. Driving through the Burren alone made the trip worth it. The rolling Irish hills were in perfect form for our friends. I had class during their stay so I couldn't visit Connemara with them on another day, but I'll get there. I had to pass up on a trip to the Aran Islands also, but I'll make it there no doubt.
At the end of the week was St. Patrick's Day - which contrary to some American's belief, it is a big deal in Ireland. A very big deal. Thousands of people descended upon Galway from around the world, but the weather was awful so you didn't really see half of them.
We started off in Monroe's, a great pub, and a marching band played some music to kick off the parade. We hid under an awning during the actual parade because the rain was so bad. The parade was short but cute - lots of kids in uniforms and bagpipers. We then hit up Wards Hotel for some lunch and to watch the big rugby match. Ireland won, but not by enough points to secure the entire six-nations games. Nighttime was when the real festivities began. The rain relaxed a bit and we hit downtown.
We went to the Quays first and met some obnoxious Irish boys. I was almost set on fire by some idiot, and that idiot then literally set his friend on fire. I was asked by multiple boys for a kiss - it's the Irish pick-up line. We met up with some more American friends we had made earlier in the day and then went to Hole in the Wall. We met more crazy Irish people and danced for awhile, where we met some great people. We followed them back to their apartment and went to a real Irish house party. It was amazing.
We drank, we sang, people Irish danced and played the tin whistle, and I met some great people. We all even fell in love for the night with some nice Irish boys with great Irish names. We partied till 4am and had probably the best night in Ireland thus far. I miss my family and friends and NYC, but I am in love with Galway!!!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Visitors
Our friends from Fordham are here!! So far it's been a lot of fun, pretty low-key. Last night we hit the pubs - An Pucan, King's Head, and The Quays. Some Dublin friends were there, and a family from my home town!! It was bizarre!!
Today we went to the Cliffs of Moher and drove through the Burren. It was a gorgeous day and just so unbelievably beautiful. I saw the Cliffs years ago, and they are definitely worth seeing again. We walked along the edge, so great. Well that's about it for now!
Today we went to the Cliffs of Moher and drove through the Burren. It was a gorgeous day and just so unbelievably beautiful. I saw the Cliffs years ago, and they are definitely worth seeing again. We walked along the edge, so great. Well that's about it for now!
Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart
Last week we went to Paris. I've wanted to go there for as long as I can remember - I took French for seven years just so I could go there and know the language!! Luckily it turned out to be everything I had hoped for!!
We left Saturday morning from Shannon airport and flew via Ryan Air to Beauvais, France, and then took about an hour long bus to Paris. Pulling into the city you can see the Eiffel Tower so believe me, I got tres excited. The bus pulled into a place called Port Maillot, and then Katie and I were in the middle of Paris with my basic knowledge of the language and no map. But the hotel concierge nearby directed us to a subway stop, we asked around and eventually made it to our budget hotel on the exact opposite side of the city. The hotel was pretty decent and about the same cost as our terrible hostel in London so it worked out well, and the location turned out to be perfect. Katie got in touch with a childhood friend of hers studying in Paris, so we headed over to meet her by Sacre Coeur. The best part about being abroad is you become best friends with everyone else studying, simply because we're all in the same boat and everyone wants places to stay or to be shown around. Katie hadn't talked to this girl in about four years but she was gung-ho to show us around! So we headed that way and tried to find food but Katie is the pickiest eater of all time and French food is tricky, so I just grabbed a four-cheese pizza tart thing at a boulangerie (bakery), and it was surprisingly good. I'm not a cheese person but I ate more cheese this weekend than in my whole life. We wandered around and stumbled into the Red Light district and saw the Moulin Rouge which is pretty cool to see at night because of the lights, and then we walked down the street - it was hilarious, I'll just leave it at that. We met up with Lisa the friend and her friends, and then we met up with more people and got fondue! It was so delicious! We had meat and cheese fondue, and they serve you 2euro wine out of baby bottles! It was such a cute gimmick! We also made some Canadien friends backpacking across Europe that night, so it was successful.
The next day Katie and I got up early and hit the tourism route. We started at Notre-Dame on the Ile de la Cite and went to mass, which I found to be amazing. The music was in Latin and very eerie, which fit such an historic building. We then walked along the Seine and saw the Hotel de Ville and got lunch - I got un croque-monsieur, which is basically a glorified grilled ham and cheese, but I had to pretend order them all through highschool French classes, so I finally wanted a real one. Pretty good. We also checked out the Centre Georges-Pompidou which is the one of the coolest buildings I've ever seen. Next the Louvre, which was great because it's free the first Sunday of every month! We walked around for 2 hours and saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo - which I found cooler than Mona Lisa, and lots of great art. The Egyptian exhibits were the best, and they let you walk down along where the old moat used to be. It got way too crowded so we had to leave, and then hit the Touleries Gardens, Place de la Concorde where all the executions took place during La Revolution, and then walked along the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. That was one heck of a hike. From there we walked to the Eiffel Tower, which is honestly so much bigger than I thought!! We didn't go up but if you go the building behind it - the Trocadero, you get a great view of the city. Why stop there? We then walked down the Eiffel's lawn - the Champs de Mars and checked out the military school - it's beautiful, and then headed towards Les Invalides, where Napolean is buried. It was probably 5 or 6 at this point, so we headed back to the hotel to relax. At night we met up with Lisa again and got dessert - a crepe with nutella and bananas...I don't think anything better exists. Then we went to an Australian pub where it was American night of all things and met up with our new friends.
On Monday we went to Sacre-Coeur which is so so so beautiful and breathtaking. The view is to die for, but the people harrassing you for money were out of control. We went inside and it was so impressive. We walked around Montmatre after that which is very cute and it wasn't too packed but artists ask to draw you every five feet. The art was so great and the buildings are charming. One particular square had a restaurant called Chez Eugene, and right near it was another cafe called La Mere Catherine, which I found to be just perfect. We walked all over that hill and then headed towards the St. Michel area to meet a friend of mine for lunch, but the Metro stop we planned to meet at had multiple exits and entrances so we missed each other! Instead I got a baguette with chicken and cheese and headed towards the Jardin du Luxembourg which was beautiful, then the Pantheon, the Sorbonne, and back to Notre Dame to see St. Chapelle - but you had to pay to get in so we didn't see the stained glass which is its draw. We walked along the Seine again to the Palais Royale, stumbled into St. Gervais church which was so haunting - really mysterious and creepy but beautiful. At night we met up with some Fordham kids and got dinner and then hit an Irish pub called The Galway - ridiculous! But I got a glass of red wine to appease my sister.
Tuesday, our last day was awful weather. The other days were mild and sunny and I walked around in a tee-shirt, but this was cold, rainy and windy and we had to lug our bags everywhere. We went to the Catacombs, which I thought were just unreal. So humbling and frightening but a necessary experience. I'll just say that Katie is claustrophobic, which I thought was just a term she threw around to mean she didn't like crowds, but I learned she really really is. We then walked to the Montparnasse area and met Lisa for lunch and I got a great little tart and une baguette sandwich. Honestly, the French understand good food better than anyplace I've ever been. We then pretty much walked to the Eiffel Tower again and then to Port Maillot, to the Arc de Triomphe and back to Port Maillot to kill time in the pouring rain. Basically it was time to go home, so after security threw out half of Katie's stuff and a bumpy plane ride, we just wanted to go home. But of course it's Ireland and Bus Eirrean would stop running at 8 at night at an international airport, so our return ticket was useless - rip off!!! But we took a different bus back to Galway and finally, finally went to bed.
The French really do walk around with baguettes sticking out of their purses, the croissants are delicious, they are actually nicer than people give them credit for and will ask if you prefer English or French at some restaurants. No one talked politics unlike the Irish, and I just had an amazing time. The Canadiens we met put the American-thing into perspective, one of them said he'd never met an American he didn't like and in fact thought we're great overall, our government just ruins it. Paris has a lot of trees and without being in bloom it gave the city a very brown, dead look, but I imagine in spring and summer it's just gorgeous. I have to go back because we didn't see the city lit up at night, except the Eiffel Tower which sparkles every so often. J'adore Paris, c'etait magnifique!!
We left Saturday morning from Shannon airport and flew via Ryan Air to Beauvais, France, and then took about an hour long bus to Paris. Pulling into the city you can see the Eiffel Tower so believe me, I got tres excited. The bus pulled into a place called Port Maillot, and then Katie and I were in the middle of Paris with my basic knowledge of the language and no map. But the hotel concierge nearby directed us to a subway stop, we asked around and eventually made it to our budget hotel on the exact opposite side of the city. The hotel was pretty decent and about the same cost as our terrible hostel in London so it worked out well, and the location turned out to be perfect. Katie got in touch with a childhood friend of hers studying in Paris, so we headed over to meet her by Sacre Coeur. The best part about being abroad is you become best friends with everyone else studying, simply because we're all in the same boat and everyone wants places to stay or to be shown around. Katie hadn't talked to this girl in about four years but she was gung-ho to show us around! So we headed that way and tried to find food but Katie is the pickiest eater of all time and French food is tricky, so I just grabbed a four-cheese pizza tart thing at a boulangerie (bakery), and it was surprisingly good. I'm not a cheese person but I ate more cheese this weekend than in my whole life. We wandered around and stumbled into the Red Light district and saw the Moulin Rouge which is pretty cool to see at night because of the lights, and then we walked down the street - it was hilarious, I'll just leave it at that. We met up with Lisa the friend and her friends, and then we met up with more people and got fondue! It was so delicious! We had meat and cheese fondue, and they serve you 2euro wine out of baby bottles! It was such a cute gimmick! We also made some Canadien friends backpacking across Europe that night, so it was successful.
The next day Katie and I got up early and hit the tourism route. We started at Notre-Dame on the Ile de la Cite and went to mass, which I found to be amazing. The music was in Latin and very eerie, which fit such an historic building. We then walked along the Seine and saw the Hotel de Ville and got lunch - I got un croque-monsieur, which is basically a glorified grilled ham and cheese, but I had to pretend order them all through highschool French classes, so I finally wanted a real one. Pretty good. We also checked out the Centre Georges-Pompidou which is the one of the coolest buildings I've ever seen. Next the Louvre, which was great because it's free the first Sunday of every month! We walked around for 2 hours and saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo - which I found cooler than Mona Lisa, and lots of great art. The Egyptian exhibits were the best, and they let you walk down along where the old moat used to be. It got way too crowded so we had to leave, and then hit the Touleries Gardens, Place de la Concorde where all the executions took place during La Revolution, and then walked along the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. That was one heck of a hike. From there we walked to the Eiffel Tower, which is honestly so much bigger than I thought!! We didn't go up but if you go the building behind it - the Trocadero, you get a great view of the city. Why stop there? We then walked down the Eiffel's lawn - the Champs de Mars and checked out the military school - it's beautiful, and then headed towards Les Invalides, where Napolean is buried. It was probably 5 or 6 at this point, so we headed back to the hotel to relax. At night we met up with Lisa again and got dessert - a crepe with nutella and bananas...I don't think anything better exists. Then we went to an Australian pub where it was American night of all things and met up with our new friends.
On Monday we went to Sacre-Coeur which is so so so beautiful and breathtaking. The view is to die for, but the people harrassing you for money were out of control. We went inside and it was so impressive. We walked around Montmatre after that which is very cute and it wasn't too packed but artists ask to draw you every five feet. The art was so great and the buildings are charming. One particular square had a restaurant called Chez Eugene, and right near it was another cafe called La Mere Catherine, which I found to be just perfect. We walked all over that hill and then headed towards the St. Michel area to meet a friend of mine for lunch, but the Metro stop we planned to meet at had multiple exits and entrances so we missed each other! Instead I got a baguette with chicken and cheese and headed towards the Jardin du Luxembourg which was beautiful, then the Pantheon, the Sorbonne, and back to Notre Dame to see St. Chapelle - but you had to pay to get in so we didn't see the stained glass which is its draw. We walked along the Seine again to the Palais Royale, stumbled into St. Gervais church which was so haunting - really mysterious and creepy but beautiful. At night we met up with some Fordham kids and got dinner and then hit an Irish pub called The Galway - ridiculous! But I got a glass of red wine to appease my sister.
Tuesday, our last day was awful weather. The other days were mild and sunny and I walked around in a tee-shirt, but this was cold, rainy and windy and we had to lug our bags everywhere. We went to the Catacombs, which I thought were just unreal. So humbling and frightening but a necessary experience. I'll just say that Katie is claustrophobic, which I thought was just a term she threw around to mean she didn't like crowds, but I learned she really really is. We then walked to the Montparnasse area and met Lisa for lunch and I got a great little tart and une baguette sandwich. Honestly, the French understand good food better than anyplace I've ever been. We then pretty much walked to the Eiffel Tower again and then to Port Maillot, to the Arc de Triomphe and back to Port Maillot to kill time in the pouring rain. Basically it was time to go home, so after security threw out half of Katie's stuff and a bumpy plane ride, we just wanted to go home. But of course it's Ireland and Bus Eirrean would stop running at 8 at night at an international airport, so our return ticket was useless - rip off!!! But we took a different bus back to Galway and finally, finally went to bed.
The French really do walk around with baguettes sticking out of their purses, the croissants are delicious, they are actually nicer than people give them credit for and will ask if you prefer English or French at some restaurants. No one talked politics unlike the Irish, and I just had an amazing time. The Canadiens we met put the American-thing into perspective, one of them said he'd never met an American he didn't like and in fact thought we're great overall, our government just ruins it. Paris has a lot of trees and without being in bloom it gave the city a very brown, dead look, but I imagine in spring and summer it's just gorgeous. I have to go back because we didn't see the city lit up at night, except the Eiffel Tower which sparkles every so often. J'adore Paris, c'etait magnifique!!
RAG Week
RAG week happened a few weeks ago - Raise up And Give. It's basically a week of insanity and alcoholism - it was a lot of fun!! The Irish kids get wasted morning, noon and night for a week and then drunkenly give their money to charities. These kids were walking to class drunk, drinking in the concourse, etc. It was nuts!! I unfortunately had two papers to write, so I didn't get to partake in the mayhem too much. Next time!!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
London
This past weekend was London!! Kat, Sarah and I hit up the capital city and I seriously want to live there, it's just so expensive!! I loved every minute and it's so beautiful, and yes very cosmopolitan like New York, but I think it has so much more original and historic character.
We took a 4 hour bus to Dublin, waited 2 hours then took a 4 hour ferry (which was awful), then took a 7 hour bus to London. That trip was hell. We got to London by 9amish and walked to Buckingham Palace then figured out the Tube and headed to Borough St for our hostel. We then went back to Victoria and bought tickets to ride a double-decker hop on and off bus. It was so worth it because we saw everything. I got a hole in my pants and had to wrap my sweatshirt around my waist so I was freezing under my jacket w/just a little Tee on. Luckily I found a cheap pair of jeans and solved that problem! At night Katie and I found peanut butter KitKats - which the US needs NOW - and then walked around our hostel area. Turns out back in the day it was the slummy area that Shakespeare got his inspiration from - pretty cool if you ask me. Now it's such a hidden gem - great little night life - one bar was made out of the arch of a bridge!
We rode the bus all over the first day and then walked around Leicester Square and Regent St at night which was great. The next day we tried for cheap West End tickets with no luck, then Katie and I headed to watch the changing of the guard. I dunno I wasn't that impressed - it was really cool and all, but a lot of pomp and circumstance over nothing. Then we hopped on the bus and went all over again, walked around Trafalger Square, Picadilly, Leicester again, the Horse Guard, Parliament and Westminster. We also took a river cruise also from Tower of London to the London Eye along the Thames and saw Shakespeare's new Globe theatre, and an actual pirate ship - which Katie kind of freaked out about. We took the bus over to the Kensington are of town which was beautiful and saw Harrods, Princess Di's memorial park, all the museums and Albert Music Hall. Then by night we ate at Garfunkels - I had cottage pie which was delicious. Then we hit Leicester again - it's very Union Squareish, and at delicious gelatto and waffle desserts - we had to indulge it's vacation! Two Russion/London boys begged us to club with them because they needed girls to get in, but we declined the offer, we're not much of club people and we were dressed like bums! We headed back to the hostel and that great night life was non-existant. Everything closed on a Saturday night so we walked over London Bridge and saw everything at night, sooo pretty. Then we found a local pub called the Old Kings Head and chilled out there. We just really didn't want to go back to our hostel - the people were creeping us out.
On Sunday we headed to Tower of London and tried to get in for free with no luck (again) so we bought tickets, did a tour then explored for about 2 hours. That place was great - soo soo much history. Then we snuck on our tour bus (our tickets had expired) and rode over to Victoria Station. We got lunch and wandered, but we were ready to go home. We then took that dreadful trip back, but I popped some sea sickness motion and just slept the whole ferry and bus ride home. I would reccommend it tho because it's so much cheaper than flying. And back to Galway we were, and I had to quickly finish a paper, shower, and head to class!!!
We took a 4 hour bus to Dublin, waited 2 hours then took a 4 hour ferry (which was awful), then took a 7 hour bus to London. That trip was hell. We got to London by 9amish and walked to Buckingham Palace then figured out the Tube and headed to Borough St for our hostel. We then went back to Victoria and bought tickets to ride a double-decker hop on and off bus. It was so worth it because we saw everything. I got a hole in my pants and had to wrap my sweatshirt around my waist so I was freezing under my jacket w/just a little Tee on. Luckily I found a cheap pair of jeans and solved that problem! At night Katie and I found peanut butter KitKats - which the US needs NOW - and then walked around our hostel area. Turns out back in the day it was the slummy area that Shakespeare got his inspiration from - pretty cool if you ask me. Now it's such a hidden gem - great little night life - one bar was made out of the arch of a bridge!
We rode the bus all over the first day and then walked around Leicester Square and Regent St at night which was great. The next day we tried for cheap West End tickets with no luck, then Katie and I headed to watch the changing of the guard. I dunno I wasn't that impressed - it was really cool and all, but a lot of pomp and circumstance over nothing. Then we hopped on the bus and went all over again, walked around Trafalger Square, Picadilly, Leicester again, the Horse Guard, Parliament and Westminster. We also took a river cruise also from Tower of London to the London Eye along the Thames and saw Shakespeare's new Globe theatre, and an actual pirate ship - which Katie kind of freaked out about. We took the bus over to the Kensington are of town which was beautiful and saw Harrods, Princess Di's memorial park, all the museums and Albert Music Hall. Then by night we ate at Garfunkels - I had cottage pie which was delicious. Then we hit Leicester again - it's very Union Squareish, and at delicious gelatto and waffle desserts - we had to indulge it's vacation! Two Russion/London boys begged us to club with them because they needed girls to get in, but we declined the offer, we're not much of club people and we were dressed like bums! We headed back to the hostel and that great night life was non-existant. Everything closed on a Saturday night so we walked over London Bridge and saw everything at night, sooo pretty. Then we found a local pub called the Old Kings Head and chilled out there. We just really didn't want to go back to our hostel - the people were creeping us out.
On Sunday we headed to Tower of London and tried to get in for free with no luck (again) so we bought tickets, did a tour then explored for about 2 hours. That place was great - soo soo much history. Then we snuck on our tour bus (our tickets had expired) and rode over to Victoria Station. We got lunch and wandered, but we were ready to go home. We then took that dreadful trip back, but I popped some sea sickness motion and just slept the whole ferry and bus ride home. I would reccommend it tho because it's so much cheaper than flying. And back to Galway we were, and I had to quickly finish a paper, shower, and head to class!!!
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