The luck of the Irish…

I must first make an addendum to something I claimed in one of my previous posts… the Cliffs of Moher is officially the windiest place I have ever been. Cape Sounion was nothing in comparison.

The Cliffs of Moher are a famous site in Ireland, near Galway specifically. Allyson and I just got back from a trip there. We had a five-day break for “Ohi Day” (translates into “No Day” in English and it is a day remembering the Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas’s rejection of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Mussolini on October 28, 1940). It is sort of considered Greece’s second Independence Day.

But anyway, you may be thinking… Why Ireland?? Well that is a great question. Allyson and I had been brainstorming where we wanted to go over the break: London, Paris, Scotland, and many other European countries were in the mix. Then, while out one night in Gazi (the hip, young neighborhood we usually go out in downtown) we found our inspiration. We made friends with a group of twenty-somethings on vacation from, well, I bet you can guess… Ireland! They were on vacation following graduation from their PhD programs at the University of Limerick. This got us thinking about making Ireland our destination. We looked up flights, found cheap round-trip tickets, got in touch with our new friends, and off we went!!

After a long, frustrating, and very tiring airport experience (spent the hours of midnight to 5am in the London airport), we made it to our destination. Our plan was to spend one night in Dublin, followed by one in Galway, and then 3 more in Dublin. This was my first time staying in a hostel and I was pleasantly surprised! Allyson did a great job finding Barnacle’s, the hostel where we stayed in both Dublin and Galway (I highly recommend it). Our hostel was located in Temple Bar, a famous area in Dublin, and right next door was the pub we seemed to frequent a few times during our trip, fittingly named “The Temple Bar.”

We made some interesting and widely varied friends during this trip. They were from all over: Poland, Connecticut, Ireland, San Francisco, Sweden, and South Africa. Our new friends from South Africa even extended an invitation to host us during the World Cup… now if only tickets weren’t so darn expensive!

As I mentioned, our first day was spent in Dublin. We dropped off our bags at the early hour of 7am, got coffee at a little cafe, and walked around the city until we could check in. And boy did we walk. Our self-guided tour began with Grafton Street, weaved through St. Stephen’s Green, and ended at O’Connell Street and the James Joyce Statue.

After meeting the other two girls staying in our hostel room, we settled in and took a much need nap. Once we woke up, Allyson and I wandered down to The Quays Pub and ate the best fish and chips I have ever had!! (my drowsiness and extreme hunger may have contributed to this opinion, but I am still quite certain they it was the best I have ever had). We then hit the town, making it as far as… The Temple Bar. What can I say, we were exhausted. Once at The Temple Bar, we seemed to enter a game of what Allyson likes to call, Dating Roulette. After we each ordered a beer (never order a German beer in Ireland, people WILL make fun of you), the guys began rotate in. They would come up to us in groups of two or three, we would crack jokes about Lucky Charms, beer, and potatoes, talk for a bit, and then the next group of Irish speakin’ gents would step in. I thought I was on MTV’s Next. We later learned that The Temple Bar is a popular tourist destination, thus explaining why the local guys appeared to be rotating around to meet as many foreigners as they could. We were extremely entertained.

We woke up bright and early the next morning to take a bus over to Galway, on the west side of Ireland, about 3 hours from Dublin. The drive was beautiful, full of lush, green countryside, cows, sheep, and well, more countryside.  Once reaching Galway, we dropped our bags and explored the city. Galway is a bit smaller than Dublin, with many cobblestone paths lined with pubs and shops.

Allyson and I couldn’t leave without getting claddagh rings, worn with the heart facing out to signify being single and the heart facing in if you are taken. The crown represents power, the heart represents love, and the hands represent knowledge.

Later on that day, after a nice day of exploring the city and eating turkey and cranberry sandwiches (we have yet to find roast turkey or cranberry in Greece, making this quite a treat), Colm, one of the aforementioned Irish friends I met in Greece, was nice enough to drive up and meet us in Galway. He and his friend Rob showed us around town. It was so fun getting a local’s perspective! I think the highlight of our night out in Galway was the private party they took us to in the attic of an Irish restaurant. Sounds sketchy, but it was such a neat experience! Should you ever find yourself in Galway looking for places off the beaten path, I can now point you in the right direction. They also taught us the “correct” way to drink a Guinness (make sure you drink just a bit of the head with each sip!).

Following our night out, Allyson and I had planned on taking a bus to the Cliffs of Moher and then down to Blarney Castle in Cork. To our delight, Colm was kind enough to offer to drive, since he was heading back to his house in Cork anyway. After a few wrong turns and more breathtaking countryside, we reached the Cliffs of Moher. You can see a few more pictures of the cliffs at the end of this post.

After snapping a few pictures and nearly being blown away by blustering winds, we decided it was time to warm up with some lunch, so Colm took us to the best little Irish pub!! There is absolutely no way we would have stumbled upon this place otherwise, and I tell you what, that Irish stew was amazing!!! Best I’ve ever had!! (ok ok, so this was my first time in Ireland, but you’re going to have to trust me on this one) It warmed us right up. Once our stomachs were happy, we were on our way. Colm drove us back through the Burren (known for its stone walls weaving throughout the country side) and down to Cork, where he is from and where the famous Blarney Castle awaited us. The car ride was full of Irish jokes (read: Allyson trying to get him to say “yer after me lucky charms”), questions about Ireland compared to the US, and listening to the Manchester vs. Liverpool football match. (It’s official, I have converted over to calling soccer “football” and football “American football” What had Europe done to me??)

We made it to Cork after about 4 hours of driving. We successfully made it to Blarney Castle, home of the Blarney Stone… 10 minutes after it closed. It was such a bummer! We peaked around the fence trying to catch a glimpse, but to be honest they keep that castle pretty well hidden! Looks like Allyson and I won’t be coming home with the gift of gab, which you are said to receive if you “kiss the blarney stone.” Too bad, looks like another trip to Ireland is in order!

From there we said goodbye to Colm and took a bus back to Dublin. We spent the next few days celebrating Halloween (they seemed to start the celebrations about a week prior to October 31, which was nice because we came home to no Halloween celebrations at all in Greece!!!), taking pictures, sightseeing (St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Trinity College, St. Stephen’s Green, and Phoenix park, the largest urban park in Europe), going into crypts at St. Michen’s Church where we touched an 800 year old corpse for “good luck”, becoming certified whiskey tasters at the Jameson Factory (seriously, we have certificates…I’m available for hire), and taking more pictures.

All in all, it was yet another fantastic journey. We made new friends, heard awesome accents, ate delicious Irish stew and fish, and got a taste of an overall wonderful culture. I truly fell in love with this country. I already want to go back.

Enjoy some of my favorite photos from Ireland: