Trip to Blarney

Hey everyone!!!

So I have been here almost 3 weeks and it's been absolutely incredible.  This past weekend I took a trip to Ireland's most famous stone located in the Blarney Castle.

The castle located around 20 minutes outside and it was a short 20 minute bus ride.  (It didn't help that we missed the first bus we tried to get on and then almost missed the second because of poor planning)  The grounds of the Blarney Castle are absolutely beautiful.  We took a short walk up to the castle and climbed to the top to the Blarney Stone. 

(There should be a picture here but it's not uploading.. I'll try it at another time)


In order to kiss the stone you have to lie on your back and hold onto two bars and lean back over an edge while somebody holds your feet.  It is a pretty cool experience.  After kissing the stone we took about 2 hours worth of walks through the grounds which were beautiful.

(insert picture)

Then we headed back to the bus stop and stopped in a pub to watch the Arsenal soccer game since we had an hour before the bus.  The Blarney trip was pretty amazing and definitely gave me an appreciation of the landscape here.

A Week In

A few updates for everyone!!!

I have now been here a week and it has been absolutely amazing.  I started classes on Tuesday and officially register on Tuesday.  I am taking Citizen Participation 2, Celtic Saints, Political Ethics, Public Management in Europe, and Introduction to Anglo-Irish Lit.  The best part about my schedule is I have no Friday classes!!!

The pub scene in Ireland is also pretty amazing.  Just this afternoon we stopped by a pub near our apartment to catch the Arsenal-Everton soccer game on TV.  It is a great atmosphere.  Here are a few pictures of some places we have frequented. 

This is the Franciscan Well.  This picture was taken from my stairwell and it is right across the River from us.  They brew their own beer and have such choices as the Rebel Red and the Blarney Blonde. 

 

This is Bob Fox's which is another one of our favorite spots.  We have heard that if we get to know the owner (who we have already talked to) he gives us free rugby tickets!!!  (This is also where I hope to catch the Jets/Bengals playoff game tonight).

There are a few others which I didn't happen to pass when I had my camera with me.  

 

More updates to come in the coming weeks.

The First Few Days

Hi everyone!!

Well, I've been in Cork for a few days now and I am finally getting a chance to slow down and catch my breath.  The city itself is absolutely amazing.  I live in a two person apartment with my own bedroom and a shared kitchen and living room.  The apartment overlooks a river and is very picturesque (although my room overlooks a car park).

The city is incredible.  From my apartments I can walk pretty much everywhere.  The school is about a 15-20 minute walk, the supermarket is 10, and the center of the city is 10.  There are always a ton of people out in the streets walking around, shopping, and socializing and it is really fun to just hang out in the city.  The school itself has a large student population (almost 17,000) but is not very large.  However, it is really beautiful and you actually feel like you are living in a Harry Potter book at Hogwarts.

 

This is a picture of their main quad with the three sided building behind it.  The interesting thing about this building is that students are not allowed to walk through the middle of the quad  The two criss-crossing paths on either side are reserved for alumni. 

I took a few pictures around the city today (although it is very very cold so I didn't stay out long). 

This one is of the English Market.  It is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in Ireland and sells all sorts of fresh meats, cheese, bread, and pretty much everything else.

Here are a few more pictures from around the city and my room.  I will have much better pictures in a little while.  This was my first day bringing my camera and we didn't stay out long: