Dublin, Ireland


Driving across the country of Ireland was indeed a brilliant decision, but since I was the driver, I patiently waited for my first Guinness in Ireland in Dublin; paired with an Irish stew it was well worth the wait! A large group of us went out to the pub and I truly felt friendships developing and a growing sense of evolving together as this unique experience brings us together in a meaningful way. The next day I walked around Dublin by myself to quickly see more of the city before our ship disembarked. I attended services at St. Patrick's Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral (I attended services for the singing and worship, but the clever avoidance of an entry fee is certainly another factor in the decision), and children in uniforms sang at St. Patrick's Cathedral, their innocent but powerful voices resonating through the high vaulted ceilings. I may or may not have had coffee and pastries for both breakfast and lunch as I walked around the Temple Bar area, Dublin Castle, and other parts of the city. Lastly, I walked through Trinity College and went to the Book of Kells exhibit. Viewing a book written so long ago was inspiring, especially thinking about the faith I believe in and how that faith was passed down to me, thousands of years later. To be honest, the old library might have been the highlight. I couldn't take a picture, although I did ask the security guard if librarians have special picture taking privileges (they do not), so look up Trinity College's old library and get a sense of how amazing the room is. The day ended with a long 45 minute walk because my "friends" Claire and Kim sarcastically waved to me from the full and last bus back to the ship, as I selflessly gave up a seat to let others on. Ireland was a fulfilling, spiritual, and memorable experience, and the country faded away on the horizon as we set sail for London.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 17, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    Chocolate candy! Uhhh, oatmeal cookies, oatmeal cookies! Soda pop! Orange soda pop! And we be eatin' like dogs, man. For a while, anyway.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Atlantic Crossing

Image
For all those who may be jealous of my Semester at Sea voyage, this post should ease and diminish your jealousy. When we left Canada for Ireland, I wasn’t immediately affected by the week-long departure from land. Six days in, however, I am most definitely feeling like I haven’t seen land in a week. I’ve been a little dizzy and nauseous for the past 3 days, even with sea sickness medicine. Our ship has encountered heavy seas that hit us with 16-foot waves. Many of the decks have been closed. I haven’t walked in a straight line for longer than 5 seconds in the past 6 days. Dishes crash and break in the dining hall, people bump into walls, some fall out of chairs, and others are resigned to their cabin with sea sickness. I wake up from my amusement park ride of a bed (tonight, the 5 th time-change and loss of an hour) to find things to wedge in between a swiveling television, opening and closing drawers, and sliding counter top accessories. I haven’t bumped into too many peop...
Read more

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

Image
I'm not entirely sure this photograph truly captures the magical power of The Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are 300 million years old and 700 feet tall. We arrived on a cold and windy day with a soft Irish drizzle, but the sun found an opening between the clouds and the horizon as it set along the Atlantic Ocean, adding to the mystique of the entire scene. Our journey to the cliffs also added to the experience as we drove through the unusual Burren landscape along the coast, talked to a local Irish family outside their house, and navigated narrow winding roads. Since we arrived late, only a few people were at the cliffs. I felt like I could have stayed all night to watch the cliffs fade into the darkness. Even though I could take some pictures and take the memory with me, there was a sense of beauty that doesn't exist elsewhere, a beauty unique to the cliffs, and I didn't want to leave it behind. The visit to the cliffs also resulted in another unique experience; since we w...
Read more

South Atlantic Crossing

Image
The 10-day crossing from Cape Town, South Africa, to Buenos Aires, Argentina was a unique experience. Apparently very little travel or trade takes place in this route across the South Atlantic. We saw nothing, no ships, no land, no boats, no planes, and hardly any sign of life. A few albatrosses were following us for several days, giving an even more eerie feeling to how alone we were in the world. I didn't feel isolated, but instead felt deeply connected to the ocean. The water and skies looked different every day, depending on the clouds, the light and the time of day, the depth, the swells, and various factors that paint a different picture for us. The crossing was peaceful and fun. I don’t know another time I will ever be removed from society for such an extended period of time, especially with the uniqueness of being in the middle of nowhere, yet surrounded by a shipboard community sharing the experience. I've grown to love the days at sea. I am going to mis...
Read more