This past week has been one hectic week full of travel, new experiences and the standard personal growth that has come along with my semester abroad. The past week has been what is called “reading week” here which is a week set aside as a time for studying/reading and no classes. Naturally, I decided to spend past of the last weekend in a famous cemetery and Cork. The beginning of the week with friends in Dublin and then the remainder of the week in Galway on a solo trip.
Last Friday my friends Emilie, Katia and I went to Glasnevin Cemetery located here in Dublin. It was so amazing and informative. Glasnevin has more people buried there than in Dublin itself. 1.6 million people to be exact and thus the Cemetery is called “The City of the Dead.” We were able to learn about many of the important political figures for Ireland who are buried there; including figures like Daniel O’Connell and Michael Collins. Then on Saturday one of the friends I have made here at DCU invited me to go to Cork with the Japanese Society on campus, which he is a member of. Of course I said yes! We went to Fota, a zoo located in Cork and then spent the rest of the day in Cork City Center to visit the market, see the city and most importantly listen to the Jazz Music Festival that was happening while we were there! On Sunday we celebrated another friend’s birthday. My friend from France made delicious crepes, my friends from Malaysia made chicken I didn’t have any b/c vegetarian, but everyone said it was amazing!
Last Friday my friends Emilie, Katia and I went to Glasnevin Cemetery located here in Dublin. It was so amazing and informative. Glasnevin has more people buried there than in Dublin itself. 1.6 million people to be exact and thus the Cemetery is called “The City of the Dead.” We were able to learn about many of the important political figures for Ireland who are buried there; including figures like Daniel O’Connell and Michael Collins. Then on Saturday one of the friends I have made here at DCU invited me to go to Cork with the Japanese Society on campus, which he is a member of. Of course I said yes! We went to Fota, a zoo located in Cork and then spent the rest of the day in Cork City Center to visit the market, see the city and most importantly listen to the Jazz Music Festival that was happening while we were there! On Sunday we celebrated another friend’s birthday. My friend from France made delicious crepes, my friends from Malaysia made chicken I didn’t have any b/c vegetarian, but everyone said it was amazing!
On Wednesday I went to Galway for my first solo trip abroad. When I arrived I actually met my friend from France who had done a bit of backpacking earlier in the week and we grabbed a bite to eat. Then on Thursday I took a day trip to Connemara a region outside of Galway. It was absolutely beautiful. It is a mountainous region that is home to Ireland’s only fjord and Kylemore Abbey a gorgeous house. When I got back to Galway that evening I went to an amazing pizza joint called Dough Bros and then went to Taaffes Pub where I listened to some Trad music (thank you Ellie Hogg for the great suggestions). On Friday I went to the Aran Islands where I rented a bike and toured the largest island Inis Mor. I went to the highest cliffs on the islands, monk beehive styled huts, and found the Wormhole where the 2012 Red Bull Cliff Diving competition took place. Finding the wormhole was kind of crazy and mildly scary since I was by myself, but it was totally worth it once I found it! The island was incredible and a ton of fun - everything from the ferry ride over and back to exploring on a bike and finding some incredible views. On Saturday I walked the bay from Galway to Salthill, explored the Cathedral in Galway and visited the market that takes place every weekend and tasted amazing falafel.
Travelling by myself even though it was just across the country was such a great experience. You can truly be independent while traveling and discover more about yourself and all that you have the potential to accomplish. It was such a rewarding trip and I loved Galway! It has been such a busy and amazing week. Make sure you check out the photos page on this website! Back to classes and my service site this week. This coming weekend I am traveling to Scotland to spend a few days there with BAILEY WILLIAMS! So excited. Stay tuned for another blog.