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04 June 2007
Kilkenny is the Irish version of Newport Beach. Or the nightlife is at least.
After our dinner of pesto pasta and garlic, we stopped at Dunnes and bought a couple tall boys of Carlsberg and drank them by the River Nore, as we surveyed the scene across at Matt The Miller’s. It looked like a good crowd and they were playing excellent dancing music. So we pounded our beers, took some silly pictures, and made our way over the river.We began to feel a little underdressed as we passed cliques of Irish girls in dresses and stilettos. And as soon as we entered the pub/club (we called it a plub) we instantly knew we didn’t want to be there. It was so crowded, I understood what it truly felt like to be sardined. I mean, it was more crowded than Malarkey’s on a Thursday night. More crowded than Sharkeez HB on any night. More crowded than Gallagher’s in HB on St. Patty’s Day. Like, I don’t even think they have Max. Occ. laws in Ireland. Needless to say, we left, and walked back toward our hostel to go to The Pumphouse, which is directly across the street from our room’s windows. We ordered Carlsbergs (our mascot beer, I suppose) and Kenz sneakily swiped a fresh bottle of Heineken that had been sitting on the bar all lonely and ignored.
We didn’t stay long, and crossed the little road to our hostel after sneaking out the side door of The Pumphouse holding our near-full pints of Carlsberg in plain sight the whole, short way. Mel
The sleeping beauties/Irish cuties devolved into loud, obnoxious, drunkety drunk drunk lads as they returned to the room at an unknown, ungodly hour, nearly waking everyone in the hostel with their brazen antics. I’m pretty certain one of them drank my water too. Kenz and I packed up our stuff this morning, loudly, and tried to catch the Rabbit Express bus back to Dublin because it was cheaper. But we waited for a bus that never showed. Holiday weekend. So we went to an internet cafe, with over an hour to kill until the Bus Eireann to Dublin would show. Then we walked to the rail station and hopped on the bus. We slept much of the way despite the loud Irish girl with the annoying scratchy voice.
Finally arriving back in Dublin was a bittersweet denouement, a certainty after two weeks of uncertainties, the anti-climax after a thrilling rollercoaster ride: We have but one night left in Ireland. Mel
We spent that night as well as possible though! After securing beds at Globetrotter’s, (a super nice hostel, on par with Sleepzone) we had lunch at a little place on O’Connell, shopped at Dunnes one last time and relaxed for a bit before deciding we needed to have at least one more pint of good ol’ Irish Guinness before journeying back to the States. So we left Globetrotter’s and crossed Gardiner Streer into O’Shea’s, a hotel/restaurant/pub on the corner of Gardiner and Talbot. We ordered our pints, enjoyed the live Irish music, split a pint of Murphy’s and resigned ourselves to the fact that, all good things must come to an end as the saying goes (thanks Kenz!), and it was finally time to go to sleep, in anticipation of our early morning departure from Ireland. Mel
journal entry . day 14 . Kilkenny & Dublin
05 June 2007
I am sitting on the airplane next to Mackensy. We are on our way back to sunny California. Whether or not it is actually sunny there remains to be seen, but I would pretty much bet my life on it.
We woke just after six this morning, had our fill of the complimentary Irish breakfast and packed our stuff. We walked the short distance to the bus station in the beautiful warm sunshine, OF COURSE, and lamented the end of our wonderful trip. We took happy face and sad face pictures on the bus and waved good bye to Dublin, the city that really did grow on us. We said good bye to Ireland, the country we know well now, the country that has endeared itself in our hearts with every step we took while on its soil. We say good bye, but not forever. One could never visit Ireland and not want to ever return. Or at least I can’t imagine feeling that way. I have such a greater appreciation for this country, its culture and its people, and my distant heritage. I will definitely be back. Eire go bragh. Ireland forever… Mel
02 June 2007
I’m sitting in the living room at Kinlay. Kenz is here, curling her hair, standing on one of the couches to look into a mirror. We spent most of the day walking around Cork in the misty drizzle shopping, and window shopping and strolling through the English Market (all kinds of fresh meat, fresh fruit, fresh seafood and lots of other amazing foods: cheeses, chocolate, breads. Kenz and I bought fresh pesto. yum.) Kenz and I had falafels for lunch and sat in a little bar/cafe to eat them and have cappuccinos, while the boys went to a pub for brunch. Oh right! The boys…
After Mackensy and I woke from napping yesterday, we went downstairs and made dinner, and when we came back upstairs we met some guys from Wisconsin who were in our room. While Kenz gave them her words of wisdom for traveling through Europe two more guys walked in and it turned out that their beds were right next to ours, literally, like not even a foot of space in between the bunks. Turns out they’re also from Wisconsin. (Hostels seriously must book Americans in the same room.) We talked to the new guys, Brad and Ben, for a bit and decided to hit up the pubs with them. So while they got dinner, we showered and got ready and the four of us headed toward Oliver Plunkett St.
After a bit of walking up and down the road, debating where to go, we stopped in a pub called Rob Roy’s, ordered a round of pints, and sat at a little table and chatted, while trying to follow the rugby match. A guy at the next table overheard our American accents and asked where we were from. Turns out he is from Baltimore, but lives here in Cork where he oversees a division of his family’s business. So he joined us and we drank and talked and Chris, the guy from Baltimore, explained the game of rugby to us. After a few more rounds and a few cigarettes (I know, I know 
Chris took us to Savoy, a club on Patrick St. which is sort of the main drag in downtown Cork. The downtown area is beautiful during the day, but way cool at night, with color-changing lights lining the streets, and loads of pub-hoppers and clubbers. Savoy was all right with two dance floors and three bars, but nothing special even though we had to pay a €6 cover.(Chris explained the mezzanine was closed, so that was why it kind of sucked). We only stayed long enough for one or two beers before “tour guide” Chris took us back to Oliver Plunkett and into The Old Oak. Known as the best pub in all of Ireland (as Brad and Ben had told us earlier. They wanted to go, but we couldn’t find it! Meeting Chris was fate , it really was a cool place, big dance floor, a couple different sitting rooms, smoking patio, and great music.We didn’t get to stay long unfortunately, because pubs close pretty early, some even earlier than bars in California 
and we were all a little bummed because it felt like our night had just begun! So we stopped at a little late-night eatery, got “chips” and hung out on the streets with hords of drunk Irish folk. Groups of guys singing and celebrating a rugby win, fist fights, girls dressed to the nines (though horrible fashion faux pas seemed the trend), and the five of us. Though we had just met the boys, and they had just met us and each other, it felt like being with old friends. Kenz and I felt comfortable with them, and Chris made us all feel like family in a foreign city full of strangers. I guess there is something to say about finding a little piece of “home” no matter where you may be, and what that “:home” is, even if it is just one of your countrymen… or countrywomen Overall, we had a super fun night, and before walking back up to Kinlay House, we made plans to meet up with Chris tomorrow (which is tonight) at Rob Roy’s, and said good night. Mel
journal entry . day 12 . Cork
03 June 2007
We woke to a rainy day yesterday, the day we spent walking all over Cork, and today, as we wait for our bus to leave Cork for Kilkenny, the sun is shining and the streets are dry. Murphy’s Law seems to have plagued us a bit over the past week and a half. (At least Brad and Ben will have nice weather to go see Blarney Castle. We just saw them here at the bus station, buying tickets for the bus to Blarney.) But I’m smiling and even laughing ocassionally as I sit in the Busaras, remembering little details about last night…
After Kenz finished curling her hair we went upstairs to wake Brad and Ben who were napping. On our way to Oliver Plunkett Street, we stopped in Supervalu (no e) in Merchant’s Quay Centre and stocked up on a few tall boys of Carlsberg. Kenz and I decided that tonight we would employ the sneak-a-drink! Brad and Ben were a little shocked, (like they’ve never snuck beers into a bar before!… oh wait, well, they hadn’t!) and Ben didn’t want to do it at all. So we bought six cans, two for each of us minus Ben, hid them in our purses and went over to Rob Roy’s.
It was pretty empty whe we first arrived and Chris wasn’t there but we figured he’d arrive later for the Ireland/Argentina rugby match. Kenz and I got a pint of Calrsberg and an extra glass 
We’re such rebels. (In the Rebel County too!) Brad got a Carlsberg too, and Ben got a Bulmers and we sat at the same table as then night before. I pulled out the pink cards and we played a few rounds of Asshole (I was the asshole EVERY hand. UGH )as the pub slowly started to fill. We cracked a couple of the tall boys under the table, and Kenz and I had to get up and go to the ladies a few times when it was impossible to be sneaky out in the open. Chris finally showed up and joined us and soon after the place was PACKED. Watching the rugby match in, as Chris informed us, the BEST rugby pub in Cork was such a great experience. Especially having Chris there to explain the rules, and what was happening and why, made it an even more exhilarating experience. Rugby is so awesome to watch when you actually understand what is going on! And to be in that crowd, rooting for Ireland, was amazing. Unfortunately Ireland lost but it was still a great time. Chris’s fiancee Teresa showed up and joined us. (Kenz and I were a little bummed b/c we both ADORE Chris. He is the kind of guy we both want to marry. He’s like, perfect.) Teresa, a cute blonde Irishwoman, was such a cool chick though, and the six of us had a blast together at Rob Roy’s, just drinking and talking and laughing. Kenz and I each took a Carlsberg pint glass with the “Official Sponsor of The Irish Team” logo imprinted on it. We’ve been total pint glass thieves 
After Rob Roy’s we walked in the rain to a nightclub. I can’t remember where it was or what it was called; a true testament to my Irish roots! I can drink with the best of ‘em, but don’t expect me to remember everything! Kenz and Brad didn’t want to go in, so Ben and Chris and Teresa and I went inside. It was very hot and very empty, until we explored a bit and found other rooms that were packed. I got a beer and danced with Teresa a bit, even though no else was on the dance floor until we started dancing. Then we went upstairs to smoke and spent the rest of the night there. It was like a completely different place, with pool tables and another bar and an enclosed smoking patio. We talked and laughed hysterically, most of the time because of Teresa and her ecstatic chattiness and cute Irish accent and voice. Ben was dying, he could hardly breathe he was laughing so hard! Suffice it to say, we had a crazy, drunken fun time. After they kicked us out we stopped at the falafel place and got souvlakis and talked and hugged and said our good byes. Teresa and I exchanged email addresses (I hope I can find it) and she and Chris hailed a cab, as Ben and I walked the quiet streets of Cork back to Kinlay House…
All in all, Cork was a blast, brilliant as Chris would say, and I am so glad we came here. So many people told us it sucked, or was lame, or was just another big city, nothing special. It turned out to be two of the best nights we have had so far. (With the possible exception of that night in Temple Bar Now, off to Kilkenny. Mel
After traipsing around Kilkenny for the better part of an hour, in the rain, we got lucky. We were a bit worried at first, as the first hostel we tried, in the Old Methodist Church, was a run-down shamble of a building with broken windows and boxes and furniture all askew in the front rooms. We rang the bell anyway, a sign of our desperation, to no avail. So we walked until we came across the Kilkenny Tourist Hostel on Parliament Street. A beautiful old building covered in ivy, with a huge, heavy bright red front door. We walked in and our spirits were instantly uplifted as the girl at the desk, who had long dreadlocks and wore glasses, told us they had just a few beds left! We sat in the living room by the fireplace while the girl checked us in and relaxed for a moment. Not only was it the June Bank Holiday, but Kilkenny was hosting a huge international comedy festival, so we were certainly lucky to find a place to sleep, and happy that the place was not just decent, but very nice and very homey. We walked into our room and saw a bunch of guys asleep in their beds. So we quietly settled and changed, in the bathroom , and set off to find some food.
We had some garlic cheese “chips” at Uncle Sam’s American Eatery, although not much about the place was American (we would not call fries, “chips”, for one). We tried to find a falafel place but there weren’t any. So we went to a grocery store in a mall (typical of Ireland) and got milk and broccoli for our pesto pasta, and bottles of water. When we got back to the hostel, the “sleeping beauties” were awake and they turned out to be Irish cuties from County Clare They were all dressed and ready to go out for the night. A mixture of men’s cologne permeated the air in the room and I inhaled deeply. Guy smell is such a turn on We talked to them for a bit even though it was slightly difficult to understand them and they seemed a little shy. They invited us for a drink and said they would be at Matt The Miller’s, a pub just down the street near Kilkenny Castle… We’ll see Mel
journal entry . day 13 . Cork & Kilkenny
30 May 2007
We got up super early today, around 6. Showered, dressed annoyed the French girls in our room (who were bitches anyway), and set off to catch our bus to Killarney. We were disappointed to see the rainy weather but at least it was on a travel day for us. I was hoping we’d get lucky again though. I guess the luck o’ the Irish can’t always be on one’s side, even while in Ireland! Um, yeah. Anyway, the bus ride from Galway to Killarney was long, four hours, which was the same length of time it took to get to Galway from Dublin. We had to transfer busses in Limerick, which did, in fact, look a little ghetto, as we were told, but not too bad. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait too long in the rain, as our next bus pulled up right away. We arrived in Killarney around noon and started to walk. We stopped at a fruit stand and got a few apples and oranges and bananas, and finally made it to our hostel, Neptune’s. It is okay, but nothing like Sleepzone. We were truly spoiled there and now I am certain we will be disappointed with every hostel.
It was drizzling when we arrived. We dropped off our luggage but it was still too early to check in. So we sat in a cafe and had coffee and soup and the fabulous Irish soda bread. Then we went to the Tesco grocery “arcade”, though not quite as nice as Dunnes, which we love. After we went back to Neptune’s and checked in we walked down the street a bit and discovered St. Mary’s, a cathedral at the edge of town right across from the Killarney National Park. I love all the old gothic cathedrals, the stained glass, the creaking floors, the worn pews, the old engravings and plaques. Even though I am not a parishioner or worshipper of any specific organized church/religion, I still stand in awe of those sacred places, in awe of the history, the architecture, the amazing faith of those who do believe, and dedicate so much of their thoughts and their lives to their religion, specifically catholicism. I don’t understand it but it is fascinating, especially knowing what a huge role religion has played in history.
After we walked around inside St. Mary’s we went across the street and through the entrance to the Killarney National Park, where the rhododendrons have overtaken the forest floor, like a contagious cold or disease spreads through a community. It is a beautiful flower, but shades so much of the forest that seedlings from the oak trees cannot receive enough sunlight to take root, and that is jeopardizing the area’s eco-system. We watched as workers used chainsaws to cut down the plants, which grow enormous, overwhelmingly so. It is quite an undertaking. We read about how anyone who would like to help can do so in the summer, and only 45 euro for two weeks secures one a hostel and food. We seriously considered staying two extra weeks to do that.
We walked the two and a half kilometres to Ross Castle, or as they say in Gaelic, Caislean Ross. We saw the “jaunting cars”, horse carriages, trotting through the park, and even got to pet one named Jessica. She was dripping with sweat. The poor animals pull a cart with as many as 8-10 people. How cruel. Lazy American tourists. Mel
Kenz made dinner. Left overs from last night’s pasta with some more fresh peppers and garlic and broccoli mixed in.She wasn’t feeling well (uh oh her turn) and went to bed early. I have no idea what is planned for tomorrow, since we don’t plan really, but if the rain persists it might become another boring, wasted day. Mel
journal entry . day 9 . Killarney
31 May 2007
It is sunny and beautiful! I feel like I’ve used that word so many times in the past week. Beautiful. It’s begun to lose its meaning.
We are unsure of how long we have with the sunshine, as the weather can turn quickly here. It is just as unpredictable as the weather in California, maybe even more so, since rain is more common here.One just never knows quite when it’ll happen. Mel
Everybody smokes in Ireland. No joke. EVERYONE. And they call parking lots, car parks. They drive on the wrong side of the road. And the driver’s seat is on the right, not the left. Many people ride the bus, all over Ireland, Bus Eireann, since it is easy and the busses are really nice coaches. Signs at bus stations read “Please watch out for moving vehicles at the yellow kerbs.” ha ha. Kenz and I decided to adopt that word as slang. “That’s so kerb.” The Irish say, “Good craic (crack).” Meaning it was a good time, or good conversation. I feel like such an obvious tourist, every time I speak. My American accent sounds so out of place and boring, and I feel as if every time I open my mouth I’m being judged by it. I’d almost rather not speak to anyone, and just smile. Mel
We’re in Cork now. Our hostel, Bru, is definitely the hippest one yet, with a nice bar instead of a lobby We’re in room 401, the penthouse, which seems more like an apartment with two bedrooms, a walk-in closet, a kitchenette, and a jacuzzi jet tub in the bathroom! The place is packed with people’s stuff though, and a little dirty and smelly, as if they live there, or at least have stayed a good while. I’m sitting at the bar, having a pint of Guinness, while Kenz is upstairs in the kitchen/”wroom” downloading pics to the internet. She saw a USB cable in our room and is “borrowing” it. Sneaky. She also stole a little shamrock pendant at the Kylemore Abbey gift shop, to hang from her cross necklace. Its leaves are made from Connemara marble. I told her that since she stole it, it wouldn’t be good luck. Her argument was that bad luck always turns out to be good luck for her! Which is actually true sometimes, oddly enough. Mel
We aren’t quite sure what we’ll do tonight. I’m glad we came to Cork though. Yeah, it’s just a city, but it seems more real, less tourist-y. Killarney was a little boring, though we didn’t see much, and Neptune’s wasn’t the most comfortable place. Tomorrow if the weather clears *fingers crossed* we might ride bikes up to Blarney Castle. It is only about 8 km outside of Cork, but we also need to find out what the roads are like before we commit to that. Mel
journal entry . day 10 . Killarney & Cork
01 June 2001
Rabbit rabbit Last night we made dinner again. Some pasta and vegetables. We met a few of our dorm mates before dinner, Graham from England and Sebastian from France. Nice guys.We watched this INSANE drunk-driving PSA on the tv in the dining room. It was horrific. They are hard-core about that issue, since eveyone in Ireland drinks and all.
After Kenz came down to Bru bar yesterday, we sat for a bit, and ended up meeting a guy named Eric from South Carolina. We talked to Effa (eefah), the bartender/concierge/front desk about biking and availability for tonight but they were booked. So we finished our pints and walked up the street to Sheila’s hostel but they were booked as well, and we realized that it is the June Bank holiday weekend in Ireland. So we’re not sure what we’ll do. Uncertainty certainly seems to be the theme of this trip Mel
After dinnner, and that scary PSA, we went down to the bar. I love having a bar IN our hostel, so convenient. We had a few pints, and I took the Heineken glass I had because it had the Bru Bar & Hostel logo on the other side Since the pubs have to close early, mandated by Irish law, they put up these large shades and blockaded the front door, so they could keep serving! Very cool. If you wanted to leave you’d exit through the side door, but couldn’t come back in unless you were staying in the hostel. After that we just went upstairs to bed… ha ha how boring are we! Whatever…
We woke this morning. had breakfast, dressed and packed. I had a slight headache, which sucks. I still kind of do. We left our luggage and trekked off to find a room for tonight. We got a little lost but eventually found Kinlay House, and luckily they had a few beds available for €16 each. After we secured the beds at Kinlay, we bought bus tickets to Blarney. Very cute little town just outside of Cork and as we walked to Blarney Castle from the bus stop we realized how lucky we were to have nice, sunny weather.
The castle was very cool (so kerb LOL), the grounds lush and green, with a trickling creek, and the Rock Close. The history of the castle is quite dramatic, like most. And, of course, there is the Blarney Stone. Up many flights of steep spiraling stairs carved out of the stone, that get narrower as you go higher, we waited in the “queue”, as they say here. No one says “line”. There are passageways to other rooms as you go, and the view from the top is a little dizzying, but beautiful, as you can glimpse much of the town. When it was finally our turn to kiss the Blarney Stone I went first. I had to take off my beanie and sit on the mat facing away from the wall. Then I had to lay on my back and grab the rail, sliding down little by little while one guy held onto me and another took a picture. (They certainly have interesting jobs.) Crazy. Kenz took a picture too and then I took a pic of her kising it. It is such a weird concept, to kiss this stone believed to give anyone who does, “the gift of gab.” (Jeffrey kissed it and it worked on him all right! He’s a genuine chatty cathy, when he’s drunk that is Everyone from Winston Churchill, to a few U.S. Presidents, celebrities and millions of people all over the world, have kissed the Blarney Stone… I wonder if they ever clean it
We walked to the Rock Close after and saw the wishing stairs and the witch’s kitchen. We ran into Tracey and Matt, the newlywed couple from Baltimore, who were on our Cliffs of Moher tour! They told us they also saw us walking down the street in Killarney as they were driving by! Weird.
We sat on a little wooden bridge, our feet dangling above the creek, and ate our fruit. Then we walked around the town square for a bit, hopped back on the bus and went back into Cork, picked up our luggage from Bru and made our way to Kinlay House. Time for a nap, because we are going OUT tonight Mel
journal entry . day 11 . Cork & Blarney
P.S. It wasn’t a drunk-driving PSA, it was an anti-speeding PSA and I found it on youtube. Check it out, but I’m warning you, it is VERY graphic.
27 May 2007
Last night we went to sleep around 12:30. I tried to call my mom but was only able to speak with her for exactly 75 seconds. A whole euro for only 75 seconds. I was a little pissed about that. It was probably my fault though, I can’t figure out these stupid international pay phones.
We ended up rooming with all boys, two from Australia, two from the States, in a tiny little room, with a tiny little bathroom. And boys smell.
Unsure about the weather, we hadn’t made any definite plans but today when we woke (around 7), looked out the window and saw beautiful skies we were ecstatic and discussed our options. The Aussie boys told us they got discount tickets for a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher. So we decided to tag along, and it was amazing. Our driver, Ray (who is also the owner of the Galway Tour Company), was such a great guide, telling us all about the history of Galway and of Ireland; the way people lived in “days gone by” as he often said; the Great Famine of 1845-1850; Oliver Cromwell and his army taking control; Michael Collins and the IRA. Ray was also quick with the jokes, as silly as they were. He called llamas, cow-sheep We spent about two hours at the cliffs which were just spectacular. We stopped at a cafe and store and a few vista points for pictures and also went to a really nice beach, reminiscent (for us anyway) of NorCal beaches. Unfortunately it was littered with trash. After I picked up an armful I realized why: there were no trash bins anywhere! Ray saw me coming, loaded up with garbage, and luckily he had a trash bag in the back of the bus. After the cliffs we went through the Burren, stoppd at the poulnabrone dolmen, saw the Kilfenora High Crosses, Dunguaire Castle and Lisdoonvarna, where the singles/matchmaking festival occurs every September. Kenz and I were like “Great! Let’s go!” Then Ray informed us the average festival attendee wore dentures and had a pension plan in action. LOL Okaaaaaay…
It was magnificent, the whole tour. The ocean is so green and blue and gorgeous.
After we got back from the tour, we showered and walked through town to McDonough’s, where we shared a plate of their famous fish and chips. Then we finally went into The Quays! The pub in my painting. Really cool place, and it is SO much bigger inside than it looks from the outside, we were really surprised. I had a pint of Smithwick’s (pronounced Smiddick’s) and Kens had a Carlsberg (and stole the glass) and we both started to get really sleepy. We did have a long day, after all. So I stopped at a Chat’r'net and called my mom (and for only a euro fifty I talked to her for 15 minutes!), then went back to the hostel as the sun finally set, at about 10 p.m. Mel
journal entry . day 6 . Galway
28 May 2007
Right now we are sitting on a picnic table at our hostel in the Connemara National Park, overlooking the Killary Fjord. So far, aside from the cliffs (or maybe not), it is the most beautiful place I’ve seen in Ireland. Quiet and peaceful. A warm sunny day with a cool breeze, fluffy white cumulus clouds shading parts of the green mountain side. The water in the fjord is calm, like glass. The only sounds I hear are of chirping birds and the joyous far-off cries of people in the ropes course at the Killary Adventure Centre. An occasional gust of wind whips through the trees, creating a whistling music. It is so serene here.
Connemara is well known for its marble and granite. It is amazing because you can just pick up pieces from the side of the road. They mine for the big slabs and probably just turn all the little pieces into gravel. My backpack is at least 6 or 7 lbs. heavier with beautiful pieces of marble and granite and quartz, in all different colors and shapes. They’re all for my mom She’ll be happy. It is all she wanted me to bring back for her. Rocks. Mel
Although there wasn’t much to do except walk the trails and enjoy the beautiful views (downtown Leenane is about 6 km away and the ropes course costs over a hundred euro), I’m glad we stayed at the Sleepzone there. We hung out with the three people running the place, all around our age. Larina, the Irish girl, Ellie, the French girl, and Frederick, the Aussie guy. They were all really nice and totally laid back. Then Frederick explained that their “bosses” were on holiday in France and that was why they were so laidback! ha ha. Reminded me of certain times at La Casa We chilled all day pretty much. Mackensy watched the Lost finale with Larina, although they missed the first hour. Then we had a glass of wine with Frederick (he was generous enough to share his last bottle, an Aussie Shiraz how apropos) and talked and watched Entourage. Their tv shows are so far behind ours, as far as the seasons and episodes go. We also watched a famous Irish comedian named Dylan Moran, I think. Frederick was laughing hysterically and it was funny, but I knew it was more of a, idk, european comedy, I guess? Because it was weird funny. Anyway, I smoked a rolled cigarette with Frederick and Ellie, (and it made me SO nauseous! I’m not a smoker anymore!) and then we went to bed and talked about boys and stuff before we drifted off to sleep. I’m sure I drifted first. Ciao! Mel
journal entry . day 7 . Leenane
29 May 2007
We awoke to another beautiful morning. Kenz went running while I read in the kitchen for a bit, eating muesli and watching the early morning sun illuminate the fjord. We went for a walk after breakfast, looking for more rocks and taking pictures. We had to be out on the main road by around 12:30 to catch the tour bus, so we headed nack to the hostel to shower and pack up. I would have liked to stay one more night, but as there really was nothing to do, we figured it just made sense to continue on. As we made it out to the main road I realized I left my earrings on the bed. So I dropped my pack with Kenz by the road and half ran half power-walked the kilometre back to the hostel, grabbed them from the bunk, said goodbye to Frederick and hurried out to the main road again.
After fifteen minutes or so, we saw the bright blue bus chugging up the hill. Chris was our tour guide yesterday, taking us into Cong and dropping us off at the same spot yesterday, and it turned out that he was the driver again today. We waved at him from the side of the road and he slowed and stopped and got out to help with our packs.
The next stop on the tour was Kylemore Abbey, which is just breathtaking. Unfortunately, you don’t get to see much of the inside, but the gothic cathedral and the Victoria Gardens on the property make up for that. We spent two hours there, and the drive through Connemara and Maam Valley is so beautiful and so different from the Burren and the cliffs that it is amazing to know they aren’t even a day’s trip apart. We saw The Quiet Man bridge, where the John Wayne movie of the same name was filmed. We also stopped in the town of Clifden, a quaint seaside village, where Kenz and I got frozen yogurt. Finally back into Galway, we returned to Sleepzone, made dinner, and went to see the swans on the quay. The weather was so warm and inviting that there were hords of people on the quay, enjoying the sunshine with beers and pizza while it lasted, for rain has been forecasted for the rest of the week. Mel
journal entry . day 8 . Galway
25 May 2007
We saw Pirates! It was sooo good! The theatre was amazing too. I think, other than going to the pubs, that going to the movies is THE thing to do in Ireland, or Dublin anyway. There are six floors to the theatre, wiht cafes, lounges, all kinds of eateries, Ben and Jerry’s, and it was PACKED. Granted we did go on the opening night. When you buy you tickets they assign your seat, and three different attendants checked our tickets as we searched for the correct theatre.
Going to the movies is such a nice escape from reality for a few hours. But at the end of the three hours as the credits rolled, and the lights brightened, reality sank in as we remembered we were not at Big Newport or Triangle Square. “Wanna go to Big Belly?” Mackensy joked. I have to admit, I felt a little homesick! We walked down the empty streets of Dublin in the rain, back to our hostel and went to bed. I hardly slept; the room felt like a meat locker, and top bunks are not my idea of comfortable beds. I think I have repressed memories from childhood, of falling off the top bunk. This morning we woke and went downstairs to breakfast which consisted of corn flakes and instant coffee. (I’m beginning to realize that instant coffee is really popular here, or maybe it is just a cheap hostel thing.) After a bit of email checking and necessity shopping ( & Mackensy realizing she lost her ATM card! ) we headed off for Galway. Ciao! Mel
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I LOVE GALWAY! It is so beautiful here! It is quaint and charming, even though it is one of the largest cities in Ireland. And it’s relatively sterile when compared with Dublin, especially Temple Bar, where the streets are filthy with broken beer bottle glass in all different colors and cigarette butts filling the cracks between cobblestones. If I felt homesick in Dublin, I feel at home here in Galway.
It was a four-hour bus ride of narrow, winding motorways, through even smaller, quaint towns, like Ballinasloe and Athlone to name a few. The views were gorgeous; luscious green fields, adorned with cows and sheep and horses, beautiful country homes, and acres of land separated by centuries-old stone walls, so intricate and delicate, each stone purposefully and carefully set. They look like they could easily be knocked over, yet many have stood there longer than our country has been a country. Finally arriving in Galway (Gaillimh in Gaelic), I knew instantly that I’d love it. We were dropped off directly in front of Eyre Square, where JFK visited months before his assassination. Our hostel is right in city centre, a few blocks from the square. (And it is SOOO nice! The hostels just keep gettimg better!) At the moment we are sitting in a cafe called Java’s, relaxing after our lunch, and planning the rest of our days here in Eire. Mel
journal entry . day 4 . Dublin & Galway .
26 May 2007
Kenz and I are sitting on the patio of a pub off Quay Street. (pronounced Key). I’m having a pint and Kenz, a cappuccino, while we write and watch people stroll by. Saturday is busy here in Galway, hundreds of tourists and such, walking around and filling the pubs and shops. We went to a wonderful farmer’s market that wraps through the tiny alleyways and narrow streets around the Church of St. Nicholas, where, legend has it, that Christopher Columbus went to pray before sailing the ocean and discovering the “new world”. At the market I bought a little painting of The Quays, a popular bar on Quay Street. The paintor himself, Kevin McCarthy, had a wall of his work at the market, about two dozen paintings varying in size, of pubs, or storefronts, or the river walk (also called the quay), and they were all so beautiful, I wanted to buy more. The painting I got is oil on dental plaster! I think they all were though. It is little and in a frame he made as well. Perhaps one day he’ll be famous and I’ll have an original McCarthy! I went to The Quays, the actual pub, and took a picture, to go along with my painting Mel
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It is pouring rain. I love the rain, but not when I’m on holiday, and meant to be sightseeing. And not when I don’t rain clothes or at least a heavy jacket. Today has become lazy and sleepy and, as we’ve been indoors most of the day, very boring. I took a long walk a bit ago, towards the quay to see all the swans, but the swans will have to wait till another day. I turned around and went back to the hostel. It is too cold and too windy, and even with an umbrella I was nearly soaked. I’m sitting in the kitchen having tea and eating muesli and wondering what in the world to do with myself. I really don’t even want to go to the pubs tonight, to spend money I shouldn’t be spending, and trying to look cute in the windy and rain. It just takes so much effort and energy, energy that has been sucked out of me by this damp day. Perhaps it rains the rest of our trip?!?! Oh, I hope not, we’ll be quite miserable… Mel
journal entry . day 5 . Galway .
24 May 2007
I awoke this morning a bit hungover, and very parched. It was early, perhaps 6 or 7, and I got up to pee, glancing into the hall and around the corners on my way to the bathroom because I was in my underwear and a longsleeve t shirt I went back to sleep after returning unnoticed (thank goodness!) and we didn’t wake up till eleven! At least we slept through the night this time. We dressed and checked out. I stopped in a pharmacy to purchase Sudafed, as my ears are STILL very plugged. It is no longer painful, just uncomfortable and annoying, for my hearing is even more diminished than normal.
We are now in a different hostel, in a different neighborhood, near the O’Connell Street Spire. The hostel here, called Browns, is bigger, nicer, and although we don’t have a private room, (we’re in a 20-bed girls only dormitory!) I am so glad we decided to move. It is cheaper, cleaner, the beds are more comfortable, there is toilet paper! the women’s locker facility is huge, and we don’t have to share toilets with guys (ick). And it actually has a “well-equipped” kitchen. Taking a comfortable shower was wonderful and now we are just relaxing. After two days of much walking I think we needed a little downtime. I am sitting in the large dining/living room with lots of tables, a tv, vending machines, and even a pool table. The whole place is like a labyrinth; our dorm is up 5 flights of twisting stairs and hallways. The communal living are and locker rooms are underground, and shaped like tunnels. No windows obviously, but very cool place indeed. Mel
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We saw a movie poster for Pirates of The Caribbean earlier and the movie opens TODAY! I don’t even think it is out in the States yet…I think we might forego hitting up the pubs tonight to enjoy a little Johnny and Orlando Mel
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Oh, I met a girl named Cara in the locker room earlier. She’s from Barcelona and we talked for a bit, half in English, half in Spanish. I got in the shower and as she left she yelled “Ciao Mayleessa!” So cute I returned the “Ciao!” eagerly. I love that word, I’m going to start saying it all the time, everyone else does here! Ciao! Mel
journal entry . day 3 . dublin .
22 May 2007
So far traveling to Ireland has been a tedious journey. I can’t imagine anyone enjoying the 16-hour travel time from California (w/two layovers and no downtime) to Dublin. Especially with a relentless runny nose and horrible sore throat. Mackensy jinxed me when, a week ago, she told me to start taking airborne. I got sick the day before we left. UGH
Dublin is pretty much like every big city, dirty, busy, confusing. I must admit that we are a bit disenchanted so far, but we’ve only been here a few hours and have not slept. Currently we are relaxing in our (icky) hostel in Temple Bar, a hip neighborhood, where the cobblestone streets are lined by pubs. We aren’t sure what we’ll do next or how long we’ll stay before venturing off to Galway. Mel
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I think we were just a little grumpy this morning. Dublin is quaint, (parts of it anyway) as much as a city can be, I suppose. We took a long nap at Cobblestone’s, our hostel, and it was very much needed. After we woke we walked around a bit, got some tea at O’Brien’s, which I guess is Ireland’s version of Starbucks (although they do have Starbuck’s here, just not all over). I feel a little better, my ears are still plugged however, and the dreadful runny nose and phlegmy cough prevail. Ha ha, sorry, that’s gross. At the moment we are sitting in The Auld Dubliner (!!!) in Temple Bar, having our first pint of Guinness. It is amazing how different it tastes from Guinness in the States. I overheard an Irishman tell an American woman that the reason is because the thick beer doesn’t “travel well”. Then I wondered if they make Irish Carbombs in the pubs here, and if they do, do they just call them carbombs? Mel
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The cobblestone streets are beautiful, but the streets in general are confusing. Street signs are not obvious and pedestrian traffic can be overwhelming. Today has definitely been a sort of orientation. We walked through St. Stephen’s Green, a lush park with a pond and gazebos and couples making out like teenagers. Vista points are littered with cigarette butts, almost like fallen leaves from trees, which is unfortunate. In fact Dublin isn’t very clean at all, but so goes city life, right? There is so much history, everywhere I look. To be an American in a foreign country is incredibly sobering. Reading books and watching movies seems so superficial when compared to the reality of the world. I feel so uncultured when it comes to the Europeans traveling here, who speak like ten languages and dislike us, just for being American of course. The only nice people we’ve met so far, have been American. Mel
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It is almost 10 p.m. here in Dublin and the sky has only just begun to darken. It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day, after the fog lifted, spotted by just a few cirrus clouds. After our pint we walked the streets of Temple Bar, looking at menus displayed in cafe windows. We stopped in a market and bought some groceries to make dinner at the hostel. We have a big day planned for tomorrow, so tonight is a chill session. Mel
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We’ve talked to more Americans in Ireland than Irish people. And many were on our flight from the States. Two guys are even staying at the same hostel. Random. They’re pretty cute, too
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journal entry . day one . Dublin .
I feel lucky.
Sorry, no pun intended.
I’m going to Ireland, with Mackensy, and it is amazing, a trip of a lifetime, one many people will never experience.
It was a totally random decision, but completely characteristic of Mackensy and me. We planned on moving to Southern California together, and talked about it like crazy, and had apprehensions about it, but when it came down to the wire, we just did it, no plans, no reservations, no knowledge whatsoever of how amazing and drastically different our lives would soon become. I never have and never will regret that move because it shaped who I am today.
We’ve talked about Europe, which she did last summer, we’ve talked about Brasil, and most recently we discussed Ireland. But not seriously. So when she called me on Tuesday and said, “Let’s go to Ireland in two weeks” I was surprised… for two minutes. Then I said yes, absolutely. And the next day we bought plane tickets. Are we crazy? Maybe, but perhaps sometimes you need to be a little crazy, to feel really normal. Does that make sense? I hope it does. Because it does to me.
So here is the plan, although we really don’t have a “plan” quite yet. We fly into Dublin May 22 and will spend a couple of days there. We are staying in the Republic of Ireland, (we aren’t going to venture into Northern Ireland) and want to kind of circle around visiting Galway, Limmerick, Waterford, Cork, Kilkenny and back up to Dublin. And we fly home on June 5. We’re taking backpacks only, we don’t have any reservations and plan on walking a lot, and riding a lot of trams and busses. Plus bicycling and hiking and anything else we decide might be fun. We’re doing a lot of research but neither of us have ever been so we don’t know quite what to expect. So if anyone reading has any tips or suggestions, we’d love to hear them.
