A Roman Holiday

I was fortunate enough a few weeks ago to meet up with some old friends from Ashland in Rome, Italy. The group was wrapping up their spring break trip with a weekend in the Eternal City and I was happy to make my first trip to Italy to explore a bit with them. Seeing friends from home and enjoying the beautiful sunshine was absolutely wonderful.

Rome was lovely. I did not know what to expect really, as I have heard some strong opinions on the place expressed by my grandparents and by other study abroad students who've been there. I found it quite nice, but I was there at a time that was not the height of the tourist season (less crowds) and not the summer (less heat). It wasn't as clean or as efficient as London, but Rome has its charm and the pace of city life seemed relatively relaxed.

I should also mention that I didn't visit all the major sites in Rome and instead choose to tag along with the Ashland group and see some particular things that are a bit off of the beaten path. I'm glad I'll have some different stories to tell, but this does mean I'll have to make a trip back someday to see the Sistine Chapel and the Mouth of Truth and things like that. The places I did go where very interesting though, and I probably wouldn't have thought to go to them on my own.

I arrived in Rome on Thursday, 8 March and met friends (Conner, Marc, Dan, Joe) at their hotel, which was about a five-minute walk from my hostel. Their hotel had a lovely little terrace and we were able to just sit and catch-up. Friday morning we headed to Ostia Antica, the ancient port city of Rome that was buried in a flood/mud-slide ages and ages ago. Miles of this place have been uncovered and the AU group had a wonderful tour guide that took us through the different areas of the city.

The amphitheatre

Mosaics - Suggesting the ivory trade

Cisterns that held olive oil

Ruins of the Holy of Holies in the Jewish synagogue outside of Ostia Antica

From Ostia, we took the train a little further outside of the city to the coast. The Mediterranean Sea is gorgeous, a clear bright blue. We spent some time at the beach, laughing and taking photos and, in my case, restoring the Vitamin C deficiency that cloudy London had caused.

Conner and I

Epic shot of Dan and I

After our time at the coast, it was back into Rome for some sight-seeing and dinner. We went to Vatican City, which was a lot smaller than I expected. I suppose films always distort the size of locations, but I really did expect the plaza to be much larger than it actually was. We went into St. Peter's Basilica, where the marble and height of the columns are made to awe. The interior of the basilica was very impressive, but I found that I much prefer the old Gothic cathedrals in England. I love the stone-work, the fact that they were built by generations of craftsmen, and the imperfections - St. Peter's was just too show-y somehow, too much gold and marble, and you get lost in it instead of finding something to connect with. From the Vatican area, we headed to the Parthenon and then to a little pizzeria for my first Italian pizza. Said pizza did not disappoint - the cheese, oh golly, it was delicious. And then... gelato. I've never had gelato like this. By this point we were stuffed, but fortunately the metro had closed and we had a long walk back to the hotel. I didn't mind, though others in the group did - it was a lovely night, I listened to some Dean Martin as we walked, and I loved seeing the Colosseum all lit up at night.

Vatican

St. Peter's

Gelato! Stracciatella and Chocolate.

The Colosseum

Saturday morning we again had an early start and headed to the Catacombs at St. Callisto. These catacombs were burial places for the Christian martyrs and other Christians for hundreds of years and there are miles and miles of tombs underground. A portion has been cleared for visiting and a priest took us through the labyrinth of passageways. The AU group leader then gave a short message in one of the chapels and had us sing 'O Come All Ye Faithful' - a good memory that I'll treasure. After the catacombs, I  split off from the group for a few hours to go see the Spanish Steps and do a bit of exploring in that area of the city. I then met up with Conner to go through the Keats Museum, which is in the house that Keats died in, and then make a pilgrimage out to Keats's grave. The Protestant Cemetery in Rome was just about to close, but we begged the groundskeeper to let us run in to see Keats's resting place. We re-joined the group in time for dinner, which was emotional since it was the AU people's last night in Italy. For dinner, we had wine and a delicious risotto dish.

Catacombs

Marc and I

Up the Spanish Steps

Streets of Rome

Keats House - Room where Keats died

Keats House - the Museum area and Library

Keats's grave

'Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water.'

My Ashland friends left very early Sunday morning, so we all said our good-byes on Saturday night. Sunday I slept in a bit, grabbed some breakfast at the hostel, then headed out. The Vatican museum and Sistine chapel were closed, so instead I walked around the area near the Trevi Fountain. I sat in the sun and read for a bit, had some pizza for lunch, and found a lovely little bookshop that sold vintage posters. I took the coach back to the airport and had the lovely experience of having a flight get in two hours late. 

At the crowded Trevi Fountain

And that was my 'Roman Holiday.' No Gregory Peck came along, but it was still very nice. I'm not kidding though when I say the best part was seeing Ashland friends and being in the sunshine. I didn't realize how much I missed those two things in my life. I was glad to share the experience with them.

Come Dance with Me in Ireland

Better late than never, they say.

During 'Reading Week' (aka Travel Week) from 17-25 February, my friend Christa and I headed to Ireland. The Emerald Isle. The land of Yeats, Guinness, and the Pogues.

I think we all dream of going to Ireland at some point during our lives. It is one of those places that has this aura about it, like its a slice of magic left in a world that has lost most of its mystery. It is a nation that has experienced centuries of upheaval and yet has clung to its own culture, literature, and language. Plus, every girl over the age of 13 has seen films like 'P.S. I Love You' and 'Leap Year' - they make good men in Ireland, so we all want to try our luck there. 

While I did not come home with a merry ginger lad on my arm, I did enjoy my time in both the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland immensely. The whole island is simply beautiful - definitely lives up to its reputation as the greenest place on earth. When the sun comes out, the whole ground is illuminated with this dazzling emerald glow that just takes your breath from you. The castles we visited were surrounded by sweeping grounds and hills and forests, and you are taken back to a different time as you stand there and take in the wide expanse of open country surrounding you. It really is amazing, I cannot possibly describe the beauty to you in a way that will do it justice.

All the hostels we stayed at were very nice - clean and comfortable as far as hostels go, which helped make our trip pleasant. This was also the first time I've ever lived out of a backpack for a prolonged period of time - and I survived. It really wasn't too bad, I just had interesting looking hair when no blow dryer was available. And my falling in the mud (on 2 occasions) didn't help with the clothing situation, but I managed.

I'll go through the various places I visited during my week there, hitting the highlights at least. Christa and I did as much as we possibly could in each place, but it'd take me too many words to go through it all. For further pictures (I took over 1000), see my facebook page. So here goes...

'The sweet port of Cork'

The only knowledge I had of Cork was that the Irish Rover (immortalized in a traditional Irish song) left from the port there before it wrecked. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I had wanted to start my journey through Ireland as far south as possible and work my way north. So Cork it was, and this choice proved to be a good one. The city is walk-able, though quite hilly in places, and is very colorful. The colorfulness, I came to learn, is a defining characteristic of Irish cities. The Irish apparently asked themselves, 'Why paint a house tan or white when it could be bright yellow?' and carried that philosophy through the decades. It really makes the buildings come alive though, and along with the flowers and lights, creates a vibrant atmosphere.

Cork was lovely to just walk around, looking in shops and churches (a surprising amount of Protestant ones in the traditionally Catholic part of the country) and exploring the different river-walks and parks. We ate well and cheaply, were not discouraged by a bit of rain, and enjoyed our first day in Ireland.

The following morning, we took a little side trip out of Cork to visit Blarney Castle. I there participated in perhaps the coolest 'tourist' thing of my entire time in Europe - kissing the Blarney Stone. I have made a point to kiss what the world decrees every passer-by to (Oscar Wilde's tomb, for example), so I couldn't pass this up. The castle itself is interesting (as is the mysterious 'Poison Garden' there - I'm not joking. They grow hemlock), but kissing the stone really is an experience. A little old Irish man holds you in his arms as you bend over backwards to plant a smooch on a rock that hangs from the top of the main tower. It's ridiculous really, but so ridiculous that no one can resist it. Hey, even Winston Churchill kissed the stone, which is said to be a source of eloquence to all whose saliva passed over its cold surface.

After Blarney, we headed back to Cork to catch another coach to Galway. This coach ride wins the most frightening moment in Europe award: part way there, the coach stopped at a station for a 10-minute break. Well, Christa and I left our stuff on the bus to run in to use the restroom and when we came out, the coach was pulling out of the station. I have never ran so fast in my entire life and I hope I never have to do it again. Luckily, a man shouted to us that the bus would go around the square in the center of town first, so we could run over to the other side and wave for it to stop. Thank God, we made it back on. Oh well, I suppose it's good to know that my heart can bear the exertion of sprinting like my life depended upon it.

Colorful Cork

After a Thursday night. Whew.

Blarney Castle

Kissing the Blarney Stone!

I wish I was joking, but this was totally real.

A Girl in Galway

If I was ever to move to Ireland, I would make my nest at Galway. The place is gorgeous, the people so fun and friendly, the city is small but full of interesting things, and the water is indescribably beautiful. We had a sunny, warm day to walk around in. The Claddagh, or the portion of coastline along Galway Bay, is breathtaking. I love the sea and easily spent a few hours just meandering along the beach, taking some time to sit on the rocks and read Yeats. It was an experience I'll never forget - sitting there, the sea breeze in my hair, the gentle beat of the waves far away in the low tide, the sun illuminating the pages of my book. Ahhh.

And here's the other side of Galway... Christa had been warned by the man next to her on the plane ride into Cork that we should 'watch out for the lads' during our time in Ireland. Well, his hint proved quite correct when we reached Galway. Our first night there, Christa and I headed to a pub to hear some Irish music and ran into a group of paramedics on a stag party. They were quite friendly, bought us drinks, chatted with us, etc. We enjoyed their company, especially a certain Mike whose muscles were a wonderful thing to behold. :) The next afternoon, after our time along the Claddagh and exploring Galway was drawing to an end, we went into a pub that a local group of musicians would soon be playing at and sat down for a rest. Welllll... A group of firefighters from Belfast on a stag party dropped in and pretty soon became our best friends. Jimmy/Craig (not sure which is his real name) and Paddy were still a bit tipsy from the night before, but that didn't stop them from having a drink with us (they paid, of course) and bringing us into the mayhem. It was all good fun, and I really enjoyed just getting to know a bit more about the people in Ireland (even the crazy ones on weekend-long stag parties).

I do still have the number for the Belfast Fire Station, in case you were wondering. ;)

Galway

The Claddagh

Galway Bay

Dublin: The City of Irish Literature

Our next stop was Dublin. Though I was sad to leave Galway after such a fun time there, I was truly excited to see the city of Yeats and Joyce and Wilde. And it didn't disappoint in the least. After London, I believe that Dublin is the best literary city in the world. There are amazing libraries, places and plaques connected with writers everywhere you look, and even new plays about books (we saw 'Bookworms' at the Abbey Theatre). I was in my own little heaven, of course, seeing the library at Trinity College, Marsh's Library at St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Literary Parade, the Winding Stair bookshop, etc. I also had a chance to tour Dublin Castle, which has an interesting history and is the current capital of the Irish Republic.

Molly Malone and I

the Literary Parade

Swift's Grave at St. Patrick's Cathedral

Part of Dublin Castle - That Irish colorfulness again.

Statue of Justice at Dublin Castle - A source of outrage for the Irish people as 1. Justice isn't blind, 2. She is facing the government buildings instead of the Irish people and 3. The scale tips towards the Department of Revenue when rain water drips off of her fingertip.

Oscar Wilde Memorial. What a cheeky fellow.

Yeats Exhibit at the National Library of Ireland. Seeing the original drafts of Yeats's poems was a dream come true.

'P.S. I Love You' Country - Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains National Park

From Dublin, Christa and I went to spend 2 days in Glendalough (pronounced Glen-da-lock), where parts of P.S. I Love You were filmed. It was overcast and rainy while we were there, but the area is just so naturally stunning that it didn't really matter (except that my coat wasn't waterproof - oops). We spent what hours of daylight we had out exploring the Lower Lake and Upper Lake areas of the park, taking photographs and marveling at the view. Our night at the hostel there was spent eating Chinese takeout (the only food option in the area really) and watching 'Michael Collins.' 

So here are just a handful of the hundreds of pictures I took in Glendalough. Enjoy.

So happy to be in Ireland. I love it.

At the Upper Lake. Amazing.

Wild Irish Goats!!!

The waterfall

St. Kevins Monastery

Returning to Dublin

We spent one final night in Dublin after we returned from our sojourn in the Irish countryside. I had my first pint of Guinness (and finished it too, by the way - not too bad, just too dark for me) and finished off my Literary Tour with a visit to the Dublin Writers Museum.

Statue of James Joyce

To the North

We then took a train from Dublin to Portadown, where we stayed with our friend Jilly and her family for the last leg of our trip. The first night, Jilly took us into Belfast, where we saw things connected with the Titanic and ate the best cheeseburgers of our lives at the cutest restaurant called 'Made in Belfast.' It was spectacular. The next morning, we paid a visit to Ballydoughan Pottery, where we ate a full Irish breakfast (everything fried) and I took the risk of buying some pottery to transport back in my little backpack. Jilly then drove us up to the very northern coast of Ireland to see the Giant's Causeway. It's unbelievable, it really is. I had heard of the Causeway before but didn't know exactly what it was. Here's the history of it: http://www.discoverireland.com/gb/about-ireland/experience-ireland/icons/giants-causeway/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=gb_ga_010112_GBGoogleAdwords_TI_GB_NB_Places_of_Interest_Broad_Modified

The Causeway is so grand and so full of mystery - it just makes you realize that there are things in this world beyond our wildest imagination, things that could only be the doings of a creative God who has a good eye for beauty.

Belfast - The 2 cranes (Samson and Goliath) that helped build the Titanic.

IRONY. IRONY. IRONY.

Jilly and Christa and the big blue fish.

Full Irish Breakfast - fried egg, fried sausage, fried bacon (ham), fried tomato, soda bread and potato bread. So bad for you? Yes. So delicious? Yes.

Ballydoughan Pottery - cute!

Jilly and I on the Giant's Causeway

At the tip of the Causeway, by the North Sea

The Causeway juts out into the sea on the left.

The Pipe Organ, the Causeway

Dunluce Castle

Thus ends my narrative of my Ireland adventure. It was an unforgettable trip - I could talk about it for hours and hours, so be sure, dear family and friends, to ask me a lot about it when I return to the States.

Coming soon: posts on my London excursions and my trip to Rome to see friends from Ashland.