(Blog 8)
Cooking: Our first adventure of the week after returning from spring break was learning how to cook a traditional Irish meal with Geraldine. We left class early and met her down in the kitchen. Although there are many similarities in ways that we cook in America and ways they cook here it was very fun to learn how to make meals we wouldn't necessarily make at home. Although I do enjoy cooking, I'm far from a professional chef! Potatoes are a big staple dish in Ireland so we started by learning how to make mozzarella potatoes. Absolutely delicious! Then she showed us how to make a basic brown and white sauce. It can be used on almost anything and its definitely a traditional sauce recipe that I'm excited to take home with me. We also learned how to make traditional Irish brown bread. It is similar to corn bread that we make in Nebraska but it circular in shape and is baked to be much harder. It was such a great experience and I'm happy I have a few new recipes to try out on my roommates!
Clonmacnoise: Our first stop on our road to Dublin was a popular pilgrimage sight called Clonmacnoise. It is one of the oldest cemeteries and extant churches in Ireland. It was one of the most beautiful places we have visited although it felt a bit weird being in such an old cemetery. We learned that the area used to be a point in Ireland that almost everyone had to pass through to get from western to eastern Dublin and therefore it became a sight chosen to start a monastery. Ciaran founded the monastery and the ground around his temple is said to bring good luck to crops when spread on the four corners of your field which is why it is sinking down so low. We also had a chance to whisper in a small nook of the whispering arch which could only be heard by someone whose ear was put to the other side. It was very cool to be able to touch stones that had been in place since the early 1100's! Definitely worth taking the time to explore around.
Farmleigh House: Our next stop on the path to Dublin was a stop and stroll through the Farmleigh house and grounds. This was the original house of the creator of Guinness. Although we weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside of the house, I found that it was absolutely beautiful. It is used to host foreign leaders now and we even caught glimpses of a few pictures of our own president throughout the house. The ceilings were high and adorned with crown molding and stucco. The grounds were equally as beautiful. We took time to sit next to a small fountain and to stroll around the walking path that followed around a pond out front. Its crazy to think that a house this large was lived in at one time and that it has survived to tell its history to us!
1st day in Dublin: Parliament House & Book of Kells: On our first morning in Dublin, we started by taking a tour through the Parliamentary house. We learned a bit about how the Government in Ireland has been run since they received their independence from England. Possibly the most interesting part for me, was being able to sit in on a bill proposal that was in the works. The subject was the allowance of gay marriage and its constitutionality. This is the topic of huge debate and conflicts in The United States and learning that it is also a struggle in Ireland was very interesting. Knowing that debates that we as a country are going through are also the source of strife in other countries helps make Ireland a more grounded concept for me. My only regret is that we couldn't sit in and listen longer.
The next place we stopped was the Book of Kells. This was an extremely rewarding experience for me. Being a fine arts major, I have spent a lot of time researching the book of Kells throughout my art history classes. I had previously learned of its importance and have seen several picture of the book itself. Walking through the exhibition and learning how the monks actually formed this religious book made it even more interesting to me. We saw their process of making velum, transcribing with quill and ink, and the adornment of each page. I loved having the ability to actually see this book first hand and see, for myself, its intricacies. I would absolutely suggest if are in Dublin, that you take the time to walk through and see it. The Trinity Library, which is directly above where the book is stored, has a large selection of books as well. Some of the most important books in history are housed there and walking through and seeing some of the book that still survive from the earliest point of history is an experience that I think everyone should have the chance to receive.
The next place we stopped was the Book of Kells. This was an extremely rewarding experience for me. Being a fine arts major, I have spent a lot of time researching the book of Kells throughout my art history classes. I had previously learned of its importance and have seen several picture of the book itself. Walking through the exhibition and learning how the monks actually formed this religious book made it even more interesting to me. We saw their process of making velum, transcribing with quill and ink, and the adornment of each page. I loved having the ability to actually see this book first hand and see, for myself, its intricacies. I would absolutely suggest if are in Dublin, that you take the time to walk through and see it. The Trinity Library, which is directly above where the book is stored, has a large selection of books as well. Some of the most important books in history are housed there and walking through and seeing some of the book that still survive from the earliest point of history is an experience that I think everyone should have the chance to receive.
Dublin Castle: Our next stop was at the Dublin Castle. It has been around since the early 1200's but only recently, have the towers and other fallen parts begun to be uncovered. It used to be a seat of military British rule in Dublin but it is now used as the Irish government building. We went down into a buried tower and learned that originally the castle had a mote around it and a large door with small steep steps. If they didn't trust someone who asked for entry, they'd swing the door open and push them back into the moat! Everything in this building, as with many of the places we've visited in Ireland, was extremely beautiful and adorned. The amount we learned on this tour alone helped round out the picture of Ireland through the last few hundred years.
Night life: One of the nice things about being in a city as large as Dublin is that there is never a shortage of things to do, regardless of the time of day! Ask your front desk hostel worker or even someone you meet while there. Most people are friendly and will point you in the right direction. One night we stopped in a local comedy club and watched a few budding comedians. Another night we stopped by the Brazen Head which is the Oldest Pub in Ireland. We also went on a local Bar Crawl called the backpacker. It was actually a great way to meet people from all over the world! A lot of the people who went on the pub crawl were other travelers looking to meet new friends. If you find yourself out late one of the best burger places we found to eat was called Bobos. They had delicious huge burgers that are very reasonably priced.
Night life: One of the nice things about being in a city as large as Dublin is that there is never a shortage of things to do, regardless of the time of day! Ask your front desk hostel worker or even someone you meet while there. Most people are friendly and will point you in the right direction. One night we stopped in a local comedy club and watched a few budding comedians. Another night we stopped by the Brazen Head which is the Oldest Pub in Ireland. We also went on a local Bar Crawl called the backpacker. It was actually a great way to meet people from all over the world! A lot of the people who went on the pub crawl were other travelers looking to meet new friends. If you find yourself out late one of the best burger places we found to eat was called Bobos. They had delicious huge burgers that are very reasonably priced.
Whiskey Tasting!: A few friends and myself decided one day to stop by a small whiskey museum in Dublin. Ireland is the self acclaimed creator of whiskey so we though it would be a lot of fun to learn more about its history, creation and to experience the tastes ourselves. The tour was extremely informative and I would absolutely recommend you check it out! We were told that it is a fairly new museum in Dublin and is just starting to gain recognition so look it up before it starts getting packed everyday (Which I have no doubt it will.) We tried whiskeys, whose recipes have been in use for a very long time, as well as whiskeys created by newer Irish distilleries.
Guinness Factory, Kilmainhan Jail, Nation Botanic Gardens: These were my final three stops of my trip to Dublin. By this time not a moment had been wasted while in Dublin. Every opportunity to see a historical sight, try a local food or drink, or meet a new friend had been seized. Ill keep my last few adventures short and sweet but I will include them because I feel they were importance to my experience.
The Guinness Factory was very cool but also it was a definite tourist trap. It was very informative but 5 levels of different aspects from marketing to brewing did become a bit taxing, especially with the massive amounts of people also trying to make their way through. The highlights of the brewery for me was being able to actually pour my own pint as well as seeing the amazing view from the 6th floor gravity bar. Because of those two things, as well as a few other interesting rooms I would suggest if you haven't ever been to a brewery check it out. They don't however actually make any Guinness there that you can observe so that was a bit of a let down.
The Guinness Factory was very cool but also it was a definite tourist trap. It was very informative but 5 levels of different aspects from marketing to brewing did become a bit taxing, especially with the massive amounts of people also trying to make their way through. The highlights of the brewery for me was being able to actually pour my own pint as well as seeing the amazing view from the 6th floor gravity bar. Because of those two things, as well as a few other interesting rooms I would suggest if you haven't ever been to a brewery check it out. They don't however actually make any Guinness there that you can observe so that was a bit of a let down.
Our final stop was the national botanic gardens. The weather wasn't really appropriate for wandering around the gardens which put a damper on it. It was also the final stop in a long slew of tours and historical information so I feel that we could't experience it to its full potential. It was definitely beautiful but to experience it fully you should pick a day that has good sunny weather.
This is definitely an interesting point in my trip. We have only a short amount of time left and as the days before we go home diminish I find my self torn between excitement at seeing my family and my sadness in leaving this beautiful country behind!