For the past two weeks I've been a free bird, quite literally. I've flown around Europe, becoming very comfortable with international airports in the process (and yes I am patting myself on the back as we speak), and this last week I was fortunate enough to spend with a group of pretty awesome people who have already made my time in Munich so memorable. Things are looking good!
So, Ireland and Amsterdam.
Let me just begin this chronologically, with Ireland, and tell you that Johnny Cash was not exaggerating: there really are forty shades of green, and every last one of them is absolutely beautiful. When you're in a country that just throws this sort of morning at you:
...you know you're somewhere really special.
And it has to be said, it wasn't just the scenery that made this country so beautiful. The people of Ireland were a huge part of what made our time there so enjoyable. I could tell you so many different stories, and all of them are really great, but I'm going to particularly mention one person whose name I never even learned, but who remains one of the most memorable parts of my trip.
When I arrived at the airport in Dublin I quickly made my way to the bus stop outside of the terminal. I had to take the AirCoach bus into the city to the central train station, and then take a three-hour train ride to the the little town of Collooney, Ireland to meet up with my best friend and her family. I was nervous: public transportation can be a little intimidating, and I wasn't quite sure how to get from the bus stop to the train station. I only had about an hour to make my connection, and I was crossing my fingers that I wasn't going to end up on the wrong train, bound for some far corner of the country. Lucky for me, someone was watching over me, and while I was waiting in line for the bus the man standing behind me struck up a conversation. Now before you get too excited, he was a very old man, in his early eighties I believe, and one of the nicest people I've ever met. He just happened to be traveling the same direction as me, on the same train, and not only did he show me how to get to the train station, he also helped me buy my ticket and find the right train. Throughout the whole bus and train ride we didn't stop talking once: he told me all about his family and his children and his life in Ireland. We talked about musicals and the opera and traveling and when the trolley came through the cabin he bought me a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate, refusing to let me pay for it. When we arrived at his stop I was truly sorry to see him leave. He wished me the best of luck on my trip , in Gaelic and in English, told me how glad he was to have met me, and then was on his way.
It may not seem like much, but his kindness meant the world to me, and best portrays the type of people I was lucky enough to meet. So to the old man at the bus stop: thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Quite honestly, as I was sitting on that train with the countryside of Ireland rolling past me, it felt as if the sun was shining especially bright, just for me. I'd checked the weather report before I left Munich and it had called for rain, but I didn't see one glimpse of it during that train ride. I saw rolling hills enclosed within stone walls and little flowers sprouting up all along the train tracks. I saw the way the light reflected off the lakes we passed by and how it lit up the trees and the fields. It was incredible and much more enjoyable then flying ever has been.
I wouldn't mind traveling all over Europe that way.
But the best part about my train ride is who was waiting for me at the train station in Collooney.
It was so surreal, seeing my best friend standing there, knowing that we were in Ireland together and that I was going to be able to spend the whole week with her. We got to experience so much together: her family reunion was ridiculously fun. There was a lot of beer and food, and people from all over the world had gathered to celebrate their common heritage. There were ethnic dancers with massive straw hats on their heads and girls who could dance the Irish Jig.
The party went on until four in the morning and only ended because the DJ eventually decided to pack up his equipment. (Dear California, putting a time limit on people's fun is lame. You should become more European and let us party all night long if we so wish.)
After our stay in Collooney we drove to Belfast and stayed for three nights. We took a black-taxi tour of the city, learning about the history of Ireland and seeing all of the effects of "The Troubles," which technically ended in 1998 with the Good Friday agreement, but remnants of the conflict can still be seen today. There is a massive wall that separates the Protestant living section from the Catholic quarters, and every night at 6PM the gates are locked in an attempt to contain the sporadic acts of violence that still occur. When we were on our taxi tour a group of boys threw rocks at the taxi, asking our driver in Irish slang if he was a Catholic or a Protestant. The oldest one looked about ten years old.
We were also able to visit the Titanic museum and visit the shipyard where the unsinkable ship was built in Belfast. I've always been interested in the Titanic so I was particularly excited about visiting Belfast and I wasn't disappointed by the museum. I think the most poignant part of the tour for me was seeing the transcripts up on a wall of the messages being sent out by the ships communications master in those last few hours before the ship went down, or hearing the stories of the survivors play out over the speakers. There was a quote that particularly struck me: "As the smart ship grew in stature, grace, and hue, in shadowy silence grew the iceberg too."
Paved over slipway where the Titanic was built.
We ended our tour of Ireland in Dublin, which I must say did not quite live up to my expectations, or compare in any way to the countryside. We were able to take a tour of the Guinness Factory though (free beer!!), and Theresa and I were lucky enough to be shown Dublin nightlife by the amazing Martie, the Irish cousin of our friend Megan.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...I finally found a Claddagh ring, which I've been looking to buy for a long time. It's shiny and silver and awesome, and I'm very excited about it, if you can't already tell.
So I can't say that Dublin wasn't enjoyable, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the other places we had visited. Did I mention we stayed at a castle in Collooney? Honestly, how is Dublin supposed to beat that? It was doomed from the start.
So this is where I end this blog post: part one of my vacation. Part two will be out in a day or two and will be all about Amsterdam and my last week in Munich. I thought I would be able to put it all in one post, but I just can't sit at my computer any longer. The sun is out and shining, which I'm told I need to revel in and enjoy before the winter rolls in, so I'm going out to explore this beautiful city. I may even get some Gelato, which I can't believe I lived without for the first twenty-two years of my life.
Sorry Dreyer's but you're not looking so cool right about now.
But before I officially go I need to thank Theresa's parents for their generosity, and for allowing me to join them on their vacation. I've always been made to feel like a part of your family, and having you all in my life is like an added bonus on top of an already amazing best friend. Thanks for making me feel like your honorary daughter, and for helping cure my little bought of homesickness.
Theresa Rose, you're awesome. And I promise to not take it back :)
XO
The American Au-Pair in Germany (who officially resumes her duties on Monday).
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