Ranting and Raving

Its been a while since I last posted partly because I'm lazy, but also in part because normally the prospect of having trips compound themselves scares me into writing and we are done with our Irish trips for the time being. So a couple weekends ago we went to Kilkenny Castle for a tour. The place had been almost completely restored to what it once was and even had a lot of original parts still standing that had been built around. However as I'm enjoying hearing about the various uses of each room and the architecture and whatnot, I can't help but hear others from my group mutter about how bored they are. (Prepare yourselves because the title of this post is not at all meant to be deceptive.) I desperately wanted to turn around and go "Ok you spoiled smick chick, let's take a few giant steps back in your designer boots and realize just what is actually coming out of your mouth right now:

First off, nobody made you get out of bed this morning and come on this trip that has been so nicely included in your tuition. You don't have to pay a dime extra because you're lucky enough to be in a program that takes you on trips around the country when other study abroad students would have to pay out of their own pocket if they could even find half the places we've been to on their own.

Second, shut up. The tour guy shouldn't have to tell you and your friends to pipe down once let alone twice.

Third, I hope Amsterdam eats you when you do decide to go because apparently weed and booze are the only things that can hold your attention for more than 5 mins." These are the same people who have mommy and daddy's credit card with them and just bounce around Europe without a care in the world. I don't care if people do whatever they want, but there's no reason to be rude to the tour guides and coordinators who are trying to share some of the country's history.

Anyways the grounds of the castle were absolutely beautiful and the place is now a public park. We also got what could possibly be the best lunch we've had so far on this trip including the time we ate at a place operated by Ritz Carlton.

 

After the castle, we went to visit these caves that claim to be the 2nd darkest place in Ireland. The tour guide was once again incredible and is a stronger man than I for putting up with what has inspired me to post some universal tour etiquette. Etiquette that if not followed should result in your immediate stoning by the rest of the group (or just kicking the guilty party out... but what's the fun in that?)

1. This goes back to the whole Kilkenny Castle situation. In the words of my young neighbor Rhea Planey "Shut. Up." People will understand if you're late getting to a tour. That isn't the problem. The problem occurs when you can't quietly join the rest of the group and have to be told repeatedly as you're descending into a cave where your voice reverberates like a bouncy ball on steroids to be quiet and you fail to follow the directive. So rule number 1 is simply "Shut up."

2. Get control of your kids. Maybe my parents were just weirdos but if I ever ran around and caused mayhem out in public like some of these kids did there would be hell to pay. I knew this growing up as did all my other siblings so it rarely if ever happened. If your child is running around and bounces off me into a rock and starts crying, don't think I'm going to feel on ounce of sympathy for them even with the death glare their parents may be shooting at me for not helping them up.

3. If you have a child under 3, hire a babysitter. Or at least don't bring your baby down into a dark wet cave.  Because what's the one thing babies hate more than getting water dripped on their heads? Darkness. So no, terrible parent, bouncing your child up and down in your arms is not going to get them to stop screaming their head off. Do everybody a favor and remove yourself and your child from the tour.

4. Don't make the tour about you. When our guide asked us if we'd like him to turn off the lights in the cave to truly experience the 2nd darkest place in Ireland, I couldn't believe what followed. In the pitch darkness I see people with their cell phones out trying to take pictures. How stupid can you possibly be? Ya wanna know how to get the exact same shot anywhere in the world? Cover up the lens before you shoot and viola! Darkness! Also if you're afraid of the dark and are loudly laughing about it with your friends for why you're keeping your cell phone on, WHY DID YOU EVEN COME DOWN TO THE CAVE ADVERTISED FOR BEING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE AFRAID OF?! The people also seemed to think that darkness had a sound proof quality to it because everyone felt the need to yell when they wanted to communicate something until the lights came back on. Of the 60 seconds the lights were off, there wasn't one where I couldn't see a cell phone or camera ruining the effect

5. Taking a picture of a sign that says "don't take pictures" doesn't make you funny or some super cool rebel; it just makes you an ass. Especially when the guide explains beforehand why they don't want pictures taken during the tour (because they're distracting, who'da thunk it?) and that there will be time at the end. No they won't arrest you for disobeying it, but is it really too much to ask to just be courteous to others around you?

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The next day we sojourned out to Newgrange, home of one of the coolest architectural feats of the ancient world. These tombs were built so well that they have lasted to this day. Not only that, but they predate the pyramids and Stonehenge by 1000 and 500 years! Using stones similar to that of Stonehenge, they dragged these massive rocks across the land and labored for decades to build up these tombs. While the outside looks quite large, the inside is actually very small. But that doesn't make it any less impressive. These buildings of earth and stone had complex roofs that even included a drainage system that kept the inside perfectly dry. The geographical placement of these tombs also aligns perfectly with the sun during the different solstices. The normally artificially lit interior is completely lit by natural light for a small window of time around these solar benchmarks. I'll just show you some pictures because these things were really impressive.

Our last stop we went out to the Hill of Tara which is an ancient sacred site that is home to several holy wells. We had cups this time so we were able to sample some of the water and it was amazing how clean and good tasting it was. There were also several spots on the hill that dated back to some of the ancient Celtic Kings and it was interesting how St. Patrick decided to convert these formerly pagan sites rather than destroy them and build new ones. While the site itself was cool, I'd like to go back on a less rainy occasion so I could more fully enjoy it. Multiple people slipped in the mud and were shivering by the time we got back to the base. Overall though a pretty cool site.

It might be a while before I post again simply because there aren't any trips scheduled anytime soon. The next time you hear from me will probably be in about 2 weeks when the lovely and talented Lady Rachel flies out to grace me with her presence in Ireland for a few days before we both depart for Roma! I'll try to make up for my absence with a nice long post detailing what's sure to be an incredible break covering 5 cities in 7 days. Until then I'm gonna try to teach myself some Italian. Arrivederci!

Just Because the Sun is Out Doesn't Make It Warm!

So as you can guess from the title of this post I had to pay yet another 'stupid tax' while I was out and about on my Irish excursions last weekend. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of a 'stupid tax', it  doesn't necessarily always have to do with money. Example: We had to bring a few things with us to international registration that I was made aware of ahead of time and really had no reason to be unprepared. It wasn't even complicated. "Bring your signed blue sheet with your classes on it and your passport." Seems reasonable and simple enough right? In another country so I should probably have my passport for official things, and it might be nice to let the registration folks know my professors approve of having me in their course. To add to it, the registration building is literally the furthest possible walk from my apartment as I found out. The first time I walked over I signed in and was waiting to talk to the registration people. All of a sudden I decide it might be a good idea to check to make sure I have everything. Sure enough when I look through my folder I find a blue sheet, but it was the wrong one. A completely blank one. This is where the stupid tax comes in. I had to walk all the way back through a monsoon because I was too dense to remember to bring one of the two things I need. I had two jobs and I screwed it up. So 45 minutes later I'm back with my actual signed blue sheet. Apparently though 45 minutes wasn't enough of a punishment for my memory because dipshit me decided that this time I'd leave my passport back in my room. My registration time was originally set for 10 am and I ended up being one of the last to register for the day at 4 pm. I think i probably spent more time wondering why I couldn't do this online than actually thinking about what I needed so I paid the price in stupid tax.

Anyways now that you all know how competent and organized I am, let's continue on to what you all come here to read (I assume you come here for more than just hearing me complain about myself and others. Unless of course you're into that sort of thing wherein that case, you're welcome). This weekend we were treated to the lovely antics of Professor Seamus. And no, I'm not making that up. About as lively and Irish as the day is long and he still sprints about at age 60 like Chris Freeby straight out of his Lego costume. I've never met anyone more enthusiastic about everything. Normally this would have driven me nuts but Seamus was an absolute gem. We started out by heading over to the Wolfe Tone memorial which was mostly just a glorified grave in a cemetery pictured below. Seamus is on the right. On the left you can see my shadow with one of my friends who were elected by Seamus as "Government Leaders for the Day." I had never been so insulted in my life. But we did have the perk of standing on a cement block so that was nice.

 
 Seamus told us how Wolfe Tone was one of the 3 most important people in Irish history because he played a crucial part in uniting Ireland. I don't know the details off hand, but I do know that this guy was at one point kicked out of his own country, became a general in the french military (he was the only one who knew how to fire a weapon so as Frenchmen they were quite intrigued) and lead an attack on the tyrannical English leadership that was currently controlling Ireland. He was then taken prisoner but committed suicide before they could execute him. Lesson: if you're country exiles you and you want to hit them back, don't make the mistake of thinking the French can help you overpower anybody.

Following the Wolfe Tone memorial we made our way to the Curragh. To this day the Curragh is an active military base and is also home to the Dublin Derby. However its origins are from occupied Irish times when the British controlled it. The Curragh is the only unenclosed plane in Ireland making it a prime location to field an army or race horses. It also had its own natural amphitheater that served as a home for the fights of old. When bare knuckle boxers fought practically to the death against each other. The famous Donnelly vs Cooper match pitted a British champion before and Irish one and after an amazing heavy weight battle, Donnelly emerged victorious with cooper on his shoulders as he walked away. So heavy were the two men together and with so many people who followed in the exact footsteps Donnelly took up til this day, the prints are still in the ground for people to walk through when they visit.

But good ol Seamus was not done yet, we then proceeded on to St. Brigid's well. This was a holy site or something but I just didn't get it. I mean sure there was a cool statue of St. Brigid and they had converted it from a pagan site so it was really old (like 400ad or something). But there's loads of old stuff anywhere you go. Look at England with their Stonehenge. We shouldn't be asking ourselves how they managed to get those huge boulders up, we should be asking what had them so bored that they decided they wanted to stack rocks literally just for the sake of stacking rocks. Anyways I was freezing to death as I paid my stupid tax all day for wearing nothing but a hoodie and jeans. These pictures all look sunny but it was still cold. We went to a cold place that had cold water and stood out in the cold air to look at how cold it all was. Then people started to try and drink the water from the well. Why? What possible reason could you have for wanting to get your hands wet when its windy and cold? The only saving grace in moments like that is if you're dry but these people were even blowing that right out the window. So here's some pictures of some old stuff that people go really out of their way to see for some reason I'll never quite understand.

Onward and upward we went. We saw a cathedral that refused to heat itself which really had me down because I was looking forward to thawing out inside. But then we went to the woods of Donadea where we saw the remains of an old castle that had mostly fallen apart. The house though had been lived in through 1938 so I thought it was very strange how over-run it had become. Apparently though the roof had collapsed soon after the last tenant died so once everything was exposed to the elements it was up for grabs. The house never had electricity, but instead 20 servants to stoke the bazillion fireplaces all day. My guess is she just liked the company seeing as you're in a castle all by yourself. Might as well have someone to talk to and do all the stuff you don't want to!

Lastly we were taken to the Irish memorial for the September 11th attacks. This was also in the woods of Donadea and it amazed me that other nations would have these. For a while it was the largest 9/11 memorial outside of the US and to this day they offer a mass up on an outdoor altar amidst rows of US native trees that were planted for each of the NYPD and NYFD servicemen and women who gave their lives that day.

The next day was short and sweet, just they way I like them. We went out to Trim Castle on Sunday and much to my joy they still had an entire building of it preserved and open to the public! Our tour guide showed us around the various rooms telling us their purpose and even showed us the window that was featured for a pediatric defenestration in Braveheart! Out of everything though, my favorite feature of the building was the toilets. And I'm not just saying that to be an immature 5 year old that you sent abroad. These were really awesome. The constable had his bedroom with en suite on the top floor of the keep. His toilet was a hole in the window well that went straight down. (Same window as Braveheart reference)

Now stop for a second and imagine with me. You've had a long hard day dealing with your incompetent underlings and trying to fend off attackers from your castle so the castle's actual owner doesn't kill you for losing the place while he's gone. You've just come up an infinite and narrow spiral staircase that was designed to trip up attackers as a last line of defense if they were to enter the keep. Your bedroom is at the top and you're exhausted. So before you go to bed you decide you'd like to make a healthy movement so you didn't have to get up in the middle of the night. You go and have a seat with you feet up on the window-sill. You look out and you see beautiful rolling hills and the famous Hill of Tara in the distance. You see the last bit of castle business being done down on the ground floor as your stablemen lock up the animals for the night. You let your mind wander and all your stresses float right out the window that you don't have to worry about anybody looking in because it's on the highest floor of the castle. You feel completely at peace and your unpleasantries drop nearly 100 feet to the base where it will be later recycled into fertilizer. What an absolute pity we let go of that idea. Now we have bidets that only creep people out when they aren't ready to have their butt sprayed. But yeah, Trim was gorgeous. Here's a panoramic shot from on top of the keep.

I'll try to keep the pictures coming to my Google account as I take them, but I generally only upload about once a week and most of my pictures don't have me in them. I'll see about maybe stealing a few from others who actually take pictures of people so you can all be confident that I actually go to these places. Well I'm going to get a nap in so I can watch the #1 Hawks (WHATS GOOOOD!!) take on the #2 Sharks at 3:30 am Dublin time tonight. I'm still on a quest to find a legitimate hockey pub that regularly shows the games somewhere in the area, but I'm losing confidence that this oasis a midst soccer and rugby exists. Until next time, LET'S GO HAWKS!