Mountain biking in Killarney

This blog starts with a bruise. Actually, multiple bruises. While these bruises REALLLLY hurt, I'm glad I have them. They are battle scars, testaments to the intense weekend I had. I went mountain biking with the UL club this weekend, and it was SO awesome!! I'll admit, I almost didn't go. I almost chickened out. I almost spent a weekend at home, relaxing, sleeping, etc. ALMOST. I guess the best way to describe my weekend is through pictures, so here we go:

See that picture above? If you look REALLY closely, you can see not one, but TWO rainbows. Cool right? Well, that goes to show just HOW much rain Killarney got this weekend. Rain that turned trails to mud. Rain that soaked through layers of clothes like a sponge. Rain that made me cold to the bone....Rain :)

I love the way the light hits the forest floor in the picture above. By the way, that's the SMOOTHEST surface we road on, and even that was difficult to bike through because the bikes frequently got stuck due to the rain.

Along the way, we had some difficulties with the bikes: quick release problems, flat tyres, faulty brake pads, etc. etc.

The picture above is probably my favorite from the trip. This is one of the trails that I rode down and did NOT fall. It might not look like it, but this trail was pretty technical--rocks, roots, mud, gravel, and all of it slippery. I was so excited and nervous riding down this trail-I kept thinking that at any moment, I'd tumble head first down the rest of the mountain, but I didn't. :)

Along the way, I got some cool pictures of the scenery all around us. I really wish I had taken more pictures of the stuff we cycled past. The picture above is one of my favorite scenic shots from Saturday.

So the picture above is of a trail that I almost mastered, but managed to epically fail at towards the very end. I was coming out of the woods and could see all the guys below me (I was always the last one to do everything because the guys are amazing cyclists and would just blow past me every time), and I was trying not to scream as I cycled down the last, steepest part of the trail. I was almost at the bottom when my bike got caught on a rock and I could feel my body lunging foward--I was well on my way to a painful face plant. I quickly caught myself, and ended up painfully sliding down the rest of the trail entwined in my bike. I managed to land at the bottom where a nice heap of mud was waiting for me (see picture below). By far the most painful part of the trip (see picture of bruises at the top), but I think I earned respect from the rest of the group. I laughed the fall off, picked myself up, and had a great rest of the day cycling (and falling) and cycling (and falling some more).

I'll end this post with a picture. At the end of the day, we cycled up to the most beautiful waterfall. It was definitely worth the effort it took to get to the waterfall, and it really sealed the deal for me. I thoroughly enjoy mountain biking, even the enormous challenges that come with it, and I hope to hone my skills with each cycle I go on. :)

A Weekend in Dublin

Visiting Dublin was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be. I figured it'd be something like London, and while London was an interesting place to visit, it wasn't really my cup of tea. I'll try to stick to the highlights of my Dublin trip:

1.) We woke up early Saturday morning with the intention of catching a 7am bus to Dublin (it's about a 3 and a half hour trip from Limerick). Well, we JUST missed the bus and had to wait another hour in the dark/cold. I got some excellent pictures of the quiet morning and the sun-rise, though (see picture above). All the traveling I've done this semester has allowed me to catch glimpses of some fantastic sun-rises and sun-sets.

2.) I slept the whole way to Dublin--I actually love the bus rides. Walking EVERYWHERE has taught me to appreciate any form of transportation that doesn't involve much physical exertion, haha. One of our first adventures in Dublin was at Trinity College, where we saw the famous Book of Kells. Honestly, the most exciting part of that excursion was that we didn't have to do a tour with some old guy rambling on about things we don't really care about...we were able to just go at our own pace and appreciate the Book of Kells and other famous artifacts housed in Trinity College's library.

3.) From the college we took a cab to the world famous GUINNESS FACTORY. Let me preface this by saying I absolutely HATE the taste of Guinness, and I've gotten my fair share of flack from the Irish about my lack of good taste in beer..The factory has a cool set-up and is much more informative than I expected; we also got about a pint and a quarter's worth of free Guinness to drink. I was only able to manage a few good gulps before I had to pass it off to one of the boys. While I'd probably never go back to the brewery, it was a fun experience and I conquered my fear of nasty-tasting Guinness. Been there, done that!

4.) Saturday night the girls and I scarfed dinner down in the hotel and quickly got ready for the JOSHUA RADIN concert at The Academy on Middle Abbey Street. I was really excited about this, because not only am I a huge fan of JR, but also I haven't been to a concert in ages and to go to one in Dublin is pretttttty cool. The scene was very hipster, and lots of under-aged kids were trying to pass for 18 and get into the bar--it was quite an interesting sight! We all bought a pint of cider and then headed up to the stage to see JR perform--we were right in the front row! That's what I love about artists that aren't well-known; they are much more accessible, and usually play in cooler venues than more well-known artists. Anyways, the concert was ok (he wasn't as great of a performer as I was hoping), and afterwards we went out to explore Dublin night-life.

5.) Sunday morning we set out for the Viking tour, one of the many guided tours Dublin city has to offer. Honestly, this might have been the best part of our trip, although we all decided that the tour would have been even more fun if we had pre-gamed it (sorry Mom!) Basically, the tour is conducted on a 1940s WWII duck, one of those things that can drive on land and then go straight into water. We boarded the "duck" and immediately put on plastic viking hats (hence the ridiculous picture above), and proceeded to roam around Dublin, literally ROARING (yes, roaring) and waving our little viking fists at unsuspecting passers-by. It was quite a riot. We had fantastic weather all weekend too, which definitely made the tour much more enjoyable.

6.) After the tour we did some last minute touristy shopping and then headed back to Limerick. It was a very successful weekend! :)

This week I've been up to my elbows with work: writing papers, doing laundry, studying for exams, etc. etc. etc. I really can't complain though-I love life over here :)

This weekend I'm going to Killarney with the mountain biking club to get in some incredible biking. It may or may not be the death of me--this past Sunday, the crew biked for 6 hours straight, over 35 km of biking, and not just easy biking--forest/mountain/rocks/roots...well, you get the idea. I'm super excited to push myself physically and mentally and see what all I can accomplish this weekend. Pictures will definitely be taken ;)

May the light always find you on a dreary day.

When you need to be home, may you find your way.

May you always have courage to take a chance

And never find frogs in your underpants.

:) Lindsey

Hellllllo ITALY!

So, I went to Italy for 6 days. During the middle of the semester. I had a biochem exam the day I got back to Ireland. No big deal...I could get used to this Irish lifestyle :) I'll try to recap the highlights of the trip:

Friday: woke up at 3am to catch a 4am bus to Dublin. The 4 hour ride was actually quite nice-I tucked myself into a corner in the back of the bus and slept the whole way there. We left Dublin for Bologna, Italy, around 9:30am and the flight was pretty interesting. When I wasn't napping, I was snapping picture after picture of the Swiss Alps that were RIGHT outside my window. The snow-covered peaks could be seen above the layer of clouds that had settled on the mountains. SO BREATHTAKING! By the way, this was my first Ryanair flight, and while everything was alright, I could definitely see why they offer low airfare--the plane is barely furnished, and if you want anything to eat or drink, it'll cost you an arm and a leg. They also have super strict luggage regulations, although we managed to squeeze by with our purses and bags without too much of a problem. Halfways through the almost three-hour flight, somebody stupidly tried to smoke in the lavatory, and the man right across from me had an epileptic attack and had to be put on oxygen for the duration of the flight. Oh, and did I mention the entire Connacht Rugby team was on the flight with us? Yeah. talk about some body odor...The rest of the day involves more forms of transportation (trains, taxis, walking, etc.) until we FINALLY made it to Florence!

Saturday: Two girl friends and I woke up early and explored the streets of Firenze, stopping for a tart and coffee in a typical Italian restaurant for breakfast. Surprisingly, most Italians knew at least a little English, so we really had no trouble getting around. We window-shopped and heckled with street vendors till lunch time, at which point we made our way to one of the Piazzas to embark on our Florentine cooking class adventure! We wound up in a tiny alleyway in Florence, and entered the In Tavola cooking class center. I had two crucial epiphanies at this cooking class: 1.) I am NOT a great cook. 2.) Cooking can be the most disastrously fun pastime everrrr. Our instructor told me right off the bat that I needed "a little less play, and a little more attention," which of course ticked me off. I paid him to teach me, after all, so I felt I deserved to have some fun. Anyways, the rest of the class went great and I learned how to cook the following:

Fresh egg pasta with meat sauce bolognese

Eggplant and ricotta ravioli

Tomato, basil, and garlic fetucinni

Panna Cotta with strawberry sauce

The food was SO delicious. I may or may not have eaten my body weight in pasta that day..

Sunday: My roommate Mo and I split from the group and headed to Venice on Sunday afternoon; the train ride from Florence to Venice was complete with fantastic views of the Italian countryside, and when we pulled into Santa Lucia station in Venezia, I couldn't stop smiling. Venice is a city unlike any other; it is absolutely gorgeous!! We hopped off the train and immediately got onto a water bus which took us to Lido, the island where we were staying for 3 days. Lido is precious; it is off the mainland of Venice and it's such a quaint town-we stayed in a cute little hotel that was only a ten minute walk from the main street in Lido (where we ate pizza and gelato every chance we could..)

Monday: Mo and I jumped on another boat to San Marco Piazza in Venice and proceeded to "shop till we dropped." The piazza was cool because during high tide, everything floods, and people walk on tables to get around the square. In the afternoon, we took a walking tour of Venice and learned some of the history behind the unique water city; our tour also included a delightful gondola ride through the Grand Canale. Mo and I felt like we had found the perfect honeymooners spot, haha! We headed back to Lido in the evening for calzones and gelato (the straciatella flavor is my personal fav) and then got a whopping 10 hours of sleep---let me just say that sleep is a rarity in Ireland...

Tuesday: We headed back to San Marco for some more shopping, and then took a boat to the beautiful island of Burano that afternoon. Burano is an island where all of the houses are different colors and the Italians showcase their laundry on clotheslines. It was a beautiful island. We caught a ferry back to Lido and got to watch the sunset on the water--perfect ending to a perfect day. We truly felt like we were on vacation and did not want to leave.

Wednesday: I took every form of transportation short of a camel ride on Wednesday: Walk-->Boat-->Train-->Taxi-->Plane-->Bus. Let's just say it was a LONG day of traveling, but I really didn't mind. I actually LOVE the train system in Italy--it was so fun! And the ridiculous 5 hour bus ride back from Dublin (we got stuck in rush-hour traffic) was actually quite entertaining-we all played games and recounted our adventures and fun things like that.

Of course I'm leaving out many MANY details, some more interesting than others, but the moral of this story is that Italy is a truly enchanting place, and I can't wait to go back.

What's on the agenda now?

Tonight: Movies

Tomorrow: Dublin

Tomorrow evening: Joshua Radin concert!!

Sunday: Guinness factory

Next week: class

Next weekend: Mountain biking trip to Killarney

That should keep me busy! Until next time:

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Lindsey

Ring 'O' Kerry

So I spent the weekend touring the Ring of Kerry, and I had so much more fun than I actually thought I would! Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOOVE Ireland, but I was a little wary of yet another bus tour...

Friday afternoon we left for Killarney to change buses en route to Cahersiveen, Ireland. (Caher=fort, Sive=little girl's name). Along the way, we saw all types of Irish countryside, including farms, mountains, lakes, rivers, islands, and the sea. Between snapping pictures like a madwoman and taking cat naps with my mouth wide open and my head smacking the window, I managed to find time to just take in my surroundings and really appreciate them for what they are: beautiful, historic, breath-taking..the list goes on and on.

Friday night we had a delicious meal at the Ring of Kerry hotel in Cahersiveen; we topped the night off with a talk from one of the locals who grew up in Cahersiveen in the 50s, and we watched Irish dancing with the stars.

Saturday morning we woke up just in time for a quick breakfast before heading out the door for our day tour. We started the day off by driving onto Valentia Island, where we took a nice hike up to the highest point on the island and took some AWESOME pictures (see photos above). While we were at the top of the island (it took us a good half an hour just to hike up to the top), it of COURSE started monsooning on us, so my roommate Mo and I sprinted down the mountain like crazy people. By the time we got to the bottom, the rain had stopped. Typical Irish weather...

From Valentia Island we went to the Skellig informational center where we learned about the Skellig islands and the dedicated monks who inhabited the rocky crags in total isolation many centuries ago. From there we took several one-way skinny roads that looked like bike-paths up to the slate quarry on Valentia Island, and then back down to a beach with the lonely remains of a once-magnificent castle. I managed to take more pictures of my converse in the tide than I did of actual people...don't judge.

After lunch and a power nap, I spent the rest of the day exploring Cahersiveen (including the famous church built for Daniel O'Connell). All in all it was a grand day, full of good craic :)

Sunday morning: We woke up early and went on a 45 minute walk up to the stone forts in Cahersiveen (hence the name of the city). The forts were DEFINITELY worth the walk-they were SO cool!! You could climb all the way to the top of the forts, and the insides were intricately designed with steps and little tunnels and things. It was awesome. Just as Mo and I made it to the top of the fort for some good pictures, another MONSOON rolled in and managed to soak us through and through. But what can I say? It wouldn't be Ireland without a bit of rain to keep you company.

We had soup and sandwiches back at the hotel for lunch before we departed for Limerick. We went a different route back and saw even more beautiful scenery. Honestly, just when you think you've seen it all, something even prettier comes along. I love love love Ireland.

This week I'm trying to get a handle on school--I've got a lot of things coming up:

Biochemistry lab exam

Physiological basis of human behavior paper

Modern Irish poetry paper

20th century Spanish culture paper

and more interesting assignments including a poetry recitation:

St. Mary Magdalene Preaching at Marseilles

by Eilean Ni Chuilleanain

Now at the end of her life she is all hair-

A cataract flowing and freezing-and a voice

Breaking loose from the loose red hair,

The secret shroud of her skin:

A voice glittering in the wilderness.

She preaches in the city, she wanders

Late in the evening through shaded squares.

The hairs on the back of her wrists begin to lie down

And she breathes evenly, her elbows leaning

On a smooth wall. Down there in the piazza,

The boys are skimming on toy carts, warped

On their stomachs, like breathless fish.

She tucks her hair around her,

Looking beyond the game

To the suburban marshes.

Out there a shining traps the sun,

The waters are still clear,

Not a hook or a comma of ice

Holding them, the water-weeds

Lying collapsed like hair

At the turn of the tide;

They wait for the right time, then

Flip all together their thousands of sepia feet.

This weekend's adventure is a surprise--I'll update soon ;)

Until then:

May brooks and trees and singing hills

Join in the chorus too,

And every gentle wind that blows

Send happiness to you.

Lindsey aka Shminsey