Sunday, January 31, 2010

Galway is Savage...

So this past week has been super busy with classes and exploring but I have been on a few very blog worthy adventures! I'll start with last weekend...

Last Saturday the API group went on an excursion to Bunratty Castle in County Clare and we also went on a nature walk through a park in Galway on our way home and the autograph tree signed by famous Irish poets. Our awesome resident director, Finn, is so funny and told us so many little stories on the way. I'm a huge dork for that kind of stuff so I was absolutely loving it and taking tons of pictures!
Bunratty Castle was really interesting... I felt like I was in a movie. (which seems to be a reoccuring theme on this trip.) We went on a tour through the castle with staircases literally about 5 inches wide. They were also super steep but it was fun to see all of the authentic tapestries and learn about the huge feasts and parties they had there! :) There was also a little village beside the castle with small cottages, gift shops, and bakeries. We had lunch at a small pub and then went on a walk through an old cemetary and through the forest.


We stopped at the autograph tree signed by William Butler Yeats and Lady Gregory and also went into a fairy circle. (yes, a real fairy circle.) The Irish are really superstitious so we walked past a perfectly shaped circle of bended trees that supposedly holds huge superstitious value! ;) The fog was really thick so my pictures didn't come out as well as I had hoped but you can still kind of see the weird circle shape the trees made.

You can walk into the fairy circle, make a wish and then when your done wishing you have to leave the circle right after. You also can't enter the circle during nightfall, and if your in the circle and it turns dark you have to sleep there! It was so interesting and a little eerie how all the trees bent into a perfect circle, definitely makes you think about the legend :)

We arrived back into Galway and the next day, Monday, we had a really fun cultural event. Our program took us to PureSkill a place where we were able to try out all sorts of sports and compete in teams with eachother. We were able to try Irish sports as well like hurling, cricket, and Gaelic football. I was so bad at hurling the guy managing the place had to help me. It was really embarassing, my partner Meg and I were the last ones to finish...sorry Meg. :/ My arm was literally sore the next day. I was having a hard time learning that you had to throw a ball and whack it with a wooden stick to score. I have no idea how everyone here is so good at it! Here's a picture of me wearing protective gear without it I most likely would have injured myself..and others. My friend Kelly was in the midst of putting hers on...But after trying hurling and cricket once, I've decided that I'll just stick to water sports, thank you.


This weekend, I also had another quite different cultural experience. A big group of us went to the dog races in Galway city last night. Now usually I would be totally against anything to do with dog racing, just kind of not my thing. I was nervous to go, but a few of us asked the staff at the track and they said the dog's are trained and treated very well. It actually turned out to be really fun in the end and I had a great time cheering and seeing what a race is really like. While studying in Ireland I'm going to have to do things I'm not used to, i.e going to dog races. But I know I came here because I wanted to see what the culture is really like and I really wanted to do something different. The races are a huge part of the Galway culture so I'm glad I went in the end and we all ended up having a ton of fun. :)

Tomorrow we have another culture event with our program making St. Bridgid's crosses.They look like this...
St. Bridgid was my confirmation Saint and another patron saint of Ireland and her feast day is tomorrow. Tradition says the cross will bring you luck and I know my grandmother has a St. Bridgid's cross hanging in her house and I've always wondered how to make them!


I'm so excited that I've been so busy doing fun excursions and adventures here. I'm going to London on Thursday and I'm literally counting down the days! Most of my friends who are abroad have settled in to their own countries by now too and I'm loving hearing all their stories and adventures as well! I know the next few weeks are going to be super busy with London, visiting my friends in Cork, Paris and Dublin ...all in February! And if your wondering about my title...savage is another word for "awesome", haha. I'm totally getting used to calling fries "chips", potato chips "crisps", "cheers" instead of Thank You and saying the word "Grand" 3,000 times a day! I actually love the additions to the vocab and everything else that comes with the country!

I'll be sure to keep you updated of my escapades ahead. Talk to you soon!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you made me a St. Bridgid's cross too! Also, have fun in London this weekend! I hope you take lots of pictures. Miss you lots

Unknown said...

Hi Mairead, I was talking to your Dad last night and he told me all about your blogs. I have really enjoyed reading and I am so glad to hear you are having a good time. Take care and I look forward to reading more.
love,
Debbie