This week was eventful as always with staying busy around campus and exploring more of the UK! On campus I tried out a cycling class at the gym. It was an awesome workout and the cycling studio was so cool with a huge screen and changing lights. I have also gotten into the habit of baking one Tuesday nights and inviting my friends over to share in the late-night snack with me. Missing beautiful Minnesota falls a wee bit, I was inspired to make apple crisp this week! It was the perfect sweet treat and went very well with some ice cream! Another picture I have shared is my friends walking back from our bagpiping class. I thought it was pretty classic Glasgow to see everyone with their raincoats and umbrellas to cover their backpacks.
This weekend I packed my single backpack and boarded my flight to Dublin, Ireland(my mother was so impressed by how light I was able to pack)! In Dublin, I met up with my high school friend, Christine. We began our adventures Friday with a day trip to the west coast of Ireland to see the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs were absolutely stunning and no photo will ever do them justice. It was refreshing to take a long walk along the cliffs and marvel in their beauty and the fabulous weather. I realized I am becoming more and more like my father as I found how close our proximity to the edge of the cliff quite terrifying at times-- it didn't help there was a constant STRONG wind coming in from the Atlantic. After seeing the Cliffs of Moher, our bus made its way along the coast to Galway. On our way to Galway, we stopped alongside the road and saw what used to be the rock at the equator millions of years ago. In the summertime, tropical plants still grow in the many crevices of these rocks. Then we continued to Galway passing many small adorable cottages along the way. Galway is a lovely city known as the cultural capital of Ireland. The streets were filled with performers and music echoed down the corridors. I could have spent all day wandering the cobblestone streets and exploring all the little shops, history, and beauty the city had to offer.
On Saturday, Christine and I grabbed some crepes for breakfast then made our way to Saint Patrick's Cathedral. At Saint Patrick's Cathedral, we attended the Anglican service as the church is now Anglican, not Catholic. The service was very similar to Lutheran and Catholic masses and quite beautiful. After the service, we explored the rest of the church that has been turned into more of a museum. It was filled about the history of Saint Patrick and the reformation. We then headed over to Trinity College to meet up with one of Christine's friends from Boston College. We joined in on a tour of the university and got to learn more about its past. Until 1970, Catholics were not allowed to attend Trinity unless they took as an oath that suppressed their faith. This meant that the best university in Ireland was not attended by the Irish as they were all Catholic but instead was the English's way to control the country by educating their own as the future leaders. After seeing the many historical buildings, Book of Kells, and the library that inspired Star Wars, in true Irish fashion, we headed to a pub for lunch. On our way to lunch, we passed by the house Boston College owns in Dublin, it is covered with vines and perfectly positioned by the University. Pictured below are Christine and her friend, our tour guide for the day, Czar, outside of the home. After lunch, we stopped by Dublin Castle to see the old wall and castle of the city. Then we headed over to the Guinness factory for a tour! The Guinness factory offers a whole Guinness experience ranging from how to properly drink Guinness to the history of how Guinness was transported all around the world (they owned their own fleet of boats). My favorite part was the gravity bar. Overlooking the city we enjoyed the best glass of Guinness we will ever taste (we were told it tastes different everywhere) and took in a jaw-dropping rainbow. It was honestly the most Irish moment-- I supposed the Guinness truly is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. That night after getting Christine her first fish and chips and eating it on the steps of the Dublin Castle in true takeaway (many mom and pop food places are "takeaway" or to-go only) fashion we headed to Temple Bar. Temple Bar is home to not only The Temple Bar but many others that offer live music and lots of crack (crack means "good fun" in the UK). My time in Ireland was absolutely amazing and I cannot wait until I make it back again. I loved seeing all the traditional Irish names that I recognized from Minnesota and getting to even see some of their family crests-- made me realize how Irish Catholic St. Paul really is. There is so much to take in but I am impressed by everything we covered in such a short period of time. Dublin most definitely has my heart.