Stories to relate

I was going to write a long dissertation on what I had been doing for the past hour, but to be honest I’m so happy everything worked out that I would rather you asked me in person for more details.

To summarize, last night my computer was overheating. I checked and it appeared my fan was broken. This is majorly terrible because the fan cools the processor and prevents it from melting and thus destroying my entire life residing in my Toshiba baby.

So I decide IT will help! OIT at ND is very helpful, so why not?

Turns out, the world is not like OIT at ND. The world is more of a “we can’t touch your computer because you bought it and we wouldn’t be covered by insurance. Here is a place an hour away that will charge you half of your per diem to fix your stupid fan. Have a great day, jump off a cliff!”

Needless to say, I don’t take that from anyone. I reach back into my bag and pull out the double screwdriver I commandeered from OIT back home. I am a man on a mission and that fan is mine.

Bad idea. While I do get the computer open, halfway through literally ripping my computer in half I realize there are a lot of wires that connect to the two and would fly apart if I kept my journey forth. So I merely touch the fan to see if it can spin, blow on it in the hopes of cleaning the blasted thing, and push the two back together.

It is here I realize I unplugged the screen and cannot fix it from the angle I’m working at as my fingers and even tweezers are too small. Before my computer would just get hot, now it turns on and stays black. I’m in deep because I see literally no way of fixing this problem now. 

The logical man would have quit while he was ahead. The stupid man would have gotten himself to this point and decided someone with knowledge of such things should continue. 

Me, I decide to press on and see just how broken I can get my computer by deciding to figure out how to fix this new problem instead. 

I pull off the front panel that before I didn’t realize even came off. By the graces of God, there was a small hole in which the plug to the screen could be reached. I plugged it back in and said three Hail Marys as the machine fired up. 

I was still terribly sad as I did not fix the fan as per my intentions. I started the computer up anyway so I could find the store IT suggested and maybe take it in to be fixed soon. The computer was already getting hot so I knew I didn’t have long.

Then the fan turned on. 

Yes, the fan turned on. My leading theory is that by touching it, I dislodged it out of the dust enough to let the motor do its handy work. As I speak the fan is pumping out the heat from my processor and delivering me a cool machine on which I can type fantastic blog entries.

I passed cloud 7 a while ago and am currently residing on cloud 43. What an incredibly amazing stroke of luck. I am the luckiest person on Earth.

In actual Irish news, the ND kids are heading to Belfast tomorrow. It should make for a great trip as we will have a Q & A with a Senator as well as tours of castles and the Giant’s Causeway. I’ll have lots of pictures up probably by November or so considering my current pace. Cheers!

Culture night and Howth

This weekend was another exciting chapter in the Dublin saga. It almost becomes ordinary, to see amazing cliffs, ancient scripts, and thrilling pubs. But then again I never lose that wonder of the fact that I am in IRELAND and four thousand miles away from anything I've known for twenty years. That just makes everything a little bit more exciting. 

Friday September 19th found us first at the O'Connell house. We started an hour session called "Dublin Your Knowledge" (pun the work of Andrew, not me) which is a weekly partition where any intellectual topic can be discussed in a more informal manner. This week we talked about probability, the Monty Hall problem (google it), and choosing envelopes of money, all of which were tied to God and the concept of destiny. For you that probably sounds quite monotonous, but this was a group of Notre Dame students, graduates, and professors; of course we were going nuts. The discussion was very heated and took some interesting turns. It was a great way to flush out some topic other than “how you doing? The weather sure is nice today (which, by the way, was actually quite true this entire weekend), how are your classes?” that banter can grow old, so I definitely think it was a step in the right direction. After Dublin your Knowledge, a group of us set out for Culture Night. This is a big deal in Dublin; historical and cultural landmarks are all open for free. Features included museums, libraries, pubs with live music, hotels, banks, and government buildings. 

We went to the Trinity College Long Room, a very wide open bi-level corridor that houses a collection of over 200,000 scholarly books, most of them bound still in leather and well over two hundred years old. Inside is the book of Kells, an illuminated text lavishly decorated and adorned in a variety of designs and illustrations. The old Latin text chronicles the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It was quite beautiful and at the same time a surreal experience to be witnessing a text aged over a millennium. The book had to take the monks decades to complete; just like the walls covering the West coast, one could feel the hours of toil that had been put into this work. It was great. By now we wanted to find some live music and a pub, so we traveled to our favorite, Fitzgeralds! This is by far the sweetest pub in Dublin. Right on the corner of the O’Connell street bridge, it has live music and a great atmosphere. There we spent the rest of the night listening to traditional Irish ballads by the man and his guitar

Saturday rolled around, bringing with it a day trip to the small port town of Howth. Situated on the northeast side of Dublin, this quaint area sits on a peninsula with the Irish sea stretching beyond the horizon in all directions. We took the train out to the end of the line which ended up only being about a thirty minute ride. We took a trail to the summit which ended up being quite a hike. We traversed trails, golf courses, backyards, and streets before finally discovering the real Tramline trail. The path used to hold public tramline cars, the last open air ones in the world before the project was terminated in the early 50’s. Nonetheless, we had a great view of the port and sea behind it, so I took a few pictures. 

It is here that my camera battery decided to die. I take full blame for this as I did not charge my battery since I left the states, and the consequence was I could not take pictures of Howth for the rest of the day. Luckily everyone else had cameras, so I stole pictures, making things at least bearable. 

We started hiking further up until we reached the summit. It was a neat view of... nothing. Apparently in Ireland, even if you reach the summit you still may have to climb if you want to reach the highest point. Of the 400,000 words in the English language, the one that I deemed least likely to be lost in cultural translation would be summit. No matter, what happened next more than made up for it. While we were taking pictures of our nothing, a small black Labrador retriever decided to bug us. And by bug us, I mean lovingly follow us around as we took some steps. Chris so affectionately named him “Roebuck” (name of our residence), and he became our companion.

As we started walking toward the real summit, Roebuck ran ahead and back, always seeming to stay along but also wanting to forge ahead. We walked to the summit, took a look around, and started down one of the more exotic paths. 

Here is where things get interesting.

Roebuck jumps around and through the brush, leaping ahead as we follow. He turns on a small path we likely would have missed otherwise, and we decided to follow him. He led us to a path on the high cliffs that was nothing short of miraculous. There was a small lighthouse, a beach to see, and beautiful Irish water in every direction. Coupled with the wonderful weather, it was an astounding sight. 

We decided that sitting on a 300 foot cliff in the middle of a bright day overlooking the ocean was a perfect spot for lunch. We sat down and ate, simply marveling at how awesome this was. And how did we arrive? Because we followed a random dog. The sheer concept still amazes me.

After lunch we did some more random exploring. Chris and I decided to walk out onto random cliffs and over paths in the rock approximately a foot wide with sheer rock falling two hundred feet onto rocks being bombarded by crashing ocean waves.

Oh… if you’re a mom (or more specifically, my mom), don’t read the last sentence. 

We got pictures on the rocks which I’ll be putting up shortly and also sang the fight song (though it didn’t seem to help much. Sunshine apparently didn’t feel like throwing the ball to our receivers Saturday). Words simply cannot describe where we all were at that moment. It was surreal and the English language is so incredibly hampering that I can only suggest that you one day visit so that you would know what I am talking about. If you have ever had an experience like nature, Kairos, or something of the sort that is personal to you and those you experienced with, I can only say it was probably a little bit like that.

Eventually we realized that, while our spot carried a certain energy we did not want to leave behind, all good things come to pass and the only thing we can take back is our memories. So we saddled up and began walking along the high cliffs paths back toward Howth. Where was Roebuck you ask? He had found another dog and climbed down to the beach with him. He had moved on, for he had accomplished what he came to do. Chris and I knighted him “Sir Roebuck” and surged on, happy to have been led to something so incredible by a work of fate.

The paths were great and we had many an important discussion along the way. Our group of Cheryl, Jenna, Chris, Sarah, and myself were either basic acquaintances or total strangers prior to Ireland, so talking with them about life experiences, beliefs, and morals was a fantastic bonding experience. We returned to the city and walked around the port area which still houses many fishing ships and fresh seafood shops. Eventually we made our way to several churches, graveyards, and even a castle. By then our legs were all quite tired, so we hiked back to the DART and made our way for home. 

It was a great day and even though the Irish lost, we each had a fantastic time. 

Pictures should be up shortly, I need to collect from everyone since I don’t have my own… just one more reason for me to go back again. Cheers!

Too busy!

I know I am behind almost a week.

For this I apologize, and I will get back to updating and getting pictures up ASAP.

There is just so much going on, I can't keep up...

From here on out though, I promise to stay on top of things more. Updates coming in the very near future.

Wild weekend at the Symphony, County Claire and the Burren

Finally getting the updates all together! It takes a lot of work to update pictures, write blogs, and keep up to date on what has gone on when so much is always happening! No matter, I have risen to the challenge and intend to keep good on my promise.

This update covers a few days so I will organize it by day it happened. Here goes!




Friday September 12, 2008


originally my plan for this day was going to include a trip to Dublin castle. That was postponed; however, as I wanted to see it when I had family here so I could give them something to do. Instead, we opted to go to the Symphony. We figured if ever there was a place to become cultured, it would be at the Irish National Symphony. And for 9 Euro, why not?! So we dressed up and headed downtown.

I am course a heathen and knew very little about such events prior to entering the concert room. There were three movements with one featuring a soloist on flute. In all they were very impressive and our seats were quite good as well even though we sat behind the orchestra. Watching the conductor and his antics made it all worth it.




Saturday Sept 13th, 2008

This was our first trip as a whole group out to the West of Ireland. This involved a tour bus, forty some odd college students, a handful of post-grads, an awesome bus driver and the nuttiest (and most knowledgeable) professor on the planet, Kevin Whelan. We were off, out of the city and into the countryside of the Emerald Isle.

.... So for the first hour and a half or so, I slept. This of course did not stop Kevin from talking straight through about the random sights we could see. Granted, once one leaves the city of Dublin and heads into the middle of the country, there are very few things to actually see. So if there was nothing to see, Kevin just spoke randomly.

In any case, eventually we stopped at Tyrellspass Castle for tea and scones. That is the awesome part I mentioned before about Dublin; random castles, keeps, and other ancient pieces of history can be found anywhere and are a significant part of the every day life in Ireland. Tea and scones was a great way to wake up a little (we left around 9 Am...wayyyy too early for me) and put me up and ready to see the countryside.

The bus ride may seem boring when you realize that Kevin was talking almost the entire time, but in reality Kevin is nothing like a normal professor.

I actually listened to what he was saying! Incredible I know, but the level of passion this man has for his country is readily apparent in the first five minutes of talking with him. So we heard a great deal about the history of the island from its first barbaric peoples to sustenance farming and even into the modern day Celtic Tiger that has quickly swept the country into an era of modernization from drugs and car parts to cereals and prosthetic limbs. Quote of the day, you ask? By none other than Kevin Whelan:

"Ireland is turning America into a nation of cyborgs."


Doesn't get more direct than that my friends.


Eventually Kevin did stop talking and we were allowed to gaze at the countryside. The further west you move, the more you notice one key factor on the landscape: walls. Ireland is built on a bed of limestone, and in the early days over many generations stones were dug up so that the soil could be tilled and grown on. These stones were placed in walls that run literally everywhere. Over 2 million miles of stone walls dissect the country and they had become as much a part of the landscape as did the shrubs and grass.

I need to mention here the level of green that we saw. That is, EVERYTHING IS GREEN. And not just one shade of green to. Probably closer to forty. If I wanted to invent a shade of green, I'd call it something like Green Moss on Wall in County Claire Ireland. Unfortunately someone already got to it. Point is: green. All over.


The roads became more winding and hilly. We were reaching the mountains that dot the coast. After stopping for a quick lunch (found a thing of bread and a chunk of cheese, my new favorite meal), we headed up to the Cliffs of Moher. It was a crazy drive up insane paths which wouldn't have been too bad had we owned maybe a Prius, but a tour bus makes for a much more interesting drive.

Finally we reached the Legendary Cliffs of Moher. This is the Western most point of Europe with nothing separating the country from America besides 3000 miles of ocean.


What a sight.

You will have to look at the pictures to see what I really mean, but it was simply incredible. I cannot describe the intense awe that was about the entire place from the moment we arrived. It felt like we were standing on the edge of the world, looking out into a vast expanse unreachable and mythic. You could feel the ancient peoples standing with you and gazing out, wondering exactly what lay beyond the horizon. There was certainly a God moment on the cliffs, and with good reason.

Eventually we made our way up to the highest point on the cliffs beyond the "Do not go past" point. But we were good Notre Dame students, all making our way safely and without injury. Once at the top we took a moment of silence on behalf of Kevin to really take in the surroundings. It was simply incredible and I hope to be putting up a panorama of the sight once I figure out what I'm doing (some works take longer than others...) so I hope you can at least feel some sense of awe at the wonder that was before me.

Then we all realized that in about 4 hours the beloved ND football team would be playing Michigan, the worst team in the history of the entire world. So we sang the fight song together to remind everyone who is truly number one. It was spectacular.

By now we were so far behind schedule we were in danger of missing church. Our bus booked it back to Country Claire where we dropped our bags off at the hotel. After that we drove back a bit to St. Patrick's Church in Fanore. It was about ten after, so we had to sneak in without disrupting mass. Let me explain how difficult this was: with our group of fifty people we effectively doubled the size of the congregation present. Nonetheless the priest acknowledged us and bid us welcome as did the parishioners.

The wonderful mass concluded and we went back to the Hyland's Burren Hotel for dinner. The three course meal included smoked salmon, mashed potatoes, and roasted lamb followed by chocolate cake and cheesecake. It was absolutely fantastic and with the updates from the ND game by cell phone informing us we were ahead of Michigan, the night could not have been better.

We eventually wandered off down the side of the pier toward the ocean. Andrew had recommended a pub called Monk's, so we headed down there for a bit, hung out, then came back to the hotel to listen to some music before heading to bed. It was a long day, but we were all quite ready for more.


Sunday Sept 14, 2008


The bright but cloudy Irish morning was laced with a sweet smell of a hot and hearty breakfast waiting for us downstairs. Fried eggs, buttered toast, thick bacon, savory sausage, and Irish coffee awaited us as we walked into the dining room. It was a brilliant way to start the day off on the right foot. We were hitting a few historical sights before heading into the Burren for a bit of exploration.

Before long we found ourselves back on our wonderful tour bus ready to hit a few more sights. We had a tour guide now, Brendan. He was a relatively young guy who had studied the Burren as well as the people who lived there for some time. Somehow Kevin let this guy in to supplement our journey and he proved to be a very interesting base of knowledge. Tired as we were, the bus pressed on into the park.

Our first stop was a very old Abbey now turned cemetery. Called Corcomroe Abbey, this site was erected in early 12th century and has since fallen out of repair. The architecture was intriguing and the graves somehow calming.

This may sound strange considering in the past month I've visited the Coliseum, Parthenon and the Palace of Knossos, but there was something to say about being in a place so old. This was once a Catholic place of worship; people came here to celebrate the same mystery I do in church and in life. There was some connection between myself and the people buried there six centuries ago.

After a while I took a few pictures and we were ready to move on. Our next stop was Lemeneagh Castle, another very old portion of the Burren. Used primarily in the 14th-16th century, it was actually the residence of the O'Brien family in Ireland. Many different tales and stories emerge from this piece of land; I would write pages to explain all of Kevin and Brenden's stories. Point in case, it was yet another piece of history almost as old as the land, revered in our eyes and immortalized in the eyes of the Irish.

It was now time to eat something and head into the Burren. Luckily for us we were going to do both. Enter a place called Father Ted's house. It is a small farmhouse on part of the Burren that was originally the opening scene of an English comedy series called Father Ted (Opening credit clip here, the house appears at 24 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7owMQGr8Ivo).

Now it is the home of a sustenance farmer who tended cows, horses, and sheep. His name was Patrick and he lived there with his family. What an amazing individual we had met! Here is a man who claimed to be uneducated yet spoke like a true orator with years of experience and training. He told us about the Burren, his land and the true importance of maintaining a countryside's inner beauty. His family also treated us to biscuits, scones, and cookies (all homemade in true Irish fashion) as well as tea and coffee. It was absolutely wonderful food for the second time that day, eating and relaxing in Patrick's house.

Kevin wanted to see the sheepdog in action, so we walked outside into the field. This dog was a beast for sure. All Patrick had to do was tell the dog to "bring the sheep here" and the dog ran out into the field, rounded up the sheep, and herded them our way. It was a fantastic demonstration and a real treat to see, almost like an animated work of art. That was the theme of Patrick's speaking with us; simplicity can be beautiful as is the land of the Burren. On that note, it was time to hike into the Burren for real and see the true side of Irish nature for ourselves.

Let me take this opportunity to expand a bit on what the Burren actually is. While the name stretches to almost the entire part of the West Coast we had been visiting, the park is much smaller and is a natural preservation much like Yellowstone or even Rock Creek. Unlike these two places, however, the Burren is under intense debate in deciding whether or not to put a visitor’s center in the park. Such a center would undoubtedly bring more people to see the beautiful landscape, but would simultaneously wreck the remote nature of the park that is so dear to the spirit of the land. It was thought provoking to listen to as both sides have great positives and also negatives.

In any case, Brenden had a side but wanted to instead show us the Burren so we could make such judgments on our own. We hiked down the road from Patrick's home and into the shrubbery. We climbed into fields, caught frogs (and took pictures of them), hiked on rocks (and took pictures surrounding us), and plunged deep into the forest undergrowth. It was raining relatively steady by now, which I was enjoying immensely even if Kevin and Brenden thought we didn't. It was so great to experience the true Irish nature of the place, and in my mind the trip would simply not be complete if we hadn't been rained on.

After a while in the undergrowth, the journey to the road began. We had one more stop, however, that was to be the climax of our journey into the Burren. Brenden led us to a Turlough residing directly in front of Mullaghmore Mountain. A Turlough is literally a "disappearing lake." The land is susceptible to a fluctuating water table. In times of rain the water level rises and fills up the lake from the bottom, while in drier times the land is also dry and can be walked on. It was filled at the time of our visit due to the intense amount of rain the country had experienced this summer (normally in September the area would still be dry. Turlough are unique to Ireland and cannot be found anywhere else, only further highlighting the beauty of the landscape. We took some photos, observed a moment, and began our hike back to the bus.

The bus ride might have been uneventful... if we were normal kids. Fortunately (or unfortunately for the musical world) a bus full of ND college kids can only sit still for so long before songs of Disney, Titanic, Queen, and Backstreet Boys fill the air. We found dinner and for the rest of the two hour journey almost any single song that has ever been sung aloud was poured out with fire and heart on that tour bus.

It was awesome. Definitely one more reason why I go to Notre Dame. We had a blast.


All of us were very tired by the time Dublin came into view. It was only 8:30 but the night was quick and before long I was nestled in my bed for a good night's sleep.




In all, the trip out West was mind blowing. If ever you come to Ireland, I urge you to not only see the modern Dublin, for while it surely is incredible, the West is a whole different world riddled with tradition in a symbiotic relationship with the people and land. If anyone wants more information on the Burren, you can visit burrenbeo.ie or talk to me and I can explain some of my pictures which should all now be up.

If you have any questions about the pictures or need copies/bigger views, leave a comment here or email me at ajoines@nd.edu and I'll help you out asap! Cheers!

Pictures...

Pictures from my trip are finally available!

I have loaded them onto Picasa, the new Google version of webshots, photobooth, or whatever. It is a solid program and allows me a whole bunch of fun editing techniques. In any case you can access them by clicking on one of the slideshows or scrolling down to the link on the right side of the page.


I will be adding comments about them as well as adding more pictures soon. I have more on my camera too of Dublin, and those will be put up too.


We are traveling to the Western coast of Ireland this weekend. Two day journey filled with hiking, eating, cliff diving, and other forms of relvery. Should be an excellent time, I will be posting more and more as time goes on too.


PS If you want any of my pictures to make a print, the ones on Picasa may not be the best resolution to download. The great thing about my Canon is that the pictures in real size are as big as a chalkboard. So if you want any of them in big time real deal size, leave a comment or email me.

Week one done!

Whew! What a week it has been so far.

Things are getting more regular and easier every day. I've been taking care of the little details and they have gone a long way in easing my mind. Grocery shopping has been fun and interesting. There are certainly pros and cons to living this independently:

Pros:

-I get to pick my own food
-I don't have to walk very far to get food
-If I need something, I can get it whenever
-We can cook meals together and have a great sense of "family" involvement with each other in our apartment.


Cons:

-I have to pay for it. Paying equals getting the cheap stuff
-I have to actually do the shopping
-Cleaning. Enough said.
-Stuff goes bad and if it does, too bad.


It is an experience. Again, what is cool is that I'm learning all these things... in another country. I have taken several more trips downtown and around, each time learning a bit more than the previous journey. I have been inside three different churches here and have yet to find one I will go to all the time. I think actually I will bounce around, but we shall see.

Most importantly, I'm feeling more and more at ease with being in Ireland. I have a good group surrounding me and am going to enjoy my time here even if it is a maelstrom outside every freaking morning.

Finally, I would like to say that the phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is possibly the most honest truth I have ever heard. I do miss my family, friends, and familiar environment, enough to feel that I should always appreciate them when they are present.

Side note, I'm hoping to get more pictures up as time goes on. I'm still a little shaky as to choosing which ones to put up as I hate all of my own photography. Nonetheless, they will make it up...eventually. Cheers!

Culture and such

The O'Connell staff had their orientation of the Keough-Naughton Centre today. That is the house run by Notre Dame and there to help us along in our studies. Sounds a bit extreme, right? An entire house dedicated as a resource for twenty five kids studying for a few months.

If you thought that, you would be right on target. And you would never believe how much help they are to us. I shudder to think about doing all of this without their aid.

In any case, part of orientation was a mini walking tour. We walked through Merrion Square, which is a beautiful park. At part of it there is a statue of Oscar Wilde sitting on a rock. He sits there because directly across the corner was where he lived.

No big deal. Said with sarcasm of course.

That is exactly what this entire city is like. Every building is a monument, every road a famous marker, every statue a story. One can walk along the road, turn a corner, and stand right in front of a church built before Columbus even set sail. This place is overpouring with cultural landmarks, recent happenings, and powerful memories. The people are immensely proud to tell anyone about the country's rich history. A random older man walked up to us today on O'Connell Street (really main, famous street) on the bridge and simply began telling stories about a statue that was shot, how the post office was once a fortress for a revolution, and how two other rivers actually flow underneath The Liffey river (at that point I didn't know what the heck he was saying, but I digress...).

No big deal.

This sort of thing is exactly the experience I was looking for when I decided to study abroad. Kevin summed it up quite nicely today: "This place isn't worse, it isn't better, it's different."

Different can be good. Today we walked into a pub, ordered a Guinness, and watched a soccer game. It was just neat to see that sort of thing.


I can tell that my time here won't be a tour of a foreign land. I expect it to be more like a Pilgrimage, a time of reflection on my beliefs and views on the world as a whole.

I will hopefully be supplimenting this with pictures soon. No promises as of yet though, There are quite a few tasks on my plate to figure out first. Soon though, I promise.

A little bit of everything

So day 2 was the first full day in Dublin. All of the guys woke up a bit late. We were tired and none of us had any pressing matters to attend to (which is what I am sure will become a common theme...), so the sleep was welcome.

After we all emerged from our quarters (which will from henceforth be the name of our rooms), we took a little walking tour of campus. Some tent was put up and we all got free stuff, most of which was lame but some of which was good, like coupons and deodorant samples. We dropped our stuff off and then decided it would be a good idea to try out the walk to downtown, see how long it takes.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, we were at O'Connell house. For those of you that are not aware, the Keough-Naughton Centre is located in the O'Connell house, and is basically our Notre Dame contact away from home. Kevin runs the center and will also be our professor. There we ran into some other people from Blackrock and chatted for a bit. Eventually we made our way back to campus.

One of the activities was a showing of the movie "Once." Not exactly a good movie if you ask me, but the upside is it shows a ton of the city of Dublin. Anything in that movie, I have seen firsthand, which is pretty cool. Dinner tonight was grilled cheese and tomato soup, which I cooked. Not that grilling sandwiches counts as cooking. The rest of the night was low-key; a showing of A Few Good Men, and housekeeping duties have kept me up until this point. I know it is early in the States, but here in Ireland it is almost 2 in the morning. I'm still getting myself used to the different time zone, so I must leave you to read some of my other pieces. Have a great day!

Worrysome times for the first day in Ireland

This post is the first I am making from my actual spot here in Dublin.

I am living in Roebuck Hall which is one of the dorms on campus here at University College Dublin. Right away one can tell a lot of differences between this and a US school. The dorm is in fact a six person apartment with a shared common room and kitchen. I have my own single bedroom and have a nice view of the football pitch through the window. I spent most of the day taking things out of my bags and placing them to resemble some semblance of order here in my room. Pictures will be following shortly.

I feel a mixture of emotions right now. First off everything feels simply weird. Most of it is the little things, like not knowing the campus to grocery shopping for the first time to eating dinner with my roommates whom I hardly know but still seem to get along with quite well. I keep forgetting that the bathroom is literally ten feet away, and I have only what I was able to pack in my suitcases. I am not as accessible anymore, as my cell phone does not connect to US calls and computer conversations are good but also an inconvenience being that I am six hours ahead of everyone else back home. And when I do come home, I will be arriving in a world that I have not been a part of for a very long time. TV, my cell phone, my family and friends always easily accessible, everything so much more familiar will be awkward once again. There are a million things flying at my head and I feel much like I did as a freshman; like I am not ready.


On the other hand, I feel excited. I am somewhere new, learning a lifestyle I have never come into contact before. The country is only a small part; living in a city, taking different classes, meeting new people, and expanding my worldly experience all seem like wonderful opportunities many people only can dream of. And to top it all off, I am in another country! For an entire four months, long enough to learn more than what I would on a vacation, time enough to really dive into the culture of a society older than our entire country.


I am working my way through all these feelings and emotions. Overall I still have a positive outlook, and I am sure as time goes on those small things will become more and more familiar until they seem just like home does.

Dinner was good, as I said I will be posting more pictures soon, so stay tuned.

The trip of a lifetime

So this post is a summary of my adventures across Europe. I took a week before my Irish happenings to journey to a few of the places I needed to reach in my life. This post is quite long so read it in pieces and by dates unless you want your eyes to fall out of your sockets. Here goes:






Tuesday August 26th 2008:


The trip got off to a rocky start. Upon leaving the O'Connell house, our group of Greg, Kevin, Jenna, Andrew, Christine, and Courtney all went to the bus. We missed the first bus and consequently had to wait for a later one. This pushed our schedule back a bit to the point where we were checking into our flight at the last minute.

We got through check in and started passing through security. All of us are nervous about catching our plane already, but then to top it off the Dublin security stops my bag. I have to open it up and pull out my huge jar of peanut butter. The guard says I can't take a carry on bag with a "paste" item in it like this, so I run back to the counter to look into checking it.

The desk is closed.

So now I am in a crunch, and decide finally to abandon my food source and run through security. We book it to the flight and barely catch it. We may have lost the PB, but at least we were heading for Rome!

The flight was a nice place to take a nap even though it was quite loud. We arrived in Ciampino airport on the outskirts of the city. A bus took us to the main train station, and from there it was a few blocks to our hostel. We dropped off Courtney, Christine, and Andrew at their hostels, and tracked to ours. The hostel owner was very nice and even staying up for us to await our arrival! It was an excruciatingly long day and all of us crashed straight into our beds.






Wednesday, August 27th:


Since this was our first day of excursions all four in our group were ready to go in the morning. One of the other kids in our room was a German by the name of Alexander Stein. We began talking to him and after a while he told us about the entire city as well as what we wanted to see. We finished the breakfast Pano brought us (croissants, juice, and coffee), took a walk with Alex, and headed out to Rome!

We stopped at many places right away, most of which you can see pictures of in my Rome album. The sights were unreal. Churches were everywhere, people were bustling; it was phenomenal. And of course being Notre Dame students, we made it high priority to see the dorkiest stuff ever created, and we did it fast.

By lunch we had seen the Roman Forum, Coliseum, four or five random Basilicas (not only were they churches, but yes, most were basilicas), and the Italian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Lunch that day consisted of grilled salami sandwiches from a cart on the street. After that we saw the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and several other random places. The pictures tell much better stories than I can, so check those out!

That night we met up with the other group traveling in Rome. We all went to an Italian cafe situated on the street and had dinner. The pasta was the best I have ever tasted. Ravioli, Tortellini, Lasagna, you name it, it was awesome. A few of us also split a bottle of red wine, which was delicious. After that Allison joined our group, and we now had five. We decided to retire for the night to Hostel Beautiful and relax in our room. Tomorrow would be an even bigger day than the first... the Vatican!






Thursday, August 28th:


This day was by far the biggest day on my agenda. I had been looking forward to visiting the Vatican practically since the day I discovered it existed. An entire country dedicated to the faith? How sick is that?

The day was off to an early start with the same breakfast. We hopped on a bus and sped toward the Vatican. We were not even sure where to look or what to look for, but once the bus went over the river we knew it was close. At the next stop we scooted off the bus and walked the same way other people were walking. Out into an open street and under a few columns, I still was not quite sure where we were.

And then I stopped and gazed at St. Peter's Square. I don't know if my life will ever be the same again.

In real terms it was not extreme by any standard. The square (which is actually an oval-shaped section... go figure) was not terribly large, and the steps up to St. Peter's Basilica make it look like another of the large churches dotting Rome.

But then you get to look closer. I began examining all around me. I started seeing what was really in the vicinity.

There were statues of saints dotting all the ridges of the arch crescents. Atop the Basilica was Jesus the high Messiah. Along his sides were the twelve apostles. Guarding the sides of the steps was Peter holding the keys and Paul holding a sword. The dome of St. Peter suddenly arched even further into view, and the Obelisk loomed higher than ever before in the middle of the square.

It was incredible, and we only arrived.

After a few moments of wandering around, looking, mostly simply staring in awe, we decided it would be a good idea to find our Scavi office so we could take the tour of the Necropolis (for those of you that don't know, Father Warner at ND got us tickets to go into the underground catacomb tombs of the Basilica. Tour of a lifetime!)

We walked out back toward the way we came and arrived at two Swiss guards. See the picture of the guards, they were huge and not to be messed with, regardless of their funny outfits.

After giving them our proper documentation, we passed by into the back of the Basilica. There we found the Scavi office and signed in. After a few minutes there were about 15 of us to travel down into the Necropolis.

Talk about awesome! There are unfortunately no pictures in my albums of the tour or the catacombs as there is no photography allowed. Rest assured though, if there is ever something to do in Rome, it would be this tour. We saw tombs thousands of years old, walked streets that used to be in the open air (the neighborhood was essentially buried and the Basilica built on top of it), saw iconic symbols dating beyond the times of Roman mythology. Eventually we arrived at the tomb of St. Peter, observed his bones, and even had the opportunity to say an Our Father in front of his remains. We were directly under the high altar of St. Peter, and it was absolutely phenomenal, I could not believe the energy surrounding me at that very moment.

Once the tour concluded we were let out into the throngs of people walking into the Basilica from below. We passed the tomb of Pope John Paul II, and headed up into the open church.

Again, words cannot express the amazement I had for this open area. This place was enormous, simply huge. There are pictures of the dome and other pieces of the inside, the artwork cannot be described in words. There were even side chapels larger than the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and alleyways between those bigger than Maternity BVM. This even neglects the main hall to the altar of St. Peter, which is bigger than all the rest. It appears to not even be a single church but more a conglomerate of churches operating together in the same building. Mass was being said in one portion, confessions were in another (in about 20 different languages), and all around were people kneeling before the cross or admiring the work of Michelangelo and other artists.

We all spent a good portion in that church, and for good reason. It is a true testament to our faith and one that all Catholics should see at least once in a lifetime.

Once we felt we had seen the church a few times over, we began walking out onto the square and back into the streets of Rome to find some lunch. We found a small place that gave us a lot of pizza and gelato for relatively cheap, so we sat there and ate our wonderful Italian cuisine. Let me tell you, if any people can make food, the Italians can, all of their food is simply astounding.

We took a relaxed lunch and let the Vatican somewhat soak in. Afterward our group split up; Kevin, Greg, and Alli went to the Sistine Chapel, but since we only had a few hours, Jenna and I decided to walk around the City and ended up at St. Peter's Square where we sat and talked for an hour or so. It was pretty astounding, to simply sit there, watching all the people while realizing that your faith has been impacted in such a pounding way.

We had to catch a flight to Athens around this time, so we had to begin our journey back. We took the bus back to our hostel, collected our bags, and went down to the small store in Termini train station to buy some food and drinks. Before this we bought our tickets and Greg had checked the board to say that our train was actually a bit late and that we should be fine to catch it. Once we emerged back to see the board, Kevin realized Greg had read the wrong time, and our train was scheduled to leave.... in two minutes.

We booked it. I felt like Jason Bourne running through Europe, dodging people left and right. Kind of insane.

Nonetheless, we made it on time and got to the train. Once at the airport we checked in without problems, got on our flight, and headed to Athens.

The Athens airport can best be described as.... dirty. Much like the rest of the country in fact. We grabbed train tickets and rushed out to our hostel, hoping we would still be able to check in at this late hour (it was now pushing 12 since Greece is one more time zone over still from Italy, which is one more over from Ireland..... bloody time zones). We were able to check in, found our room, and collapsed. Long day indeed, but totally worth it.






Friday, August 29th:


We awoke to a beautiful Greek morning and decided right away to head out to the Acropolis, the only thing on our schedule for the day. Let me say that right off the bat the entire country felt more foreign than I could have ever imagined, most of which was brought on by the different alphabet. Signs are all unreadable or even undecipherable. It was rather intimidating, but that was not about to stop us.

We grabbed breakfast at a small cafe, which was a cheese and ham fried... thing. It was different and I have not found an American equivalent except to say it would be like dropping a grilled ham and cheese sandwich into croissant batter and frying it. Was not a bad choice at all.

It was still early so we decided to begin our climb up. We bought tickets at some of the first ruins we came across, which were part of the gate of Athena. Greece was much like Rome; old was mixed with new. One could walk down the street and find an arch that was older than Christianity.

No big deal.

So began the climb to the acropolis. Talk about an insane journey! We began walking the logical way; up. After a while we were dodging through alleyways, pushing through people's backyards, and generally getting lost. Tensions were running a little high and we did not really know where we were. We stumbled across the church of Metamorphosis, which was this older Byzantine sanctuary. That was quite interesting and I enjoyed the different view of religion in another country.

We continued to make our climb up the Acropolis, and an arduous climb it was. It was very hot and we didn't have much water. Sufficient to say, after a brief stint on rocks above the city, we reached the top and saw the Parthenon as well as several other temples. Here we made a nice relaxing recovery under a tree near a water fountain. It was a great view of the city and here I stood in awe at the sheer marvel of such an ancient city continuing to survive in the modern day.

That is one thing the whole of Europe has thus far taught me to appreciate; all peoples here have rich heritages and take great pride in where they come from. No matter where you go, these people are immensely happy with the fact that their culture stretches back to 3000 BC and possibly beyond. After a stint on the hill, we made our way down the acropolis and headed out to get some lunch. We found a cafe and I had another sandwich to stay light. After relaxing a bit and realizing we really had nothing else major to see before we arrived at our Ferry, we took off to Piraeus, the port district of Athens. Here we wandered the streets until we found a small meat shop that also sold wine, cheese, and bread.

We loaded up for dinner which consisted of bread pieces, various meats, feta cheese, and several different wines. Eventually we found the ferry and hopped on board, ready for Crete! After eating dinner on the deck, the boat took off into the Aegean Sea. Again, such an awe-inspiring sight! There were lights from islands all over, the sea swelled up against the large boat, and as the cruise-ship sized boat powered toward Crete, we all took some time to admire the real beauty of such an excellent land.

Eventually the night took the better of us and we began to settle down on the benches for a night's sleep. The next day would be Crete.






Saturday, August 30th:

We were as far away from Dublin as we were going to be, and our day started off blisteringly early. The ferry wandered into Heraklion (largest city on the island) around 6 in the morning. No one had really slept perfectly, and none of us were properly rested. Nonetheless, we pressed on.

Immediately upon stepping off the boat, we felt the need to sit down for a minute, gather our bearings, and decide what the day would bring. We sat in the port office and relaxed. We gathered a little to eat while I ate some of the food I bought in Italy. Kevin purchased Greek coffee, which turned out to be by far the worst purchase on our trip. It tasted like someone took a can of dirt, threw it into a boiler, poured battery acid into the mix, and served it at the cost of 3.50 Euro. Kevin wasn't happy.

We wanted to see the Palace of Knossos as well as go to a beach. So we set off to find the bus station which would take us to the Palace.

Problem is, we didn't know where we were, we didn't know the scale of our map, and we didn't know where we were going or looking for.

After about an hour or so of wandering around the streets in the bright Saturday morning, we finally stumbled upon it (it was about a quarter mile from where we started... go figure). We grabbed tickets and hopped on the bus. Once we arrived we took a look around. The Palace was pretty neat, there were several structures as well as ruins, and crazy animals like swallowtail butterflies and peacocks were all over the place. The Bronze Age stones were a sight and definitely put the place into perspective as one gazed out into the hilly countryside overlooking a vast and vibrant sea. It was clear that this was once a place central to culture, much the same way ball parks, universities, and downtowns are for us now.

After a bit of wandering, we realized our day was going to progress quite slowly and that unlike Rome, we had few things to see and plenty of time. At about 10:00 AM after we had sufficiently scoured the ruins, we decided to grab a table on an elevated covered portion and play cards out in the beautiful weather. It was so relaxing, I enjoyed every minute of the weather, friendships, and atmosphere.

We sat around and played cards for quite some time, and eventually decided to eat lunch. So we essentially packed up and moved to a restaurant across from the palace. Most of the group ordered gyros or other random things, but I decided to get adventurous and order Moussaka, which is a traditional Greek dish that is made with meat, potatoes, and eggplant together in a white sauce and baked in a pastry crust. It was quite tasty and I recommend it to anyone traveling in the Balkans.

Lunch ended around 1 pm or so. Of all the things in Europe, the view of time was by far the most embraced at this point. Our tickets took us back to the station and we sat there for a bit before deciding to take another bus about half an hour from the city to go to a beach. By chance we stepped off the bus at a prime place at a free beach. The sea was magnificent and so clear. Swimming was fun and eventually we made our way back to the beach and took a nice nap.

I was then rudely awakened by a guy trying to speak broken English to me. He asked if we were staying on the beach for a bit and I said yes. He told me it costs 1 Euro each to use the chairs. I wasn't exactly sure if he was telling the truth or not, but either way I was not paying this guy. I told him we would pay when we left. He walked away, apparently taking our answer. Fifteen minutes later, however, he appeared again and asked for money. I asked him if these chairs were part of the hotel that was right near us (we were told the chairs here were free but the ones on the other part of the bend were for hotel guests only). He said yes, and I asked if I could pay at the desk then. Apparently realizing his mistake, he stated the beach was not part of the hotel. At this point I knew for sure it was a hoax, and when he asked me to pay, I gave him an emphatic "no".

Walked away, and that was the end of that. It did throw me for a loop though, as that was the first time someone tried to swindle us on this trip. Not bad for five Americans in Greece.

The bus picked us up and we were back toward the dock. We got onto the boat and headed back to Athens. This time we found a place on the floor inside, which is apparently what all the smart travelers with our ticket do. The reception area was dotted with groups sleeping on the floor, which was quite amusing. If you can picture a Hilton-style front desk with the nice carpet, banisters and everything else that goes with a nice hotel covered with people laying down and sleeping, your estimate would be fairly accurate. So ended our stay in Crete. It was an interesting place and I can now say I've been there. I doubt though that I will be making it back anytime soon. I have bigger fish to fry.... like Berlin!






Sunday, August 31st:


Sleeping inside had definitely afforded a better night for all of us, and even though it was 6:30 AM, we were ready to go. Our flight was an early one too though, and we had to make it literally across the city and then some to reach the airport. We immediately found the train station and found tickets, then hopped on the next train out. Maybe it was the boat, maybe it was being up early, I am still not sure, but for whatever reason this trip was not fun for me. I was feeling terribly nauseous. Attempting to run down a sidewalk at this hour was not exactly a picnic either. Trains were late and it was a mad rush to find our terminal.

Find it we did though, and onto our flight we collapsed. Berlin was next in route.

Again with the bus and train once we arrived, and we began wandering the city. And again, we decided to not have any idea where we were. Luckily we had no schedule by now and were only attempting to find two things: our hostel and a good lunch. Lunch first.

Where else would we enjoy a quality hamburger than in the land of Hamburg? Found it and an internet cafe, so I threw out a couple emails while I had my fill. After a bit longer walk we found our hostel which was again really nice. All of us were so tired, we took a mini-breather at our hostel. Since it was Sunday we decided to head downtown to St. Hedwig's Cathedral for mass. Unfortunately I did not bring my camera on this excursion, but you can take my word that it was a pretty awesome place. Mass was in German so we missed pretty much... everything. But God was watching, and that is enough for me.

Downtown was great, but we were getting hungry by the time mass was let out, and most things were closed since it was a Sunday. So we took the train back toward our hostel and sat down for dinner. I had Pfefferschnitzel which was really good. By this time Jenna and I walked back to play cards while Kevin, Greg, and Alli went out to one of the bars. I was so tired at this point, I fell asleep and ended my first day in Berlin.






Monday, September 1st:


Day two was going to be jam packed with awesome stuff, most of it dealing with the famous parts of Berlin like the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Topography of Terror. Our first stop would be Checkpoint Charlie. This was a famous hole in the Berlin wall that divided East from West. It was pretty interesting, here I was able to buy a piece of the actual wall which was also neat. It was hard to believe that where we were standing used to be such a divided and symbolic battleground between two countries that are now generally allies. Definitely a good piece of history to observe.

We turned a corner and walked down the street to find the Topography of Terror. This was essentially two pieces of history rolled into one: it served as an outdoor museum to the SS and the Nazi regime, as the foundation of the SS headquarters remained. It is also the site of the last consecutive piece of the Berlin wall which you could see and even touch. This place was definitely another mood changer; as you walked on the ground there were signs that specified the exact purpose of what you were walking on. Sometimes it was for prisoner transport, other times important officials had offices there. In any case the atmosphere was quiet and reflective, as if everyone in the vicinity was pondering exactly what had happened almost seventy years ago.

We stayed there for over an hour and a half, maybe longer. Time wasn't really important by then, what we were looking at was the memory of something that can't be erased. A few of us signed the book and decided to take the same approach many Berliners take: remember the event, but forgive and move on.

After that, a lot of wandering ensued. We traveled down toward the Brandenburg Gate, which used to be one of the main entrances into the city. Lo and Behold, near the gate we found the American Embassy! Taking the same Bourne Identity approach, we decided to try to get in, but the building appeared closed.

That is because it was Labor Day. Duh.

So no embassy. The gate was cool though, and as we walked past we found the Reichstag, which is the main government building in Berlin. The wait to get in was far too long so we pressed on into the central park of the city. There we found a Soviet war memorial as well as winding paths and beautiful greenery. With our stomachs rumbling, we went to the Train Terminal, the exact same one in Bourne Supremacy, which was again really cool.

While we were on the train, it decided to start raining. And when I say rain, I mean pour. It came down in buckets and all of us were about to get thoroughly drenched. We had about a seven block hike from the station to the hostel, and we ran. It didn't matter much as we all got soaked, including my backpack. The hostel room brought warmth and comfort. Clothes were laid out, bags hung up, pockets emptied, and another memory was made.

By now we just wanted food, any food. So we walked to the nearest place we could find, which just happened to be an Italian place. Here I tried the Berliner Pilsner, which was actually quite good, and also had spaghetti. The food was great and the service fantastic. The hostel welcomed us in, so we sat and talked with a few groups of kids from various parts in the UK. They were all really nice, and as we laid down for bed all of us were happy with the trip.













And so ended a great vacation. From here we flew back to Dublin, moved into our dorms, and have started getting acquainted with the city that will house us for the next four months. It is a little strange not going back home after this amazing adventure as that is what I usually do when I go on a trip, but it was still fantastic and I am so happy to have done it.


I will be putting pictures up as soon as I possibly can. There are many to sort through, but rest assured, I am trying very hard. I hope you enjoy this blog as a whole, please leave comments when you need something. From Dublin, cheers!