Although I had mixed feelings about the program ending, I was excited because I had planned a tour of the west of Ireland that was to take place immediately following classes. It was a bus tour that was geared towards the 18-30 year old bracket and took us on a three day adventure to many of the great sites of Ireland.
I traveled with Mark Principi and his friend Jen. Along the way I met some really cool people from all over the world. People from the US, New Zealand, England, Australia, and South Korea was traveling with the tour and it was great to hear their stories of their homeland.
The bus was rather comfy due to the fact that I had the seat next to me all to myself. We had the option of sleeping, but I couldn't get enough of the spectacular views of land. It was the greenest grass I've ever seen and stone walls ran through the fields to make a sort of mismatched and uneven checkerboard. Over countless miles of grass and stone, there would be a castle or monastic site that would poke its head out of that green ocean. Some of the times, they were completely intact while others were simply in ruins, lying there and calling to mind the times of kings, landlords, and saints.
The tour itself was phenomenal. Some of the highlights included Locke's Whiskey Distillery, a fairy mound, the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, Kilarney, Dingle, and the Blarney Castle and Stone. I was so excited that I would be able to go see these places, especially with some new friends. At Locke's Whiskey Distillery, we were given the chance to sample a whiskey that was 73% alcohol. Even though it was only five minutes to 11 in the morning, I did partake in the tasting and it basically set fire to my tongue, then esophagus, and eventually found its way to my belly...and subsequently set that on fire as well.
The Cliffs of Moher were simply breathtaking. Although Temple students seemingly brought the rain with us from the US, it cleared up just as we arrived at the cliffs. It's rather surreal to know that as you look out from the cliffs, you realize there is nothing but ocean (a lot of it mind you) to separate you from America (actually Canada). They were definitely the reason I came on this tour but ultimately, were not my favorite part.
We stayed the night in a little (and I use this term loosely) town by the name of Doolin. It's famous for music and pub life. We arrived late in the day and only had an hour before the sun would set. As we ate dinner, I was reminded of a tip a wise man once told me if I was ever in Doolin. He told me to walk out of town (there is only one road), up a hill and onto a dirt road. IF you go far enough, you'll witness the most fantastic site you'll see in Ireland. Not willing to miss such a site, I quickly finished dinner and told my friends about this site. The sun was setting quickly as we ran up the hill out of town. We had to beat the sun for fear that it would be too dark to enjoy. As we ran up the hill we noticed that you did not have to travel that far up it to understand that in a few moments you would see something to would permanently be engraved in your brain. As the sun painted oranges, yellows, and purples on our faces we hit the dirt road and turned around. The view was simply amazing. Aside from seeing the town of Doolin draped in sunset, the height of the road allowed us to view the ocean, the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Irish countryside as if it were painted especially for us. As if this site wasn't enough, a rainbow sprouted up off in the distance atop the misty hills that lead to the cliffs. It was something I'll never forget...and hope that one day I am able to see again.
We spent the day in Dingle and the night in Kilarney. It's crazy there and also a lot of fun. The next day we head out for the Blarney Castle where we were gong to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. The grounds of the castle are huge. They are filled with little streams and paths. The castle itself is larger than I anticipated and it is 83 ft at its highest point. Getting to the stone is an adventure in and of itself. As you all well know, I am a rather large gentleman. The castle must have been inhabited by people much smaller than me because the stairway up to the top where the stone is was a tight squeeze. It was a spiral staircase that seemingly went on forever. We arrived there at 8 am and there was a little bit of a line to kiss a piece of history. As we weaved our way to the top, I looked back and saw literally hundreds of patrons in line behind me with more on the way. We reached the top and looked out from the castle walls. It felt like you were on the top of the world. A 360 degree view of the Irish countryside filled with sheep, cattle, green grass and those same stone walls. While in line, I met a man from Sicily. He was scared of heights but managed to work his way up to the stone.
The stone is kind of gross visually speaking. Even at 8 am it was moist from all the people who had given in smooch. The Sicilian man saw this but was more afraid of having to lie on his back and stretch down a foot or so to kiss this stone. There were bars and a husky Irishman to protect you but 83 feet in the air and upside down was too much for him. He couldn't do it. I felt for the guy as my mother is afraid of heights but I figured if you come all the way from Sicily...you might as well try it. It didn't stop me however. I received the Gift of Eloquence at exactly 9:42 in the morning on the 15th of July in the year 2007. It's been stories upon stories ever since.
After the trip, I crashed in a hostel for two nights and partied with Mark and Jen. It was a great time as we drank and met some really cool people from Ireland, Scotland, and the US. We listened to the music in Temple Bar and even walked around the city one last time. It was kind of bittersweet but it was also fun and I was excited to get home as well.
My flight left Dublin airport on July 17th. I met this woman from Dublin in the airport and we talked about the city and our experiences there. The flight left an hour late but it was fine with me as m ticket landed me in the roomy seats just behind first class. Although there were no free drinks, I had legroom for miles and my own television, as well as the window seat. It was great. The flight itself was easy and I slept most of it. The three hours I was awake, I unfortunately watched "Blades of Glory" with Will Farrell and ultimately wished I has slept. During the sixth hour the pilot got on the horn and told us that we were approaching New York City. We flew over Long Island and it was great to see some familiar sites and people playing on the beach. The day was hazy but it was beautiful beach weather. We landed and I picked up my bags. My pop was there to meet me and he had a hoagie in hand from the famous Bagel Station in Sparta, New Jersey. I was home and it was Heaven.
Home was interesting to see. Apparently the weather had not been as nice in the summer for years and the day after I arrive, it started to downpour...maybe we really did bring the rain. Settling in to home was easy. I answered all types of questions and told a million stories. We to see Transformers (I don't care if it was Michael Bay...it rocked) and finally saw my girlfriend, who had just arrived home from Tanzania. It has been great. Even though I have to go back to work soon it doesn't bother me. I spent my summer in Ireland for God's sake with some really fun and interesting people. I made some new friends and also saw places that had only once existed in movies. I have no regrets and only thanks for the times that I will truly never forget.
No comments:
Post a Comment