Belfast (Days 27 and 28)

DAY 27
My first night in Belfast was the most incredible night! Like Dublin and the spots I last blogged about, Belfast is a stop I’d made back in March over my Spring Break trip (follow the links to two separate posts about my March visit to Belfast). The last time I went, I was really interested in the history and politics of the city, but I didn’t really enjoy it as a place to hang out. To be honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to being back in the city. Imagine my surprise when, our first night in town, I happened upon Belfast’s Culture Night! 

After dinner, a couple of girlfriends and I heard Dancin’ in the Moonlight playing somewhere, and we followed the sound to what we thought would be a street performer. We turned a corner and found an entire party in the street! There was a parade and food stands and musicians… It turns out that one night a year is Culture Night, and everyone in Belfast comes out for an epic festival. How lucky am I that I happened to be there for it? 

My impression of Belfast has totally changed. While my focus back in March was on the sometimes bleak history of Belfast and the current political and social divide, it was so nice to get to see the other side of this city this time around: the progress that has been made toward peace and the growing prevalence of the arts. 

DAY 28 
The next day, we did a short bus tour of the city and visited the Titanic museum (which was very strange… Interesting, but very strange) and an art museum. Afterwards, a small group of friends and I found a park where some of the Culture Night festivities were still being celebrated, and we lounged in the grass, making friends with a ridiculous puppeteer and eating Dinky Donuts. That night, a few friends and I went out for pizza and live music. 

greatest slogan for a donut shop ever

I’m so glad I was able to come back to Belfast for this second, and completely different, experience! 

Derry, Giant’s Causeway, and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (Days 26 and 27)

Since I’ve gotten a little behind on my blogging and I wrote about these three stops back in March, I’m going to keep this post brief, but please check out my March entries for more about this culturally and historically rich city and this mysterious natural wonder/gorgeous landmark. 

My trip to Northern Ireland last Spring Break was one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve had since starting college, so returning this week was such a beautifully nostalgic experience for me.

Our first stop in Northern Ireland was Derry or London-Derry. The thing that really struck me about Derry on my last visit is how much significance they give to the arts as a means for healing and community building. As a theatre major, I love seeing society really respond to theatre and seeing artists respond in turn. My visit this time around was brief, but I was still able to see the influence of the arts in Derry, and I had a lovely time exploring with my friends! We wandered the city, got a delicious lunch, hung out in a great used book store, and listened to a harpist on the peace bridge. I definitely could have used another few days in Derry! 

The Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede are two of the most beautiful spots in Northern Ireland. The Giant’s Causeway is a section of mountain and rock on the coast that has formed into small hexagonal pillars. No one really knows exactly how this happened (although folklore ascribes it to a fight between two ancient giants, as described in my previous post on the Causeway), and the mystery draws visitors from all around the world. 

Carrick-a-Rede is a nearby rope bridge between the mainland and a tiny island. From the bridge and attached island, there is a gorgeous view of the ocean and the cliffs. The water is absolutely clear. On a low-tide day like this one you can see straight to the bottom; on a clear day you can even see Scotland on the horizon! 

All three of these places were just as gorgeous and exciting on my second visit, and it was especially nice having a prior knowledge of the area so I could point out some cool and more hidden gems at each location! 

Aran Islands (Days 23-24)

The Aran Islands are the most quiet and secluded place I’ve ever visited. We stayed on the island of Inishmor (as in Lieutenant of Inishmor, the play), a tiny island that is about a half hour bike ride from one end to the other with one restaurant, one coffee shop, two pubs, and one hotel. After moving in to our hotel (the hotel, I should say), a few friends and I went out for some lunch before I made one of the greatest decisions I’ve made in my almost 21 years… I decided to go on a bike ride.
To be honest, it was not actually my idea to rent bikes and set off on this epic bike ride, it was Clare’s, but the great decision I made was to join her (along with friends Kenzie and Caroline)!

This bike ride was pure magic! It was a glorious day, and Inishmor is an island of rolling hills and unbelievable sights. I remember coming up over that first hill and looking out over the incredible view of the ocean around me and the rest of the island, with its unique rock fences created fantastic patterns on the land, below me.

We made several stops on our gorgeous journey. One stop was at a rocky cove where we climbed over mossy boulders to get as close as we could to the sunbathing seals in the ocean. 

Another required us to hop a stone fence to rest on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. The last stop was at a white-sand beach where the sky seemed bluer than ever before and the water was crystal clear. We sat on the soft sand and sang songs about Ireland and beaches and friendship until it was time to return our bikes.  

We visited the much smaller island of Inishmaan the next day to see John Millington Synge’s cottage. I had no idea what an influential playwright Synge was until I visited his cottage, the place where he stayed after completing his education and where he found the inspiration for many of his plays. The woman who is in charge of the upkeep of the cottage today is incredibly passionate about Synge, his work, and what he stood for, and it was such a treat to learn about the man from someone who cared so much and is such an expert. She really got me excited about reading more of Synge’s work, and I feel like I will appreciate it more now that I’ve been to the Aran Islands and Synge’s cottage and have seen them myself. 

The Aran Islands were breathtakingly beautiful and very relaxing. A much needed chill weekend in what has been a crazy busy but fantastic schedule! 

Galway and the Cliffs of Moher (Days 20-22)

Galway!  What a pleasant surprise! I did not expect to say this before we came, but Galway is my favorite city of the trip thus far! I had never even heard of Galway before arriving there, but it took me no time at all to fall in love. 

Stepping off the bus and on to the street, I felt like perhaps we had taken a wrong turn and ended up in Italy or Spain. The buildings are tall and brightly colored, the main street is blocked off from cars and full of street performers, and all of the restaurants- offering pastas and tapas and a huge variety of foods besides just fish and chips- have fully stuffed outdoor seating patios. As my roommate, Clare, and I settled in to our hotel room, a young, handsome, Irish, street-performer played his guitar and kazoo outside our window, singing folky covers of big band classics. Talk about dreamy.

I feel like I can best summarize the Galway vibe by describing it as a perfect mix of Stratford and Dublin. Like Dublin, it seems to be a hub for artists and young people. There are tons (tons) of street musicians and variety performers, every restaurant and pub has live music, and there is a bustling and youthful night life. However, Galway isn’t nearly as metropolitan as Dublin. Dublin could definitely be overwhelming with its many streets and many many people, but I was instantly comfortable in Galway, the way I was in Stratford. Like Stratford, Galway is quaint and oftentimes feels antique. It’s a manageable size and very walkable. But Galway is also much more awake than Stratford. There seemed to be an interesting mix of people in Galway, and everyone was making just the right amount of noise. 

When we first arrived, after we’d moved in and I had finished swooning over my musical friend, we all headed out to dinner. A group of girlfriends and I wandered into an incredible Italian restaurant! I had one of the best meals of the trip. 

After that, we just wandered the streets listening to the many musicians and stopped into a pub where a band was playing traditional Irish music and even the cool-looking young men began jigging. 

The next day, a group of friends and I went shopping in Galway. We stopped in to several boutiques, but my favorite part of the day was the nearly-hidden alleyway market we happened upon. There were fruits, veggies, artists selling their crafts and jewelry, food stands, fresh fish… and it was packed with people! Sigh. Markets provide the best kind of chaos. 

That night, we all went to a double feature of two Tom Murphy plays, Brigit (a world premier!) and Bailegangaire at the famous Druid Theatre. Both were excellent, and Bailegangaire was the most well-acted show we have seen on our trip, in my opinion. Two full-length plays back to back in a barely-air-conditioned theatre is a lot for even the most enthusiastic theatre-goer, but I am still really glad that I got to visit this theatre and see both of these fantastic productions. 

The next day was spent away from the streets of Galway and in some of the nearby nature. Our first stop was Coole Park, the estate that used to be home to playwright Lady Gregory. The gardens and forests are beautiful at Coole Park, but I was most interested to learn about Lady Gregory’s life. She is a really fascinating person! She was close friends with W. B. Yeats, and he visited Coole Park many many times in his life (as did countless other celebrities and artist). 

Sad as I was to say goodbye to Galway after such a short visit, I was excited to learn that our next stop was at the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher are world famous for their breathtaking beauty! I don’t know about you, but when I think about an ideal Irish scene, I think about green, patchwork fields and sharply dropping, winding cliff faces. The Cliffs of Moher are the quintessential example of the latter.

The Cliffs of Moher may have been your PC’s desktop image in the early 2000’s…

The Cliffs are stunningly beautiful, and you can walk all around them, taking in the view from every angle. It really is one of those incredible views that everyone should see at least once in a lifetime. (But be warned: the wind is strong on the Cliffs. Do not wear a skirt when you go, as I did… Unless you want to flash visitors from literally all over the world, as I did.)

Dublin (Days 13-19)

How lucky am I to say that this was my second time in Dublin this year?! Over spring break, a small group of Furman students and I took a trip to Northern Ireland with the Cothran center, and we stopped into Dublin for less than a day to fly home. I absolutely loved what I saw of Dublin, and I was so disappointed that I couldn't spend more time there (especially since we were there only a couple of days before St. Patrick's Day). When I learned that I would get to come back to Dublin for a week as a part of this trip, I was so thrilled!

My time in Dublin did not disappoint. I definitely experienced a bit of whiplash coming from the tiny, quaint Stratford to such a metropolitan city, but I loved being back in the hustle and bustle of city life. Dublin reminds me a lot of NYC. The buildings are not as big and tall but, like New York, dozens of accents and languages muddle together on the busy streets and restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisines line the sidewalks.

We stayed in the dorms at Trinity College, a college known throughout Ireland and the rest of the world for producing celebrated alumni such as Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, and Samuel Beckett, and also for housing the Book of Kells, the oldest known illuminated manuscript. As much as I loved my house in Stratford, it was such a treat to stay in these facilities. And it was nice having a really large room all to myself!

For this part of the trip, we spent most of our days taking trips to nearby attractions and our nights out enjoying the incredible Dublin night life. I remember walking down the street at around 9 pm with some friends and being pleasantly surprised to find that many other people were still out, a stark contrast to the much quieter Stratford. I made so many fun memories with my friends during our nights in Dublin! It is such a great city for young people, and Trinity College is right in the middle of all the fun.

The first day trip we took was to Kilmainham Gaol. This is a really interesting old jail in Dublin. I learned a lot about Irish history through my visit to the jail. I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Dublin.

Later we took a trip to the Hill of Tara and Newgrange. Both featured beautiful views of the patchwork Irish fields I love so much. They're both ancient burial sites that are shrouded in mystery, myth, and legend. If you're interesting in the religious history of Ireland- the way Irish culture radically changed with the introduction of Christianity centuries ago- then you should definitely visit these places. The blend of pagan tradition and Christianity is unlike anything we have in the states.

Newgrange is especially cool because it is something of an architectural phenomenon. It's a huge structure that opens up to a cave-like tomb. Much like Stone Henge, it is unclear how anyone in these ancient times could have engineered such a structure. It also features mysterious spiral images engraved on the walls. I've never seen Stone Henge, but I can't imagine it could be cooler (especially since Newgrange is even older!).

The weather every day in Dublin has been sunny and warm. I was especially glad of that the day we went to Powerscourt and Glendalough and Wicklow National Park. Powerscourt features some of the most gorgeous gardens I've ever seen! There was an elaborate Italian garden, a Japanese garden, a hidden Rapunzel-like tower, and winding paths through lush forests. 

That same day we headed over to Glendalough and Wicklow National Park, another gorgeous place to walk and wander. This used to be the site of a monastery and still boasts an impressive tower that can be seen for miles. There is a stunning lake a beautiful mountains for hours of hiking.

We also took day trips to Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula, County Louth, and the Irish National Stud horse museum and garden.

And we saw another fabulous play while in Dublin: George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House at the historic Abbey Theatre. It was completely different from the shows we'd seen in Stratford, especially since it was done on a proscenium as opposed to a thrust. But I loved it!

As you can tell from this lengthy post (sorry), we did quite a lot during our week in Dublin! Much hiking, exploring, shopping, pub-hopping, and bonding. Which is exactly how Dublin should be conquered!

For the next month-ish we'll be taking much shorter trips around the British Isles before setting in London for a couple of months. Which means... Shorter and more frequent blog posts! Hooray! As always, thank you for reading and for joining me on my adventures. Until next time!

My Stratford Shakesperience (Days 5-12)

It's been almost 2 weeks since I've last blogged, but I have a good excuse! I have been crazy busy learning a thousand wonderful things in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Our time is now over- I am writing this from Dublin (Dublin blog post coming soon...)- but I still wanted to give you all some highlights from my last week in Stratford.

To give you a taste of what's kept me away from my blogging duties, I've typed what was a typical day for my traveling peers in I in Stratford where we studied with the Royal Shakespeare Company:

1) Breakfast with the fam. Have I mentioned how much I loved my Stratford house? I was so blessed to be living with the most wonderful group of friends... Even waking up early for breakfast was a joy with this crew! And Mum Kate (what we affectionately called our house-mom after only a couple of days with her) made a great breakfast!

this was taken on our last day... goodbyes were tearful for all

2) Group discussion on the latest production we'd attended. I loved these group conversations! They took place the morning after we viewed a production. It was such a pleasure to hear the insights of my classmates. Sometimes they caught things in the show that I missed, sometimes they loved a show I disliked or vice-versa... Either way, I always really enjoyed hearing what my friends thought of the incredible performances we got to see at the RSC.
3) Q&A with a RSC actor or director. This was a lot of fun! Someone from the company of whichever show we'd seen most recently would come join us to chat with us about the performance. Not only did we get to ask questions about the show, but I always tried to get some insight on these artists' careers and thoughts on the work they do. RSC actors typically work on several shows at the same time, so I saw some of these performers up to 3 or 4 times.
4) Lunch. You know me... I love a good meal. I especially loved taking these breaks to get to know my peers in a smaller group and see a little bit more of the city! By the time I left Stratford, I already had established a few spots around the city as my favorites. I especially loved sitting outside when we had the chance; the weather was warm nearly every day and its a great city for people/dog-watching.
5) Lecture. We had some of the most legit Shakespeare scholars around come speak to us during our time with RSC. Usually the lecture was on whatever show we were seeing next. So we went into every performance with a knowledge of the historical context and a list of themes to look out for.
6) Workshops. This was one of my favorite parts! We did some incredible things during this time. Dance, voice, movement, directing, acting... Each workshop was with an incredibly qualified and FUN professional. I learned so much and love that my non-theatre-major peers got a taste of some of the things I do in my department and why I'm so passionate about what I'm studying.
7) Performance. We attended a RSC performance almost every night! All in all, we saw three non-Shakespeare plays- Arden of Faversham, The White Devil, The Roaring Girl- and three Shakespeares- Henry IV Parts 1 &2 and Two Gentlemen of Verona. All were incredibly well-done, inspiring, and thought provoking. I dare not blog about them individually because there's just too much to say! Ask me about it some time and I can talk your ear off with an in-depth review of each.

Henry IV Part 1 set. You can see how close to the stage I sat.

Henry IV Part 2 act 2 set

So there it is! My life in Stratford. That's leaving out the two tea breaks we took every day (I love England), the visits to "off-campus" sites such as Anne Hathaway's cottage, and extra lectures here and there. That's also leaving out the extra-curricular activities of each day like dinner with our houses (one of the most laughter-packed and special parts of my day every day) and going out to the Dirty Duck pub after shows to mingle with the actors and locals.

Two more fun things and then I promise this lengthy post will end!
1) My first Saturday abroad.
2) Our day trip to Blenheim palace and Oxford.

My first Saturday here in the UK was absolutely incredible! We were blessed with another gorgeous day in Stratford, and my friends and I took advantage by heading out to do three of the things we do best: shop, eat, and gab. This whole day is just a blur of sunshine, delicious food, beautiful riverside views, girl talking, boutiques, and street markets. Plus my friend Abby purchased a violin and made close to $25 playing on the street! We later found out that you have to have a license to do that, so she had to stop, but for a while we had a lot of fun being total groupies and following her around listening to her gorgeous music.

The next day, we all piled on a bus and headed to Blenheim Palace. It was another beautiful day (Lizzie did not bring enough short sleeved clothing... There will be much regret and outfit repeating until the season changes. Whoops.), and we were set free to explore the palace and grounds. I got to see the place where Winston Churchill was born as well as beautiful rooms full of extravagant china and artwork. Beautiful though it was, I spent most of my time wandering through the incredible gardens and winding paths around the palace. There was a rose garden, asian garden, beautiful green pastures... I took so many pictures; it was so difficult to pick which ones I wanted to put on the blog! (If you would like to see more, check out my Facebook. I'm not nearly as picky with my pictures when it comes to Facebook.)

After we had taken in the glorious palace and grounds, we got back on the bus and made a stop in Oxford. Oxford is bigger and busier than Stratford, but still fairly quaint, especially if you find a nice quiet spot! A couple of new friends and I found an indoor marketplace where I had the most incredible panini of my life with a heaping side of girl-talk. After lunch, we met up with a couple more friends and wandered the city. We spent most of the day just weaving in and out of streets and alleys, getting lost and occasionally stopping into stores. Finally, with tired feet, we found a grassy spot near one of the colleges and napped in the shade until it was time to go. It was the perfect first weekend of my European adventure!