York, Wales, Bath, and Stonehenge (Days 33-44)

Friends! It seems I have fallen behind on my blogging responsibilities and have failed to post in over two weeks. I am so sorry. Time is absolutely flying over here and keeping up with this blog has become less of a priority as normal, scheduled classes have started up (and homework assignments have become increasingly time-consuming).

I am now in the fabulous London, meaning our tour of the British Isles is now over and I'm going to be stationary for the rest of the trip (besides Fall Break and Independent Travel). I've only been in London 17 days, but already the travel portion of the trip seems so long ago, like a completely separate experience. We have just done so much in our now 61 days abroad! It's hard to believe we're already over halfway through. 

But I last left you off on day 31! So I have a lot to fill you in on before I can get to today. So here's a summary of the last leg of our tour of the British Isles! 

After Edinburgh, our group kissed Scotland goodbye and re-entered England for the first time since Stratford! As we crossed the border into England the skies immediately turned grey and it started to pour... a comical and almost poetic English welcome. 

While in England, we made trips to Rosslyn Chapel, York, Hadrian's Wall, Manchester, Wales, Bath, and Stonehenge before reaching London. I am just going to blog about the highlights of a few of those places...

York

• Our first night in York, my foursome of friends- me, Caroline, Kenzie, and Clare- went out on the town for dinner. We split a pitcher of fruity, girly cocktail between us and chatted with each other and the locals at neighboring tables. I know that's not exactly an only-in-York experience, but it really was one of the highlights of my time in the city. Just a special girls' night and a sweet memory with some of my favorite people. 
• York Minster: York Minster is a must-see of York! We toured the large, ornate cathedral during the day (with an incredible, informative tour guide who absolutely made the experience for me) and revisited it in the evening to attend Evensong, a service featuring a brief sermon, a series of prayers, and a magnificent performance of a variety of hymns by the York Minster choir. To be in such a gorgeous church with so much history and cultural significance, worshipping where thousands of pilgrims have worshipped before me, was truly a spiritually moving experience. I felt so blessed to have had the opportunity to attend. 
  
  

Wales

• Our visit to Wales was spent mostly in Llandudno, a small resort town right on the coast. The best part of Llandudno was just walking down the main strip in the evenings. Our first night there, a few friends and I walked down to the pier where an old-school carnival was set up. It was late so everything was closed, but the lights on the water in this quiet, tiny town made for a perfectly picturesque scene. I'm sure my friends and I were the loudest ones in the entire town (okay, just me) as we died laughing at the silly stories we made up in what felt like a storybook setting. 

I didn't get a picture of Llandudno, 
but I did get this from Snowdonia National Park, also in Wales

Bath

• The Roman Baths: the city of Bath gets its name from the ancient Roman baths that are found there. I spent the better part of a day touring the baths with fascination.  When I think of English history, I've never thought much about ancient Rome, but I really have learned so much about that long-ago time while in Bath. The technology alone is an incredible aspect of the Roman Baths, but the cultural, spiritual, historical, mythological, and religious all come together in these ruins as well. 
  
• Another really fun part of Bath is the outdoor marketplace! There have been so many great outdoor markets on this trip-- York had a really good one as well-- but the one at Bath features more than the typical flowers, fruits, veggies, and sausages. This one also had people selling everything from baked goods to collections of antique silverware to records. I really enjoyed milling around that area and I even made a small purchase which may or may not appear under the Christmas tree in a couple months!
  
  

Stonehenge

• What's the meaning of Stonehenge??? I've been up all night asking myself that question ever since our visit nearly 20 days ago! Well, that isn't really true. I've been able to sleep just fine, but the mystery around Stonehenge's meaning really is its greatest draw. There were tons of tourists visiting with us on that beautiful day, all taking pictures and asking the same questions: How did they build the Stonehenge? Why did they build the Stonehenge? The world may never know. 
  
  

Well those are just a few highlights covering the best of the final leg of my travel study experience! But really, our group has done so much more than I could ever recount. I feel so blessed as I write this right now; I can't get over how many things I've seen and how many wonderful experiences I've had with this incredible group of people. I am definitely sad that the travel portion of the trip is complete, but I am also loving being here in London, getting to know this city as we stay here long-term! Expect another post soon about my London adventures! 

Edinburgh, Scotland (Days 29-31)

First off, this city is pronounced ed-in-burrow for those that (like me) might have been confused.

Edinburgh! How do I even sum up Edinburgh in a few sentences? I love this city, and I’m definitely coming back some day! Edinburgh is a pretty big city in comparison to some of the other stops we’ve made recently, but its not quite as busy and metropolitan as Dublin. I don’t know what exactly it was about Edinburgh, I just really loved the way it felt to walk around that city. There was a really nice energy everywhere I went. There are castles, statues, and cobblestones just as there are clubs, art galleries, and designer brand stores. 

...And it's all covered in plaid.

We were only in Edinburgh for a brief time, but I could definitely see myself living there. I’m not sure if its just the city or if I have some undiscovered Scottish in me, but Edinburgh felt more like home than anywhere else we’ve visited. (Seriously considering purchasing a Scottish Terrier, naming him Eddie, and keeping him in my apartment next year as a living memento. Hope my roomies will be cool with that.) 

We did so many cool things in Edinburgh… A few of my favorites: 

• The National Gallery— currently divided into two buildings: one featuring modern art and the other featuring classic works. I explored both buildings with a few of my friends, and we enjoyed the entire collection! 

As we walked out, we were greeted by a street performer with bagpipes in a kilt.
Every Scotland stereotype is real.

• Shopping— Edinburgh has some adorable boutiques, designer stores, and tacky (but fun) tourist shops for Scottish knickknacks

shop til you start to lose your mind and get really goofy, right?

• Edinburg Castle— The best birds-eye view of the city 

• Delicious Indian cuisine for dinner with my best friends (not pictured: the friends) 

• Elephant House— I only stuck my head in, but this is the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first couple of Harry Potter books

fan graffiti covering the walls in the bathrooms

But of all the cool things we did in Edinburgh, I think my favorite was just the wandering the spectacular streets and getting lost… It is a beautiful place. 

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!