Spring Break 2010: Day Eight... wow a lot of posts eh?

Wicklow Mountains

After enjoying another Guinness and listening to a great singer-songwriter duo at O'Donaghue's (one of Ireland's most famous music pubs), I headed in after one of the best days I had spent in Europe. I wasn't sure what to expect of the next day. But here's what happened:

At 9:45 am, I boarded a bus for the Wicklow Mountains, on an Over the Top Tour Company van. Today, none of my travel comrades would be joining me, since I was the only one who successfully booked the tour before it filled up. I didn't mind the independence though- ended up meeting people from three different continents! Anyway, the day began by driving in the fog (as most days in Ireland likely do). Ascending up very narrow, twisting roads, I didn't have the foggiest notion (hahahahaha) where were were heading. According to our driver, the roads we were on were barely passable- and most busses had been turing around. Good thing our driver had the ability to laugh in the face of danger!

The views of our first site were obscured by ice pellets from the sky, blustery winds, and 10 degree temperatures. The rest of the group huddled inside the van for warmth, while I enjoyed what most would consider a pleasant February day in Wisconsin! The first stops were at mountain lakes. The more notable was the Guinness Lake, a lake known for its black looking waters and white beach head. This creates the illusion of a giant pint glass of Guinness. Take a look for yourself:



As we went through the Sally Gap (known for its panoramic vistas which were wholly invisible this day), we made brief stops, including at the bridge from PS I Love You. This was an area of pristine beauty- gentle rapids, long grass, an old stone bridge. Exactly what you might imagine the Irish countryside being. Again, most of the group huddled for warmth in the van while I got out to take pictures. I even asked the guide to take my picture- though my face is blurred by a rain drop (either that or its one of those Back to the Future type omens...). I might just have to watch PS I Love You. Except it will probably be on mute while I do homework, and I'll watch it just for the scenery.





After descending just a few hundred feet, the snow miraculously vanished, and the sun came out, thus confirming the fickle, fickle nature of Irish weather. With the skies clearing, we saw a gorgeous waterfall that leaps over a cliff in several thin flowing bands of water. I hopped up onto a steep, slippery hill to snatch a few very dangerous but rewarding pictures (this drew mad props from the German gentleman sitting behind me in the van).



Net stop was lunch at a small town pub. I've found that the best restaurants in Ireland are often "carveries," or buffets at pubs that serve a small but delicious selection of traditional Irish fare- including corned beef and cabbage, fish n' chips, seafood chowder, and lamb. On this particular day, I enjoyed an order of stuffed lamb, while conversing with two college girls from Australia, who now live in France with their Spanish boyfriends. And I thought I was worldly!

Following lunch, there was an onslaught of rain. Then abundant sunshine. Than it rained like God was drowning the world. Then a rainbow. Then snow and hail and warmth and sun- and this pattern continued for the rest of the day.

The first stop after lunch was the monastic site at the Glendaloch (or, the Valley Between the Two Lakes). Built in the 7th century, the monastic site survived centuries of viking pillages, and became one of the region's most important centers for learning and commerce. The most notable landmark at the site is a giant Monastic round tower, built for storage, but also to protect against Viking raids. The front door was built 15 feet above the ground as to create a lot of space between flustered Viking attackers and the wisecracking monks.

After a tour of the monastic site, we hiked from the upper lake at the Glendaloch to the lower lake. The entire hike takes about 30 minutes, winding through a mountainous valley featuring snow capped peaks. There are numerous waterfalls and streams along the side of the trail, and many vantage points for great pictures. However, because it was absolutely pouring on the hike, my pictures didn't turn out as I had hoped. It was still a beautiful hike, and the rain certainly couldn't put a damper on the serenity of those two lakes.









After the hike concluded, we boarded the van for a long bus ride through the mountains to return from Dublin. Though I was soaked to the bone, I had a fantastic experience in the Wicklow Mountains. Even in the worst of weather conditions, they are one of Ireland's most beautiful regions. I'd highly recommend this tour to anybody in the Dublin area! And I see now that most of my pictures aren't uploading, because the internet is toying with my head. I'll try to upload some more a little later!

Spring Break 2010: Day Seven

The Cliffs of Moher (or, the long road to Tipperary)

Wednesday three of us took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher with Paddywagon Tours. Leaving before sunrise, we walked to the bus stop through heavy snow, which followed us throughout the eastern half of Ireland. This made the first half of the bus ride relatively unimpressive, although we did pass the field where the battle from Bravehart was filmed.

The tour's first stop was the Treaty Stone in Limerick, the site on the banks of the River Shannon where the Battle of the Boyne was formally ended. The 17th century treaty, signed by the English protestant King William of Orange and the English Catholic James II granted religious freedom to Irish Catholics- though this wouldn't last long. Thus, the Treaty Stone is perhaps the beginning of the long running religious feud that gripped Ireland for centuries. Limerick is also home to the Ryan family. I was within 20 miles of my ancestor's hometown that they left in the 1820s.

The next stop was Castle Bunratty, one of Ireland's most imposing medieval fortresses. Today, the castle hosts expensive medieval theme dinners, and boasts the largest concentration of gift shops per capita in all of Ireland. But still a very cool sight.

At this point, the sun was just starting to break through the clouds. Because of the cold, the fog was also starting to dissipate. As we drove closer to the coast, the skies were growing bluer and visibility was rapidly increasing. Perfect conditions to see something like the Cliffs of Moher. Clearly, our guide was very excited. Almost never is the weather perfect at the Cliffs of Moher.

But it was when we were there. The Cliffs were the most beautiful thing I saw in all of Ireland. Rising 300 yards out of the Atlantic Ocean, it really feels like the world ends at the cliffs. There are a few mountain covered islands in the distance, so the view is beautiful on a clear day. I especially enjoyed the signs that illustrated a guy falling off the cliffs. Like an instruction manual for the uncoordinated. More visually striking was the small fortress Napoloeon commissioned atop the cliffs in the early 1800s. The hour and a half I spent at the Cliffs was definitely the most peaceful hour of spring break, if not one of the most relaxing hours of my entire life.








Following the Cliffs, our driver took the gigantic bus down a very narrow road. He dismissed the "no busses" sign since the picture on the sign was "of a double decker bus." But the view was very rewarding- saw a beautiful castle that today is used as a summer home for a German family. Also visited Doolin, a very, very small village at the base of the Cliffs noted for its traditional music and tasty pub food- so a great place to grab lunch.

Later in the afternoon, we visited The Burren for a brief hike- home of several hundred square kilometers of limestone and surreal stone formations. Cows freely grazed over this lunar landscape- a novel sight even for someone from Wisconsin!

The next stop was the ruins of a 12th century monastery, where we saw several Celtic crosses and a beautiful rainbow over the ruined Cathedral. Though there was no leprechaun waiting for us, it was a perfect way to end a day of sightseeing on the western coast of Ireland. When I go to heaven, I imagine it being very similar to what I saw on this tour.

Spring Break 2010: Day Six- the day of the Guinness

The Day of St. Guinness

Wednesday was the second full day in Dublin, and the day of the Guinness Storehouse tour! I started the day by exploring St. Stephen's Green, an enormous park in the middle of Dublin home to several beautiful gardens and lots of swans. The Green was especially beautiful today because of rare sunshine- much nicer than the snow and rain from the day before! Following an afternoon of frolicking through the fields, I headed to Christ Church Cathedral, a church built by settled vikings in 800 AD. The current building is much different from the original, the facade was completed in the 1200s. Among the notable aspects of Christ Church is the tomb of Strongbow, the Norman conqueror enlisted by the English to conquer Ireland. Also the namesake for an English ale.

Following Christ Church, I went to the Chester Beatty Library, a museum that houses the oldest Gospel texts in his existence. Also at the museum are very rare illuminated copies of the Qur'an and other very rare, ancient religious texts. The free tour was definitely tailor fit for me. After the visit, I enjoyed a delectable Mediterranean lunch at the library's cafe, rated among some of the best lunch places in Dublin.

That afternoon, of course, we visited the pilgrimage sight for all travelers to Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse. Designed in the shape of a pint glass and spanning over seven stories, the museum takes you through an interactive self-guided tour talking about the process of beer making, the history of the Guinness corporation, the media empire created by Guinness, and of course, it culminates with a free pint. There's nothing more relaxing than sipping a Guinness while sitting at Dublin's tallest point, with a 360 degree panoramic view of the city. I'll admit I had my doubts about Guinness before coming to Europe (especially since I wasn't 21 and had never had a beer before...). But now, I realize that Guinness is an outstanding Stout beer, with a complex taste that tastes somewhere between a cup of coffee and tiramisu. Good, good stuff.

Finished the evening by enjoying an order of Fish n' Chips from a very popular fast food joint- probably had about 10,000 calories in it though. Then it was off to Cobblestone, Dublin's most famous "trad" (or traditional music) bar, where we listened to Irish fife tunes, ironically played by a guy from Chicago. Definitely liked the Irish Fest Milwaukee sticker on the bar's wall.

The next day... Cliffs of Moher!

Spring Break 2010: Day Five

Tuesday was our first full day in Dublin. I began by attending matins at St. Patrick's Cathedral- a beautiful gothic church built on the site where St. Patrick baptized the Irish pagans in a giant well. As part of the Church of Ireland, the cathedral has a long tradition of ecumenical openness- even protecting Hugenots from persecution after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis Quatorze. Such a deep history! And they sell shot glasses at the gift shop!

Following church I took a personal detour to head to Kilmainham Gaol (Kilmainham Jail), an 18th century prison with a brutal history. The prison was originally based on strict rules of silence and isolation, as part of Jeremy Bentham's prison reform efforts. But when the potato famine hit, there were so many prisoners that they often slept on top of each other. People were so starved in 1847 that they committed crimes to go to jail, where they knew they would receive three cold meals a day. Jonathan Swift observed this and wrote that the prison overcrowding problem would end only when conditions in the prison were made more miserable than those in the slum. The rebellion of 1916 ended in Kilmainham Gaol, with the imprisonment and execution of 14 rebels. Though the Easter Uprising was unpopular and widely criticized, their martyrdom inspired the independence movement that concluded in the mid-1920s (or, depending on your political views and geographical region, is still raging on). The stories I heard at the Kilmainham Gaol were shocking and powerful. The sacrifices of these rebels for their country was truly moving, and it makes me proud to be of Irish descent. From a history perspective, this tour was the most fascinating thing I did in Dublin.

After a quick kebab lunch, I went to Trinity College, Dublin's main University, to see the famous Book of Kells. Made by monks in the 9th century, the Book is the best example of medieval manuscript illumination and early medieval art. Miraculously, the book has survived dozens of fires and viking raids, and now rests at Trinity College under the protection of a thick layer of glass and a 6 euro admission fee. The history behind the book was fascinating- and gazing at its ornate pages is mesmerizing. You really do have to just look at it for a period of 5-10 minutes to catch the fantastic detail.

Later that afternoon I visited the archaeological museum (saw some Viking skeletons and stone age artifacts) before going out for Fish n' Chips. That night we visited the Brazen Head Pub, Dublin's oldest pub, founded in the 12th century. That's over 800 years of Guinness drinkin'! That night we also heard a great traditional Irish music group, that we hung around and talked to long in to the night. They gave us recommendations of places to visit, and laughed at our Sconnie accents. It was a great evening. I'm sure the Guinness corporation appreciates their business, if you know what I mean! I'll place a video of all the pub music we heard in a later post.

Spring Break 2010: Day Four

Day four we set sail (literally) for Ireland, the land of roughly 1/4 of my ancestral heritage! Boarding a train at a horrific hour of the morning, we rolled through the fields and countryside of England, under a surprising amount of sunshine. Passing mountains, castles, beaches, and valleys, we journeyed all the way from London to Holyhead port in a matter of five or six hours. At Holyhead, we boarded a ferry for Dublin Port. I was assuming it would be a standard Wisconsin ferry- no flare, just gets you to your destination. But no, this ferry had an interior resembling the inside of a hotel, complete with several restaurants, a bar, a casino, even a movie theatre! All for a two hour voyage! While most people slept, I was drooling over what I was seeing in the distance: the giant cliffs, the immense greenness, and the jagged rocks of the Irish coast.

Upon arrival, a bus took us to Dublin city center. The bus was transported by the first of many aggressively friendly Irish people I would meet. Whenever a woman asked him a question, he would always respond by saying "my darling," whether he was referring someone to a restaurant or giving directions to a hotel. Amazing customer service!

The bus station was a long walk from the hostel on Aungier Street. Thus, I learned the hard way that streets in Dublin change name roughly every 100 to sometimes 200 feet. This makes navigating fairly difficult. Nevertheless, we did finally arrive. That night was very relaxed- it was spent eating fish n' chips, and listening to the Dublin City Jazz Band at a swingin' nightclub called 'The Button Factory.' I never knew the Irish were in to jazz- but they played as tight as many of the pro groups I've listened to in the states. They had a very good trombone section too- their bass trombonist doubled as their vocalist.

Returning the hotel, we met a rather friendly fellow on a side street... who politely tried to sell us some marijuana. Obviously, we refused. But how many drug dealers address you as "gentlemen" and wish you a "pleasant evening" after you reject their offer? Seriously, the Irish are the world's nicest people.

With that, here are a few pictures from that first night in Dublin, in particular the cathedrals of St. Patrick's (where Patrick first baptized the Irish pagans by dunking them in a giant well) and Christ Church (where Handel's "Messiah" was first performed in the 1700s). I'd like to point out that the modern looking building is their national bank- surely it was designed by the same architect who built Van Vleck and Van Hise for the UW campus.

Spring Break 2010: Day Three

Day three began in the pouring rain. Luckily, we were headed indoors to attend worship at Westminster Abbey. We were fortunate enough to be at the service with their choir, whose incredible intonation and sound blends in perfectly with the Cathedral's acoustics. I especially enjoyed the walk to the main aisle- passed over the graves of Charles Darwin and Sir Isaac Newton en route. Of course, having researched him all last semester, I had to take several pictures of Dietrich Bonhofefer, whose statue is in a decorative niche above the great west doors. Overall, church at the Abbey was one of the most memorable parts of Spring Break- so glad I went!

After worship, we learned from the previous day's mistakes and headed straight for the tube station (or the subway) to pick up a day pass. The first stop was the British Museum. Surprisingly, the world's largest history museum is free of charge to the public! Boasting such famous artifacts as the Rosetta Stone and the statuary from the Parthenon in Greece, the museum is in incredible site. I saw the first chess pieces ever discovered in Europe (though the game actually dates back to 500 AD in India), I saw an enormous collection of historical clocks dating from the earliest pocket pieces to the modern day alarm clock, I saw a miniature statue of swimming reindeer that is one of the earliest art works ever discovered (possibly from 6,000 years ago!). I could have easily spent days in the museum- so informative, so many brilliantly displayed exhibits. And very cool architecture too. Like all of London, it is a perfect balance of the very modern and the classical. But unlike the Louvre in Paris, this blend works.

Following the museum we boarded the tube again for the Tower of London, to snack on some Fish n' Chips before the Jack the Ripper tour. Our guide, the world's most famous Jack the Ripper scholar, showed us the sites where "Jack" brutally murdered his five prostitute victims. More than a horror tale, the story was also full of bits about the history of London and city conditions in the 1880s, when London had the worst slums in Europe. Interestingly, it was an ego feud between London's two police precincts (Scotland Yard and the London Police) that made catching the Ripper impossible. It's also interesting that nobody knows who the Ripper was- though there are theories, it will never be known for certain. My favorite accusation was Lewis Carrol, the author of Alice in Wonderland. With nerves on edge, we boarded the tube again, saving us the 8 mile walk back to our hostel, to finish our time in London.

Spring Break 2010: Day Two

London is a rather big city, slightly larger than the small hill towns in the Tuscan countryside that one can easily cross in a matter of minutes. Unable to realize this difference, I decided that I would walk across the entire city of London on Saturday, from our hostel in Chelsea all the way to the Tower Bridge at the far end of the city. 30 miles of walking later, here is what transpired on that calf busting day in London:

Woke up with the hopes of seeing the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. However, this only takes place on certain days in Winter, so we weren't among the lucky few. But on our way to Buckingham Palace, the sun came out and shined brilliantly throughout the city- very rare for this time of the year in London! After seeing the Palace amidst a tremendous crowd of tourists and tour groups, we took a leisurely stroll through the royal Green Park, home of Charles II's royal deer herd (now just a park). We also took a long walk through St. Jame's Park, stopping to admire the brilliantly white swans (which were actually quite vicious- saw one nearly kill a tiny lap dog!) The royal area of London is spectacularly beautiful, especially when the sun is out!










(sorry if there are 2 of each image- the interweb is a strange, strange world)

Following our brush with royalty, we headed down the river bank, towards Tower Bridge and the Borough Market. We stopped on the way for various landmarks- like Shakespeare's Globe, the HMS Belfast (a WWII destroyer that provided cover for the D-Day invasion), and the numerous pieces of post-modernist architecture that dot the river bank (quite tastefully, I might add).

When we arrived in Southwic we explored around the Cathedral and the Borough Market, home to an extensive selection of fresh food and sweets. Not having visited an ATM yet, my options were limited- but I did enjoy a "Hot Bap with Bacon and Bubble," which I found out was a type of hot breakfast sandwhich with fried potatoes and cabbage, topped with BBQ sauce (or as they call it, "the brown"). Whoever gave British food a bad rep- shame on you!





After the market, headed to the Tower of London. With an entry price of some 20 pounds, we decided it would be best to see the tower from the outside- and it was just as beautiful, especially with the weather we were having.

At this point, I decided to split off from the pack and take a personal pilgrim to my now favorite museum in all of Europe- the Winston Churchill Museum/Cabinet War Rooms. The rooms have been preserved as if they were still in use by Churchill's cabinet, often complete with new wax models. I especially loved the wax model of Churchill drinking a glass of whiskey and telephoning FDR, with the transcript from their conversation playing in the background. The entire museum had this sort of interactive, high tech feel, creating a far more interesting and immersing experience than your standard museum. It really showed how charismatic Churchill was- and how he was able to boost morale in a country so decimated by war. A couple of interesting facts about Churchill:
-He was an avid painter, especially of impressionist landscapes.
-He was once offered several thousand pounds to spend a year abstaining from drink- he obviously refused, calling drinking one of the great pleasures in life.
-Churchill and his wife were the only ones who ate well in the bunker- eating several multi-course meals throughout the day. The rest of his staff ate gruel and bread.
-Unlike politicians of today, Churchill insisted on writing his own speeches- which blended a realistic approach to the dangers of the war and an optimism about a possible allied victory.
-His favorite food was beef wellington.




LONDON


Following the museum, I returned home for a brief nap before going back out on the town. Hoping to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe, we walked 5 miles to the restaurant to find a 2 hour wait. So we ended up eating at some side road burger place- but I can't complain about a 16 ounce cheeseburger! Unfourtunatley, we were supposed to go to a comedy club that night that we never found. Microsoft Word changed what was supposed to be Oxendon Street to Oxford Street, leading us all the way out of the city on a wild goose chase for a comedy club that we never reached. Eventually, we did make it home, battered and exhausted, probably unable to take another step. 30 miles of walking through London. 30 miles. A new personal record.


The next day, we took the subway.