Hello! November is flying by. I’ve reached the countdown of one month until the end of my time here in Granada, which is bittersweet. I am sad to leave this place and people I have grown to love, but also very excited to go home! Classes are going well and I continue to stay busy, especially with traveling somewhere new almost every weekend. My most recent trip was Ireland, and it was hands down one of my favorites so far!
Two of my good friends I booked a hostel in the heart of Dublin for three nights. We spent the afternoon when we first arrived exploring the nearby streets, finding cute bookstores and coffee shops and stores. That night we joined a pub crawl with around 100 other participants. I have never done something like that before, but it was a lot of fun! My favorite part was the live music at each different pub.
We spent several hours on Saturday on a walking tour of the city, learning about the history and culture of Ireland from an excellent guide. We were informed that the Irish tend to start grand projects and not follow through (like a huge underwater clock counting down to the year 2000 that never actually functioned), that the republic only became fully independent from Great Britain in 1949, and that the people have always been travelers with a long tradition of emigration.
We also visited the Guinness Storehouse, where we learned the process of making their specialty beer (roasted barley + water + highly guarded yeast + hops plant) and tried a pint on the rooftop overlooking the cityscape. It was very interesting and I actually liked the bitter drink!
On Sunday we booked a day tour to see the other parts of Ireland, besides just Dublin. We traveled three hours across the country from east to west and hiked along the top of the Cliffs of Moher, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was one of the most beautiful views I have seen, and we were fortunate to have clear skies. I’ll never forget it!
Our bus then drove a few more hours along the coast up north to the town of Galway. We listened to Irish music and our guide’s facts about Ireland along the way, past pastures of sheep, sleepy villages, castle ruins, thatched cottages, and coastal views. One of my favorite memories of the weekend was listening to Enya while gazing at the Irish countryside.
In Galway we explored the festively decorated streets, walked along the River Corrib, and tried sweets at the outdoor Christmas market. Our guide explained that it is slightly early for Christmas, but the Irish need something joyful to celebrate during the cold/dark/rainy weather between Halloween and New Year’s!
There were definitely more things in Dublin that I wanted to do and we just didn’t have time: see the Book of Kells in the old library at Trinity College, explore the many free museums, stay overnight in a small countryside village, try Irish coffee, and eat traditional Irish stew. The one food I did cross off my list was a “full Irish breakfast” (pictured below), which I ordered on our last morning. It was hearty and delicious, and even came with breakfast tea!
Low of the trip: the bitter cold! Although it wasn’t much below freezing, walking and standing outside for long periods of time was not fun. We made the best of it but I would love to return in a warmer season!
High of the trip: hearing and speaking English everywhere! I didn’t realize how much I missed a culture that speaks my native language, but it was so refreshing and felt like home. I do love learning Spanish and being immersed here in Spain, but it was a wonderful break to say “Good morning” to the bus driver and “thank you” to our waiter.
Until next time, Ireland!
Cora the Explorer 