Thursday, July 26, 2012

Ireland and final wrap :)

I have spent the last few days in Ireland, which to be honest, is probably my favourite country so far. Unfortunately I wouldn't say it is my favourite food, favourite weather or favourite stuff to do, simply the people here are so warm, generous, welcoming and friendly that I have absolutely fallen in love with this place. You can do all the corny tourist things here and the local people LOVE you for it. It's wonderful.

We spent the first night drinking beer and watching Irish dancing and listening to Irish music. There was a guy who looked just like Russell Brand who played flute like a wizard!

Unfortunately I had one too many beers (make that about 3 too many) because I decided, in true Australian fashion, to finish my night with a Kebab.

I woke up at about 6am and spent the rest of day either in bed, or intimately acquainting myself with the toilet at the hostel!

Luckily I was well again yesterday, and we went on a huge adventure to the West Coast of Ireland, checking out the Cliffs of Mohar and the city of Galway. Here are some pictures!


This is me fleeing from Vikings in Dublin!





This is the oldest pub in Ireland, founded in 1190-something.


This is a castle in Ireland. Funnily enough it was built in the 16th century. The savvy ones amongst you might notice that the architecture is Norman. Yes. 11th/12th century Norman tower-house. In 16th century Ireland. As you do.


This is the Burren. The landscape here is covered in limestone rocks, this is what you can see on the mountain! The lines across the mountain are fences built during the potato famine. They serve no purpose at all, landlords ordered peasants to built them because there was nothing else to do and it would keep them busy. 


The buildings you can vaguely see here are called "the Seven Churches." They date from nearly 1,800 years ago, during the period of Christianisation in Ireland.  The reason they are called the "Seven" Churches is not because there are seven of them, but because Seven is a significant number in Irish paganism.


The Cliffs of Mohar.


Pretty Thistles.




This is a 5,000 year old tomb.



Finally, this is the Dublin Post Office which was the scene of the 1916 Post Office Rebellion in Ireland.

And this of course, brings my trip to an end! I am currently in Dublin Airport, surrounded by screaming Spanish children who seem to be on some kind of school trip. 

So, I arrive back in Australia on Saturday, I leave Dublin in a few hours, head back to London, then back to Hong Kong and then finally, back to Sydney. So, what have I learned?

1. Hostels are awesome places, if you have had enough sleep. If you are tired, your patience with everyone expires and you see them all as filthy, smelly, snotty backpackers only to realise with horror that you are one of them. Of course, if you are not tired, you see them as intrepid, path-blazing lifestyle travelers, full of interesting stories and like to think of yourself as one of those too.

2. People drink a lot in Ireland and hardly anything in France.

3. Toilets cost money in Europe. And often are such bad quality that, really, someone should pay you. 

4. I also finally feel that I understand the Australian pysche. Its like, a lot of Irish people were sent to Australia with English people to guard them, which, is, kinda what happened.

5. Australia is a very very different place from America. Very, very, very different. People who talk about rampant Americanisation (I used to be one of them) need to chiiiiillll. 

6. And on a final, horrifically mushy note, travelling has shown me that really, you should just be yourself and not try to change yourself to make other people happy. Having spent the past 2 months with people who don't know me from a bar of soap, I have finally come to the conclusion that if you be yourself, people will usually like you and if they don't, you probably don't like them!

Thanks for reading little blog - I hope it has been roughly interesting. 

:) :) :) 

Sara x

1 comment:

Robyn said...

Xxxx yes moo it has been!! Xxx