Blogs from County Dublin, Ireland, Europe - page 20

Like any classic Monday, I woke up 10 minutes before I was supposed to head out the door for the bus. I'm not too sure how that happened, but I still made it and managed to make some breakfast to go! I wasn't about to let that start to the week determine my weekly fun. Work this week flew by! Many of the children are going to units next school year and therefore, we are encouraging them to get used to new environments by switching up which classroom they are in. Some take to it well, others not so much. Yay for more behavioral therapy! It is amazing to see the children's progress in the short amount of time I've been here. They are very intelligent kiddos that sometimes just need a little bit extra explanation ... read more

We had two nights in Dublin before flying back to Canada so we looked for some accommodation deals. We've been very happy so far with our budget travel using Intervac home exchanges but the hotel costs in-between free home stays can really add up. When we drove the Pacific Coast Highway in the USA last year we were pretty lucky at finding coupon deals for cheap rooms in nice motels and hotels but had been prepared to try out some hostels with private rooms if necessary. We didn't need any hostel stays on that trip but decided to give it a try here, booking two nights at Paddy's Palace . Not only was their private room CHEAP, but if you stay at least two nights you can get one of their day tours for free from ... read more

Happy July 4th from Ireland! I woke up bright and early, put on my stars and stripes tank top, and checked the forecast which showed nothing but beautiful sunshine all day long! Tim, Cheyenne and I headed down to to the city center to check out the Temple Bar Market. There were many tents filled with books, fresh food, and live music. There is no better way to Independence Day than with good food, great music, and awesome people. We tried some fresh Guinness bread and veggie bruschetta before taking a bus to Phoenix Park. This 2,718 acre park beats anything I've see before. There were people riding horses, children rolling down hills, and people laying out in the endless green fields. We explored the park and found the American Ambassadors Residence which was a giant, ... read more

Geo: 53.3441, -6.26749For such a bookish group of travelers, our Trinity College visit was such such a thrill today! Attended by Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde, the college also houses the Book of Kells which is a collection of the four gospels of the Bible. Monks over 1000 years ago printed the Bible on vellum (calf skin from nearly 200 calves) and created painstaking illustrations using colored paints made from plants, lapis lazuli, and crushed bugs. The reds, golds, and blues that have survived these thousand years really are the richest hues still today. Then we entered the Long Room in the college library which is home to 200,000 volumes of books. The high arched ceiling and the aisles of volumes smelling of leather and time commanded an air of reverence while marble busts of Shakespeare, ... read more

More Irish terminology: Happy out - this just means "happy," but for some reason they feel the need to add "out." Press - a press is what they call a cupboard or cabinet. Pint of Gat - another name for Guinness. Apparently if someone asks if it's good Gat, and you're not sure how to judge it, simply respond with "sure look it." These are some of the more commonly used terms I've heard and began to use myself. It really is true that you start to talk like the people you are around the most... I don't have an Irish accent though! Regarding the above, I came to the decision that I'm not the biggest fan of dark beer. I know what you're thinking, she is in Ireland!! How could she not love THE Guinness?! ... read more