And It All Starts Up Again!

So the past 6 or 7 weekends have been great. I've gotten to relax on the weekends, get even better acquainted with Cork and its many lovely coffee shops, and enjoy these moments all in my own backyard. This past weekend was the first trip we have taken during the Spring Semester, and it was the first of 3 consecutive weekends away. And so begins the weekend madness once again!

This first trip was the perfect weekend. I feel like I say that or feel that a lot; like most weekends are absolutely spectacular and nothing could compare to it. But this time I REALLY mean it! This weekend had everything - Holy Cross, family, Dublin, and warm weather! I can still barely believe the last part. We headed up to Dublin on Friday afternoon to spend the weekend with our friends who are at UCD for the spring semester. While most Holy Cross programs are full year programs, there are specific ones for particular majors that are just for one semester, such as this one at UCD for Economics majors. I was psyched! I couldn't wait to see them.

I can't even describe to you how beautiful it was on Saturday. I will let my photos speak for themselves. I carried my pea coat around for most of the day because it was too warm to wear it! I was so grateful for the amazing weather I barely wanted to talk about it because I was afraid I'd jinx it.

While our friends headed to Howth to do a cliff tour, Mary (our friend from Galway), Kristin, and I spent the day in the main part of Dublin, enjoying Grafton St., St. Stephen's Green, Trinity, the Guinness Storehouse - the traditional Dublin sites. Mary and Kristin had never been to Dublin so I definitely felt like the tour guide for the day. What could be better than spending the day in Dublin with 2 good friends, you ask? Spending the day in Dublin with 4 good friends! Teddy, my cousin studying at Trinity, had his girlfriend, Caroline, visiting for the week, who I got to know very well last year when she was a senior at HC. I love her! It was so great getting to see both of them. She currently lives/works in New York so I am definitely excited to get to hang out with her when I'm working there this summer!

Later Saturday afternoon, we met back up with our UCD friends and had probably one of the most memorable experiences I've had while in Ireland. We went to Croke Park and watched a professional, totally legit Gaelic Football game! It was amazing! I'm not talking about going to a small little field and being spectators watching from the sidelines. Think Gillette Stadium, and then add 10,000 more seats! Croke Park holds 80,000 people! UNREAL. Even cooler? Dublin was playing Cork! Kristin and I were definitely one of the few Cork fans in the stands. But it was so cool getting to root for Cork and feel real loyalty to the county. Unfortunately Cork didn't win, but it was pretty close. Gaelic Football is so intense! We were all joking that we felt like we were watching a Quidditch match because the sport is just so different from anything we are used to in the US. Think a touch of soccer, some football, and a dash of Ultimate Frisbee. Plus, there were all these people wearing Dublin and Cork scarves, and waving flags, just like they do in Harry Potter! We definitely now want to find the Gaelic Football stadium in Cork and go to more games.

By 9:00 after the game, not having had the chance to grab dinner, we were all starving and headed to The Counter, an amazing build-your-own burger place right by Grafton St. Again, unreal! So delicious. Afterwards, we went over to Temple Bar to a pub called Oliver St. John Gogarty Bar (what a name!) and listened to Irish Traditional Music for hours and hours.

Sunday morning - one of the highlights of the weekend. Really, what am I saying? Everything was a highlight. We went to O'Neil's pub for a traditional Irish Breakfast before our bus at 1:00. I must admit, I am not that adventurous, and when I saw french toast and bacon on the menu, I decided to take the safe route.

So there you have it. No jokes, one of the best weekends ever. I got to see so many people I love, enjoy another weekend in Dublin, and still have the warm feeling of coming back home to Cork. That's right, I said it - HOME!

Unfortunately I think some of the late nights we've been having caught up to me and now I'm stuck with a very annoying cold. No fun. Lots of tea and orange juice this week so I'm healthy and ready for trip #2 this weekend - Salzburg and Munich! The land of bratwurst and The Sound of Music.

Slan!

PS I must give photo cred to Mary, because I didn't bring my camera to Dublin, so the photos you are enjoying were taken by her. Aren't they lovely? Thanks Mary!