Birthday weekend!!

On August 21 I celebrated my 22nd birthday, as well as my first birthday in Ireland! Needless to say, it was probably one of the best birthday's ever!

After John got home from work on Friday, we walked into town to go to Jalapeno's, a tex-mex restaurant in Galway. I've gone to tex-mex restaurants on my birthday for many years now, so I wanted a little taste of home. The restaurant was alright, I think Americans are a little spoiled when it comes to tex-mex food, as we have both Texans and Mexicans who can make it properly. It was nice to go on a date with John anyways though, even though the poor kid had really spicy food and spent the rest of the evening in the toilet.

We stopped at a bookstore on the way home, and John bought me a book by the woman who wrote "The Time Traveler's Wife", which I have been slowly chipping away at for the last few days. Its a great book called "Her Fearful Symmetry", I'll let you know how it is when I finish it! I also got an ice cream on the way home, so that was nice too :)

On Saturday we woke up late and lazed around the apartment. Then we went into town, being lazy and driving. This actually turned out for the best, as it started pissing rain on our way home. I shopped around Penney's for a birthday dress while John got his hair shorn. There's really no other way to put it, he had sheeps hair.

After shopping we stopped into John's friends house, who had just gotten back from Australia that afternoon. The poor kid was interrogated by John for the next twenty minutes, when all he really wanted to do was sleep.

John's good friend Joe stopped by after he had just climbed Croagh Patrick in an adventure race, which included a bicycle ride. I made lasagne for them (which proved to not be the best dinner for what happened later in the night), while also preparing for what would turn out to be an epic night!

Birthday Rainbow!

Around 930 our friends started showing up at the house, where we were just chatting and enjoying the evening, as well as consuming some beverages. We ventured into town to meet up with some other people and go to some clubs and pubs. The girls split up from the boys(minus one who was not in any state to go out and was sent home :( ) and went to club while the boys went to the pub. We met up with a stag party inside (aka bachelor party) and I tried to get them to buy us drinks, but they wouldn't :( Luckily I have great friends and we still had a fantastic time!

Maeve, Mags, Adah and myself :) 

To make a long story short, I had A LOT of fun. Too much fun, if you catch my drift, and I certainly paid for my fun that night AND the next morning. But it was totally worth it, and I'm looking forward to many more nights :) With maybe a little less "fun" though ;P

Derry and the Inishowen Peninsula

A couple weekends ago John and I ventured up to the north again for another cycle. His parents joined us so that was fun too!

The weekend started with us driving up to Donegal, where we stayed in this really nice B&B. The Donegal accent is the most difficult accent to understand in my opinion. I'd say its a combination of an Northern Irish accent and a Scottish accent. It took me a few times to understand what the owners of the B&B were saying, but they were friendly so they didn't mind at all!

On Saturday we went to Derry (or Londonderry if you're British :P ), which is part of the UK. The Apprentice Boys were marching, which created some tension between the Catholics and Protestants. Derry is known as the "walled city" as it is (you guessed it!) walls surrounding the entire city. Normally you can walk around the whole city just on the walls, but they had them blocked off to prevent any sort of violence.They also taped off all the trash cans, which was annoying!

Apprentice boys!

Yes that says IRA.

So we watched the parade from the one of the walls that was open. Afterward John's mom went to a guard and not only asked them when the trash cans would be uncovered, but also told them that she hoped the whole day "went off" well for them. Its a shock we didn't get chased out of town after that!

Franny made a friend!

We went for a really nice lunch after that, and walked around the city to look at the castle and everything.

Then we left Derry to drive around the Inishowen peninsula to see where John would be cycling the next day so we would know where to take pictures of him. The beaches there were absolutely beautiful- we really don't have water like that in the States! We stopped a lot, got out and took pictures, stopped and took more pictures. I'm surprised I had enough room on my camera!

The next day John woke up early and went to start his cycle. His parents and I woke up and had a nice breakfast before heading out to the top of the first hill. We met up with some other people who were there supporting the cyclists, so we had a good chat with them. Here's the hill they were coming up:

Now, John had injured his leg in the previous weekend, so we were expecting him to maybe stop after this hill, or maybe even walk it. But just like the trooper he is...

He made it!

And I met him at the top of a hill for a pat on the way back (no way I'm hugging him, he was already drenched in sweat!)

Yay! 

John's parents and I drove around the rest of the day trying to follow John. We went up to Malin Head, which is the northern most point of the island of Ireland.

Malin Head!

We finally caught up with John with about 20 more miles to go! We barely caught up with him at the last stop before he had to go finish the ride!

We met up at the finish line (after getting lost trying to find it :P ) where John had some much needed food and drink, as well as a VERY much needed shower. John's parents went on their way once we made sure he was still alive, and John and I made our way home. We stopped for some dinner at a little diner on the way, which was delicious (not nutritious) but John earned it!

 We also stopped at this pre-Christianity fort on top of a hill. It was beautiful and you could see so far away in the distance, I think up to four counties!

I fell :(

The view from the top!

More view!

It was a really spectacular weekend, filled with beautiful scenery and wonderful people! I'd recommend the area to anyone who visits Ireland! It's the best of the North and the South!

Belfast!

After another week of very frustrating bank and citizens information visits, John and I traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland to visit some of his friends from college and work. It actually turned out to be a great weekend, as one of John's friends has a girlfriend who moved over from Wales to be with him, much like I moved from the States. It was nice to have someone who understood how I was feeling and she gave me some great advice about applying for jobs and everything. If only John still worked in Belfast!

We traveled up Saturday morning, getting to Belfast around 1:30pm and it was straight to the Ikea! After a delicious lunch of meatballs, fries and lingonberry sauce, we hit the store for some stuff for our house. We then spent the next hour and half arguing over plate colors, tupperware and the necessity of buying two massive whiskey glasses (John insisted). In the end we had a lot of nice things for the house, mostly for the kitchen. This made me happy since I am the one doing most of the cooking, as I can look up yummy recipes due to my jobless-ness. We stopped at Decathalon, a Dick's sporting goods-esque store. John drooled over the bike equipment while I pretended to know what all of it was for. We both purchased cloth swimming caps and goggles (which neither of us have used yet :P ).

The massive whiskey glasses John bought, compared to a wine glass.

 After Ikea, we checked into our hotel. Or at least we tried. The first place we went to, John kept telling the woman at the desk that he had used a website to book a room, and that he had a receipt for it but didn't print out. After checking several times, the woman said there was no reservation under his name. One euro in the public computer later, we found out that we indeed did book a hotel, but not the one we were standing in! So John apologized to the woman, tucked his tail between his legs and we walked to the correct hotel, where we were able to check in and rest for a while.

For dinner we met up with our friends Liam and Joy and had a delicious Indian dinner. We then walked over to a pub where John and his friends used to frequent when he worked there. After creeping on some people at a table, they finally left and we sat down, only to be joined by some very interesting older people. The man sitting next to me kept saying that I should drink more. I think he felt very self-conscious, as he was piss drunk and I could hardly understand him at all. From what I could understand, he was from England and came to visit his brother over in Belfast once a year. He kept pointing at his drinks and saying "It's only once a year love! Once a year!". I just smiled and nodded like I was comprehending more than every third word, and after the lads had their pints we walked down to meet some of John's other friends.

We didn't make it home til about 1am, which doesn't sound too late. But poor John had to wake up at 6am to do a 100-mile cycle in the Mourne, which has 11,000 feet of climbing! I slept in til about 10am, and watched tv in the hotel til I met up with Liam and Joy for lunch and shopping. I was really looking to try and buy some clothes that would help me fit in here, aka anything that's not jeans and Penn State shirt! Joy took me to Primark (or Penney's in Ireland), which is probably the best store in the world. It's dirt cheap, and great for trendy clothes. She picked out some clothes that I would NEVER have tried on, and I ended up with a few outfits for under fifty dollars! As she put it, she "Welshified" me, for which I am eternally grateful.

After shopping Joy and I went to the Ulster Museum while Liam went to the pub to watch the Man U match. Ulster is the northern province of the island of Ireland. The other three are Munster, Leinster, and Connacht (which is where we live). Belfast and the Ulster province have a dark modern history, more commonly known as The Troubles. In the 1970's, tensions between the Catholics and the Protestants were increasing, with the British forces open firing on peaceful protesters in Belfast (not a proud part of our history!). This is when the Irish Republican Army started setting off their infamous car bombs (not the drinks!), killing thousands of people over a 25 year span. While the two countries are mostly peaceful now, every now and again there are bomb threats or small bombs that go off around the city.

The Ulster Museum had a lot of information on The Troubles, as well as wildlife of Ireland and dinosaurs- my favorite! The museum didn't hold our interests for long, so we went back to the pub to meet Liam and eventually, a very tired John Davis. We decided to have a quick bite before heading back to Galway, in this little restaurant that Joy and Liam frequent. It was delicious! I had a burger, and John had a much needed steak with fries.

We made plans for Joy and Liam to come down to Galway, as they are leaving for Australia for a year or two in September. They will be here next weekend, and we can't wait to see them!

Next post: The Inishowen Peninsula!

The last of London

The next day in London was fairly uneventful (in some ways). We woke up, went to the same pub as the day before, and had a hearty breakfast again. And that is where John and I stayed for the next 11 hours! His friends left in the morning, and my friends came in throughout the day. One of my friends is doing her masters in London, so she stopped by, as well as some of my friends from the university where I studied last spring.

It was a really nice day, despite the lack of activity. I enjoyed catching up with people that I haven't seen in years while enjoying some Pimms (my new favorite drink!!!).

After stumbling back to our hostel and getting a semi-restful nights sleep, John and I checked out and decided to go to Buckingham Palace (since I didn't get there when I lived in London). We stumbled upon a free walking tour on the way, so we joined it and walked around London for the next three hours! It was so much nicer than a bus tour because we could go at our own pace, stop and take pictures and really get up close to things. Also, our tour guide was FANTASTIC! He was very charismatic, and the best part: he loves ketchup as much as I do!

The tour started at the Wellington Arch, and went to Buckingham Palace (where we got to see some of the changing of the guard!), Clarence House (where Prince Charles and the Princes live), St. James Palace, Churchhill's War rooms, the horse grounds, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

After the tour we went for lunch at a pub, where we got a discount from being on the tour! Had a great fish and chips to finish off a great weekend in London!

We caught our flight home somewhat on time, so that was progress. The best part of the flight home was that John was wearing a Penn State t-shirt and some Americans yelled "WE ARE!" at him. He was completely shocked, but I covered him with a hearty "PENN STATE!". He's learned his lesson and knows how to properly respond now :) 

Wellington Arch

We weren't allowed to get close to them :( 

The changing of the guard

Our tour guide!

Tune in for the following weekends adventures: Being "Welshified" in Belfast!

London continued..

Roight! The first day in London was spent with a few of John's friends from university, as well as some other friends. We went to the local pub for a hearty brunch (I had fish and chips, as per usual) and then it was off to the match!

We made it to Emirates Stadium for the Emirates Cup during the second half of the Celtic-Lyon match. So the men drank and I took in the stadium. While not as big as my home stadium of Beaver Stadium, it was still an absolutely beautiful place to be. (See above) The game was nice, it was only a friendly match between Arsenal and AC Milan so there wasn't any blood thirst or anything (which personally I would have enjoyed :P).

After the game we went to the pub across the street for more drinking. There were people supporting all the different teams there, and after a few pints the singing commenced. Eventually, everyone was getting really annoyed with the Lyon supporters and they got thrown out on their French bums :)

We were then heading back to the hostel to change out of our Arsenal shirts as it might have started a fight if we went anywhere that Arsenal wasn't supported. The group got split up as the sober ones (John, myself, his friend Oisin and Oisin's friend Niall) went ahead to get back but got sidetracked looking for a toilet at the Finsbury Park tube station. The stop ended up being a bust, but we stumbled into this Irish pub across the way from the station, and they were playing traditional Irish music. We stayed there for the rest of the night, enjoying the "craic" (Irish for fun).

More London adventures to come later!!

The first week/ London!

Dearest friends and family,

So here's my first official blog post. A lot has happened in the last few weeks (obvs). Moved to Ireland, been traveling every weekend, job hunting, etc.

Getting to Ireland was certainly a trip and a half. It seemed the States would only let us go if we pried ourselves from its cold dead fingers. Our flight from Williamsport, PA to Philly was cancelled on the 22nd of July. So we got to spend an extra day in Lewisburg, which actually was very nice to be with my family a little longer. The next day we flew to Philly at noon, and then waited 9 hours to board the plane and take off. It turned out to be good though, as John was able to fix my computer within that time, and we had a lovely date in the Wendy's.

I shed a few tears as we were pulling away from Philly, since I didn't know when I was going to be back again. And I still don't! The flight was smooth enough and we slept a little bit so that was great, as I hate flying :P

The first week was pretty good, somewhat frustrating. I went into the city centre every day, getting lost several times. I had to get my PPS number (=social security number) as soon as possible. So I went to the office and waited for 45 minutes for them to tell me that they weren't giving out PPS numbers that week. That was fun.

Onto the next task of getting a bank account, which you can't do without a PPS number. But I digress. I went to the bank that had a good reputation for graduate accounts, which you can have for two years after you graduate. I went to one branch that said I could use my lease as a proof of address, but that I wasn't eligible for a graduate account. Another branch said I could get a graduate account, but that I couldn't use my lease as proof of address (even though it was ok for the PPS office). And so the circle begins..

ANYWAYS though, not everything has been so frustrating here :) First of all, it's great to finally be with John and not have to be tied to the computer.

During the first week, the Galway Races were on outside the city. I went on Ladies Day with a few friends I met when I was here at New Years. The day was very glamorous, lots of summer dresses and big hats-think Kentucky Derby! It was quite an experience, as there were people from all walks of life there. The day was a lot of fun, full of friendship and bets, while we were enjoying the sunshine.

Second of all, we have been non-stop traveling for the last three weekends! The first weekend we flew from Dublin to London. To continue on a theme of John and I traveling together, our flight was delayed for four hours. To add insult to injury, we had left Galway an hour late due to the traffic from the Galway races. So we raced at speeds that are only legal on the autobahn. We made the 120 mile trip to Dublin in an hour and half, only to find our flight to be delayed. But, we did as the Irish do and went for a few pints in the airport pub. We got to our hostel around 430am in the morning, to find our friends in a drunken state outside the hostel. Finally going to bed when the sun was coming up, we woke up 5 hours later for a day full of football (soccer) and fun!

Will continue on with the rest of the London weekend and the other weekends in a few more (shorter!) posts.

Lots of love to all of you!