Category: Uncategorized

In Lisbon, the sun with light warmth, rayed down onto the amber-roofed city that waved like the sea it was adjacent to with its various elevations found in its landscape. The sky was light blue and the wind matched its tone. I sat at a café in one of those classic tight European side streets, listening to chatter of the passerby, drinking a cappuccino, and eating a nutella croissant while admiring the azulejos found on the facades under those orange roofed-buildings.

Today we were going up to Castelo de São Jorge, which overlooked the city. We walked over the white and black cobblestone that lay over the entirety of the capital  and made our way up to the spectacle seen from the streets below. After trekking up windy ruas, we arrived to the queue in front of the aged-beige castle walls and waited for our bilhetes. A family sat, lying up against one of the walls and played songs in an alloy of English and Portuguese, while their white husky sat patiently in front of them, letting the sun do its thing. We paid the four euro entry fee and made our way into the Portuguese fort.  Its pines of dark green with their canopies gave us brief coolness as we looked from the patio outward. The city was unequivocally beautiful from up here. The distant ports across the River Tagus revealed themselves as did the rusted-red 25 de Abril Bridge that crossed it. It mocked the Golden Gate of San Francisco. The city with all its elevations made our walk worthwhile. The white stucco and terracotta roofs glimmered in the light. We continued our stroll around the fort, until we had satisfied our palates for history and old stones.

We headed back down to O Trevo, a tiny quiet restaurant off a bustling plaza and recommended by the late Anthony Bourdain to satisfy our other palates. We ordered a couple of bifanas, sliced pork on a bread roll. They were only two euro, so we decided our budgets could afford some crisp fries and refreshing coca-colas.

We spent the next two nights in Lisbon, appreciating the totality of beauty the city welcomed us with.

After a good night sleep, some coffee, and a scarce amount of food, we all hopped on the bus to our next destination: Liscannor, Co. Clare. The bus took us through narrow ways lined with green and brown hedges. It took us through vast emerald fields, tilled or unkept, usually occupied by roaming sheep, horses, and cows. It brought us through the rocky and rugged land that  contrasted beautifully with the blue sea nearby. Giant grey boulders  everywhere stuck out from underneath like icebergs. It was mythical and violent, yet also authentic and peaceful.IMG_0908

After a well spent two hours of looking out the bus window, we arrived to the place we would call home for the next three days: Liscannor. We grabbed our luggage and plugged in our Airbnb into google maps. It was a little walk away, but in return we got our bearings of the seaside town.

Our cottage was snug and comfortable. It lay on the edge of a cliff, which offered not only a great view for an early morning tea, but also a good backdrop for group pictures! It was a classic Irish home.

The next three days, we spent our time relaxing in the small living room reading or talking, walking around town or nearby villages, and just simply enjoying our little time away from Dublin.

One day, we went to Lahinch, the town over, and walked along the boardwalk, looking outward into the ocean filled with surfing students being instructed by their teachers. It was a rainy day, but the weather in this part of Ireland usually changed every other hour, so it was bearable. We went into a local pub and I had an Irish beef stew. It was warm and inviting and exactly what I needed after the cold rain outside.

Another day, I went on a walk around Liscannor. The town center is really only four shops next to each other ( 3 of which are pubs! haha!), so it was a short walk. However, one of the shops was an art gallery and being a theater major, I had to show some appreciation to the local art. I walk into the shop and was struck with beautiful post-impressionistic paintings of the West of Ireland. I immediately got chatty with the owner there too. She was also the same person that painted the beautiful pictures on the walls. She had brunette hair and blue eyes with a little black paint smudged on her cheek. Her name was Ann Daly if you want to buy any of her art. We talked for 30 minutes, I bought some postcards to mail to my grandparents, then I just went on my way. One of my favorite parts of Ireland is the intimacy of the country and the hospitality of the people.

After 3 days, it was time to leave. We headed on bus back to Galway to catch the train to Dublin. It was a holiday spent well with friends.

Reading Week was a sophisticated way of telling us Trinity students that we had a break from classes in late October.  A few friends and I thought it grand to trip to the West of Ireland in hope of some relaxation.

At 7am on a Monday, we boarded the Eireann train at Heuston Station en route to Galway. The night had yet to transfer its duty, and in passing time, we read and talked quietly and sipped on our coffees in our cart as we trekked through the Irish countryside. It was beautiful. IMG_0887

We arrived in Galway and dropped our stuff at the hostel we were to stay at for the night and began our walk around the seaside city. Beside the River Corrib, which cuts through the city, is Galway Cathedral. It is designed with local grey limestone and the interior ceiling is lined with what resembles stained Irish oak. It is not a church to the likes of those in Italy that have elaborate molding and designs with famous paintings, rather, it is a simple and relatively bare church. It has a medieval look to it, which perfectly fits Irish history. In addition, there is a mosaic of John F. Kennedy engraved into one of the walls within the church, providing us all with a little chuckle.

After a brief walk, we headed to Mcdonagh’s, a local fish and chips restaurant, to grab lunch. It is the best fish and chips I’ve eaten since my time here and I would recommend it to those traveling to Galway in the future. We walked some more around Galway and then returned to the hostel for a brief nap before we went out for the night. We ended up in the Front Door, a pub in town, and indulged ourselves with a few drinks. We laughed and talked about our bus we had booked for the morning to a seaside cottage in the nearby county of Clare. It was a class night filled with excited anticipation for the trip ahead.

My great uncle, a lifelong Dubliner himself, graciously took Jacob and me down to Waterford. We sat low through the Irish countryside in one of those classic black  European Audis that you see in films. The ride down was lovely and was filled with vast pastoral fields of emerald green occupied by horses, sheep, and cattle roaming mindlessly. We arrived into the river city and went straight to the the grave sight of Blessed Edmund Rice at Mount Sion. Before Holy Cross, both Jacob and I went to Catholic Memorial, which is a Christian Brother’s school in Boston, so it was humbling and wonderful to visit the place where it all started. Edmund Rice’s coffin was placed in the chapel, so we conveniently said a prayer and headed to lunch.

We went for a bite and a pint at Granville Hotel, which was situated on the edge of the River Suir. It was an old-fashioned pub with dark mahogany walls filled with paintings of horses and past soldiers. We had roast beef and mashed potatoes with butter-glazed green beans. After lunch, we walked around the narrow streets of Waterford and stumbled upon the original glass factory that is famously known for its crystal.

Although the factory was closed, the shop wasn’t, so we went inside and checked out the fancy glass. It was a little above our price range so we just peered around. Once we had finished admiring the crystal, we continued our walk around the medieval city until we arrived back at the car. It was a simple and relaxed day, but one well spent away from the bustling city of Dublin. Thanks, Uncle David!