Ireland: Days 1 & 2...

Buckle your seat belts, folks. This is going to be a fast-paced journey over 1,000 miles of Ireland (independent European Union nation) and Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom). What took us six days of driving is about to take you only a few sessions of reading. Ready, set, go!

In blue you can see the circuit that we drove. We were in the car a lot. Like, almost an entire 24 hours if you add it all together.

This is simply a more zoomed-out view of the first map. We blazed quite the trail if I do say so myself. For comparison sake, the island is roughly the size of the state of Indiana.

We flew in and out of Dublin, picking up and dropping off our rental car at the Dublin airport. And when I say "we," I mean Matthew, our Chilean friend Tomas, and me. I must mention that Matthew did every single minute of the driving. So, he drove on the left side of the road and sat in the right side of the car, shifting with his left hand. That's about as backwards and as opposite as you can get from how we drive in the US. Meanwhile, Tomas and I were totally content to handle the navigation aspect of our journey. And can I just ask this real quick question: how did road-trippers survive before global positioning systems and iPhones? I'm fairly confident that by now we would have made our home amongst the green hills and sheep had it not been for technology.

First things first, let's start with day one, which we spent in Kilkenny and Kinsale.

After driving all morning (sometimes in circles), we were glad to finally get out of the car and stretch our legs. First stop, Kilkenny Castle.

Allow me to introduce Tomas, who was kind enough to willingly trap himself in a compact car with a bickering married couple for almost a week. It was raining (surprise, surprise), but we were headed inside the castle anyway. Ain't no weather gonna keep us down!

The castle itself wasn't too special, but the cafe in the kitchen of the castle was a hidden gem. My latte, soup, and homemade bread made for the perfect lunch on a dreary afternoon.

And the setting was very Downtown Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs. It was easy to imagine the castle staff creating meals under the copper lamps on the old fashioned wood-burning stove.

After lunch, we walked around town, which looked a lot like the other towns we would later visit. So, I'll save some time and show the better pics I got on subsequent days. No time for dawdling, we got back in the car, and aimed south.

The weather cleared and exposed the quintessential Irish landscape. I thought that it looked a lot like a Windows operating system desktop background.

We checked into our bed and breakfast in Blarney (which was owned by the sweetest Irish couple), and we got a dinner restaurant recommendation. We were told that Kinsale was the place to go for fresh seafood and quaint surroundings. Dino's was the very thematic location that we settled on for delicious fish and chips. It was situated on the marina, and we dined on freshly caught delectables. I don't normally care for seafood, but I was happily proven wrong. 

This was the view looking out across the water from Dino's. Ireland seemed to fit every stereotype I had in my mind. I expected green hills, adorable fishing villages, sheep, and cliffs. I got almost exactly what I expected. Plus a little more.

These up-turned boats attracted my eye with their color and texture in the twilight.

How charming is this window? Shutters, anchors, flower pot? It was only missing its flag for the holder on the right under the lamp.

Not sure why there was an American flag, but I liked it. Matthew and I agreed that of the countries we have visited, Ireland is the most similar to the States. I could have claimed that this photo was snapped in Maine, and you probably would have believed me.

As the sun went down, we decided it was time for sleep. With full bellies, we went back to the B&B to snooze.

Day two was packed with a visit to Blarney Castle, a pizza and ice cream break in Kenmare, a short hike in Killarney National Park, and a walk about town in Killarney proper before settling into our hostel in Dingle. (Yes, Blarney, Kenmare, Killarney, and Dingle are real places. Love Irish names.)

Blarney Castle, home to the infamous Blarney Stone. Legend has it "that whoever kisses (the rock) never misses to grow eloquent."

We set out that morning with every intention of only fake kissing this rock. Matthew is one of the biggest germophobes I've ever met, and he wasn't about to put his mouth on something that millions of other people have touched their lips to. However, once we were there and climbed to the top of the fortress, we got caught up in the heat of the moment. You better believe all three of us smooched that stone for all its worth.

In order to kiss the stone, you have to lay upside down in a fairly compromising position, trusting this old friendly Irish gentleman to keep you from falling. I felt like he was baptizing me as he told me what a "pretty lass" I was.

We had to grab both poles, lean back, and...

...MWAH! Kissed it. Eloquence received.

From the ground, you can spot the hole where the stone is. See the patch of sky popping through above the tallest window and below the wall? It is slightly daunting to hang there knowing that the strange priest-man is your only safety net. One fellow tourist was not so keen on dangling above the hole, and we overheard her slight panic attack.

Blarney Castle sits on acres of gardens, lakes, and walking trails. Having accomplished the mission of a masonry make-out session, we did some wandering through the grounds. This giant tree is indigenous to Oregon, and is surprisingly young for such a big guy. It's around 150 years old, but most trees that age would only be a fraction of the size. Something about Ireland's climate and soil supposedly accelerated its growth.

Blarney House is an occupied residence on property. I thought it was even more attractive than the castle.

We passed by fields of cattle and then stumbled upon Mr. Ed. I think it was almost snack time for this happy fella because he was waiting at the fence and got excited when we walked up. (I probably totally misread the situation, and he was probably displaying some type of aggressive defensive posture. But, we interpreted it as smiling.)

We knew we had a lot of ground yet to cover, so we hopped in the car and drove awhile until we reached Kenmare. It was a festive little town, and we met a friendly woman selling homemade ice cream.

Pennant flags and pastel facades. Adorable, right?

This creamy mint, slow-churned dessert was definitely my favorite part of the town. I also admired the ceramic pottery from the street vendor behind me. Thought about buying a piece until I remembered that I have a cabinet full of coffee mugs that I made last year in my ceramics class. Then I almost had an emotional breakdown realizing that my ceramics class was that long ago and that I missed college.

As we traveled further north and west toward Killarney National Park, the topography began to transform. The flat places were replaced with jagged outcroppings, which were quickly swallowed by lush, dense forests.

The drive might have been long, but it wasn't boring. What a route for a bike ride!

We stopped at the Torc Waterfall, and it reminded me of Arkansas. Super mossy and damp.

Waterfalls like these belong on inspirational posters that hang on the walls of office buildings. They usually have captions like: "Steadfastness: Standing firm when your surroundings threaten to wear you down and wash you away."

I tired quickly of the abundant and nibbling mosquitoes, (plus I wanted to squeeze in some browsing at the Aran sweater outlet in the Killarney city center before it closed)... so we hit the road once again. Killarney was honored as Ireland's Tidiest Town in 2011, and it was cute indeed. There was even a movie theater, which was the most substantial sign of urbanization we'd seen since Dublin. We shopped around and made it to the Aran outlet, but sadly I couldn't justify spending €60 on a wool sweater shortly before moving to the tropical climate of Houston. Oh well, less luggage to take home.

Hate to say it, but time is not on my side tonight, and I'm afraid this is the end of the line for now. Our taxi is coming at 4:00am tomorrow, and we are destined for Napoli! In 2009, Matthew and I visited Rome, Florence, and Venice, and we couldn't have predicted that we'd be returning to Italy. Our family friends are stationed near Naples with the US Navy, and we are going to stay with them until Monday. We'd hoped to spend the 4th of July with fellow Americans, but the flights didn't work out that way. Regardless, we are looking forward to spending time with other Okie emigrants. Please be patient, and I'll finish our stories from Ireland when I get back! Too busy living life to write about it!!!

Farewell Food & Floating...

Thursday night was the farewell dinner for Matthew and his fellow MBE classmates. That's right folks, their course is OVER! Wait, didn't we just move here? Well, I'm going to try my best not to get all sentimental and just stick to the facts.

First, there were welcome drinks in the cloisters of St. John's new court. This year marked the tenth anniversary of the MBE program, so there were approximately 125 faculty, students, alumni, and guests at the event.

After the cocktail hour, we moved to St. John's formal dining hall.

I almost forgot to show you our outfits. I know you were dying to see them.

Walking through the courtyards of the colleges makes me nostalgic already. There's no place like them. So regal.

Inside the dining hall, you can't help but feel transported to another time and place. (Hogwarts, anyone?)

There were three super long tables, and they were all packed with important and intelligent people. There's no telling how many degrees could be counted between them. The special guest speaker was an assistant to a member of British Parliament. I sat next to an orthopedic surgeon and across from a London lawyer. Most of the lecturers from the program were in attendance, as well as several corporate big wigs. Slightly intimidating group.

The table settings were gorgeous, and the food was delicious. We had roasted lamb, vegetables, quinoa, some variant of fried ice cream, wine, and coffee. Yum! The crested dinnerware was lovely, and the candelabras cast the perfect ambient glow.

Alberto and Victor both gave excellent speeches on behalf of this year's class. They were the perfect mix of sincere gratitude and humorous inside jokes. I even got a shout-out from each of them about the cookies that I baked "at just the right time, when they needed them most." I can't explain how thankful I feel for having been incorporated into the MBE class. They didn't treat me like the weird-o wife, and that means more to me than they know.

Fast forward to Saturday morning, and we met up with a few friends at Pembroke College for what could very well have been our final weekend brunch as a group. How bittersweet.

Couter-clockwise: Matthew, Magda, Disha, Harsh, Matteo, and me. (Alberto showed up late due to an incident with a traffic-prone taxi.) Have I ever mentioned what a traditional English breakfast entails? In case I haven't, the Brits enjoy beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, blood pudding, toast, eggs, and ham for their morning routine. (Can you say, disgusting???) Not even remotely appetizing. Thank the Lord, they have adopted waffles and pancakes from America, or we would not have participated in these meals.

When we finished eating, the weather cleared long enough for us to go punting. Alberto and Magda had yet to experience this Cambridge tradition. Shame on them! Nine months in town? It was about time.

Alberto, Magda's brother John (whose name I would spell in Greek if I weren't afraid of butchering it), and Magda were ready for their inaugural cruise. We made Matthew steer first to show them the technique.

Then Alberto hopped right into the driver's spot. He was a professional, despite being a first-timer. He credited his gondoliering Italian roots for his natural ability. I was impressed. But I guess I should have expected nothing less from the man whose middle name might as well be "The Perfectionist."

The rain didn't stay away entirely, and unfortunately, our punt didn't come with any patriotic umbrellas. We had to tough it out.

The rain wasn't the only thing that went wrong. There were tons of people on the river, and we had the privilege of laughing at/with several of them. This poor guy's pole had gotten stuck, and he forgot the cardinal rule of punting - just let go. We heard the splash and then saw him swimming back toward his boat muttering about how cold the water was. I had heard of people falling in before, but had never seen it in person. He was a good sport about it, and his wife thought it was hilarious.

This older gentleman steered his punt right into a weeping willow's branches. His passengers were attempting to free themselves with paddles.

I wish I could say that we were immune to the troubles, but our pole went AWOL on us as well. Luckily, John remembered to let go so he didn't fall in after it. These kind punters behind us picked it up and brought it to us as we floated and waited helplessly in the middle of the river.

Thank you, nice people!

Shortly after recovering our pole, we stopped alongside the King's College green to pick up Riley, our fellow American. He'd just come from printing a presentation poster, and I caught him looking extra mischievous.

While we were stopped, Alberto hopped out of the punt (this action is highly discouraged by "No Mooring" signs all along the river), and I thought it was funny that he looked as tall as the chapel. Sorry for the blurriness, but the perspective still shows through.

When we parked back at the rental docks, we were informed that we would be charged double for violating the terms and agreements. Apparently, our punt was designed with a passenger capacity of 6, and since we picked up Riley, we had 7 on board. Whatever. That's Britain, the land of never-ending rules and the people who love to enforce them. Overall, our venture was fabulous. Punting is such a Cambridge-specific endeavor, and I'm so happy to have shared it with friends and family. Maybe one day Matthew and I can bring some baby Grants back here and make similar memories with them. Hopefully!

Tomorrow and Tuesday I will attempt to recap our Ireland trip in an efficient manner because believe it or not, we are headed to Italy on Wednesday! I know, I know, what a rough life we lead. This is our last traveling shenanigan before heading back to the USA. We are going to Naples to visit family friends and soak up some sunshine. Then, we will officially be out of money and time. Can't believe July has practically arrived. Gotta make the most of these next 14 days!

The Four Elements...

Well, Wednesday was my first (and probably only) experience at a Cambridge May Week June Event, and it was a success! I even stayed awake (surprisingly) until the party was over at 3:00am! Time sure does fly when you're dancing the night away. I couldn't fit my DSLR in my formal clutch purse, so I resorted to the point and shoot. This is fair warning that these pictures are mostly blurry and grainy, but at least they'll give you an idea of what the May Balls and June Events are all about.

On the way to Trinity Hall we stopped on St. John's sporting greens to take a picture. (Thank you, Harsh, for being such a willing photographer.) When I opted for flats instead of heels I was concerned I'd be under-dressed, but it turned out to be a good decision. The heels would have been kicked off by midnight I'm sure. Oh, and I like how you can see the guys in their white uniforms playing cricket in the background. That's one game I still do not understand.

We definitely had to stop again near the Bridge of Sighs, one of my absolute favorite places in Cambridge. I feel so fortunate to walk by it every time I go into town. I'm gonna miss the scenery for sure. (Sniffle.)

We came upon this line when we were approaching Trinity Hall. After a brief moment of panic and thinking we had somehow overlooked the costume requirement, we figured out that this was the queue for the King's College event. They had everything from the Where's Waldo to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the not-so-innocent versions of Disney princesses.

Finally, we found the line with people dressed like us in "smart casual" attire. I feel so guilty and I have to confess that we line-jumped with the classic friend-spotting maneuver. I think the girls behind us got a little frustrated as our group of cutters continued to expand before we made it inside.

As we crossed the river and approached the entrance, we caught a glimpse of the revelry that awaited us. The theme of the event was "The Four Elements," so most of the decorations were red (fire), green (earth), blue (water), and white (air). Each tent held a different food, drink, or entertainment option.

This was the group we stuck with for much of the night, all of them classmates from the Master's in Bioscience Enterprise course. Left to right: Matthew, Harsh, Tom (Dr. Strange - that's his real name), Riley, Alberto, and Nicholas (giving two thumbs up.) Behind them, you can see Victor in his green sport coat and bow tie. He was the mastermind member of Trinity Hall that got us all involved in this shin-dig. Also, Matthew and I stayed at his family's home in Brussels right before Christmas.

The food was really scrumptious. Bananas and fruit with chocolate sauce, doughnuts, fajitas, and burgers. I enjoyed checking out the goodies in every tent.

The entertainment was as varied as the food. There were a few stages that were constantly filled with music or performances. This was an a cappella group inside the formal dining hall. Out on the lawn we listened to a jazz band, a bluegrass ensemble, and a folksy guitar couple.

Probably my favorite spot was the 'Secret Discotheque' tent where the music was only audible to those wearing headphones. So, from an onlooker's perspective, the people participating seemed crazy because they were dancing around like maniacs in utter silence. But there are two DJs (each with their own channel on the headphones), so that once you put the headphones on, you are a part of the action. As the night wore on, it became more entertaining because people starting singing along to the songs. As you walked by you could hear tons of people singing off-pitch to the music inside their heads.

Harsh was keeping it cool as they dropped the remixed beats.

This was the main stage. I thought the tent ceiling was magical because it had tons of little lights that looked like scattered stars. This group generated loads of hype from the students. They were called "King Charles," and their lead singer was wacky. (He's the one crowd surfing with what appears to be a giant appendage sprouting from his head.)

You might be interested in this clearer closeup from some King Charles album art. Is he not just laughable? He's like a cross of Amy Winehouse's beehive, Bob Marley's dreadlocks, and Super Mario's mustache, with a hint of a Three Musketeer thrown in for good measure.

We held up pretty well considering this was taken shortly before 3am. I'm shocked my hair retained any of its curl for that long. Especially since my hubby and Alberto took me for several spins on the dance floor!

When the last act played the last number, a spontaneous audience chant broke out. It reminded me of fraternity and sorority songs that are sung on the way to functions or before rush events. This particular one was a very simple line repeated over and over, "Take your shoes off if you love Tit Hall!" Or something like that. Tit Hall is the nickname for Trinity Hall. Flattering.

Shortly before dawn (the sun rises at an obscenely early hour these days), we were the last ones standing. Survivors included Alberto, Riley (sorry we caught you mid-blink), Magda and her brother behind her, me, Matthew, and Harsh. I can't begin to count the prestigious degrees that this small group holds, but if I've learned anything from Cambridge, it's that incredibly intelligent people are people too. They like to sing along at concerts, swap stories about everything under the sun, and snack on cookies just as much as I do. The acceptance we've received from Matt's classmates is incalculable, and I hope they have felt our love for them in return.

The June Event surpassed my expectations, and I am so glad we attended. Definitely worth the price of admission, which was £79 a piece by the way. (Some of the more formal May Ball tickets cost upwards of £200 per person!) When we bought our tickets way back when, it felt like June was unimaginably far away. Yet, it has almost passed us by entirely! I'm floating somewhere between sorrow that we are leaving this lovely place and its equally lovely inhabitants, and elation that we are embarking on the next chapter of life in a warm climate with a house and a dog and chances to make new friends. Let's be honest, I'll be crying a lot over the next month or so. Coping mechanism. Can't help it.

I've heard rumors that we might go punting (pending good weather) this afternoon with a few classmates that are still in town. Last night was the course farewell dinner (pictures coming soon), and a large number of the MBE students were leaving today for their respective homes. How quickly they abandon us! Those that are hanging around for a few more precious days are attempting to make up for lost time and do as much as we can together. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone?Anyway, Matthew just texted me to let me know that he finished his final presentation for the company he interned with! That means his work at Cambridge is officially finished!!! Completed. Done. Wrapped up. Concluded. And as one door closes, the next opens. Baylor College of Medicine orientation starts exactly one month from tomorrow. Life is an emotional roller coaster, isn't it?