There be Blarney

Although I am living in Cork for a solid five months, I am still only a visitor to this country. With that logic I deemed it necessary to go to several 'tourist' hot-spots. The first trip my friend Polly and I took was to Blarney Castle. This was truly one of my first excursions out of City Centre and I felt like a kid in a candy shop the entire time.

We took the outgoing bus to Blarney around 10-ish in the morning and shocker, it was raining like hell but at this point I have become quite fond of the rain.

We finally arrived in Blarney but we were not entirely sure where the castle was so we decided to pop into the Woolen Mills shop right near the bus stop. HOLY WOOL. I have never seen so much wool in my life before. A half hour later and a few euros less in my wallet, we left the wool shop and I sported my new wool scarf while walking towards the castle. 

That new clothes swag though....

Crossing the road in the pouring rain and finally purchasing our tickets to enter the castle, Polly and I finally gazed upon the rainy splendor of Blarney Castle. The only thought that went through my head:

Carefully protecting our cameras from water damage, we photographed away. 

The river in the distance is indeed flooding

The castle in all its glory!

After taking an obscene amount of photos (mostly my fault haha), we finally made our way to the inside of the castle and we started our journey to the top to kiss the Blarney Stone. 

Making our way through the castle was definitely my favorite part about this whole journey. We literally were walking through history (a drenched history at that...) and it was so cool to see the inside of a real castle. Although the stairs were a bit treacherous....

What is this...the stairs of Mordor?!

Sweet Lorna Doone.......

Climbing those stairs was definitely a challenge considering the higher we went up, the narrower the stairs got. I felt like I literally had to crawl out of the top of the staircase because it was that narrow. Eventually getting to the top and soaking (haha...I'm so punny) in all of Blarney's splendor we were finally ready to get a-smoochin with the stone. 

Obviously the top of the castle is open so the rain is pouring down on us. We walk up to the two guys who are there to 'assist' the kissing of the stone. I say assist as a broad term because when I actually got to kiss the stone I'm pretty sure this guy gently placed his arm on my body just to show he 'helped' in the photographs. I'm sure this guy helping had no desire to be sitting up there all day in the drenching rain helping chatty tourists like us and that was clearly evidenced when Polly and I started cracking nervous jokes and this man was having NONE of our shenanigans. 

I was the first to go and the guy has me sit down on this piece of plastic this is already drenched from the rain...aka slippery as hell. He tells me to lie on my back, grab the two bars in front of me and to slide down to kiss the stone. Definitely gave the man this kind of look: 

But I did as he said and slid down to kiss the stone. I have never had an adrenaline rush quite like that before. UNREAL. They have bars below your head so I'm sure if I did slip I'd live but from my perspective, I literally thought I was NOT going to live another day. Because it was so slippery I kept on sliding but I couldn't reach that damn stone.

For reference, we had to kiss the area in the center of the surrounding white stone.

NO ONE TOLD ME HOW FAR AWAY IT ACTUALLY WAS. There was one point where I seriously contemplated just licking it because I, for the life of me, couldn't get my lips to reach it. Short people problems. When I finally had my 'seven minutes in heaven' with the Blarney Stone (I feel like I can legitimize that time because it felt like an eternity down there...), I shot straight back up and was glad to be standing upright again. 

I wasn't graceful or classy about it but I will never forget kissing that stone. I may do it again before I head back to America...I may not...we'll see how fast those wounds heal. 

This was probably when I started to panic

Finally kissing the stone! Note the guy's arm 'appearing' to help....

Also note the inconvenient water stains on my pants...that shows truly how much it rained that day

After being shaken up from the experience, Polly and I nervously laughed our way back down the castle. We then explored the grounds of Blarney Castle and it was truly beautiful. Gardens, green grass, stone walls...a truly beautiful place. Eventually as the day progressed the rain decided to be kind and let up and the sun even decided to make an appearance! 

There was so much rain that day the river flooded.

The estate house a walk away from the castle. 

The sun makes an appearance!

Polly and I at the end of the day

Leaving Blarney castle

Everything is so green here and Blarney was no exception. I'm so glad this was my first sight-seeing experience because it is sure one I will never forget. It was an amazing first trip and I know I couldn't wait to see what else Ireland had in store for me. 

~Bridge

Icky Vicky

Having no classes on Mondays and feeling a little under the weather, what better way to fill my day than with another blog post?! Lucky y'all!

I figure it is also about time that I post some pictures of where I am residing to prove that I am not living on the streets of Cork doing acrobatics for money or whatever....HA, me and acrobatics....GOOD ONE. But seriously, this place is amazing and it's about time I stop being so selfish and share it with y'all.

This is the view I have from my apartment. Note the rain splattered window

In Cork, I am living in the Victoria Lodge Apartments...a place my friends and I have so warmly come to call "Icky Vicky" haha. As Ron Weasley would say, "It's not much, but it's home". 

Here is the humble abode, the bed chamber, place of mirth and magic

This place isn't as bad as it sounds. I live in an apartment like I said which means there are four people all together and each has his/her own room. Not bad eh? My room is en-suite and I have the most darling set up. The walls are a cheery custard yellow and the bed is..........ok hold up, enough of the niceties, I can't hold this in anymore...I have to rant for like 2.2 here....

I am well aware that I am in a different country and I must keep my eyes open and my thoughts broad but just give me one second to be my spoiled American self and explain my first night here...prepare for a lot of exaggerations....

So my first night in Victoria Lodge will be one I shall not soon forget. After having gone to the store up the road for the essentials: toilet paper, tissues, a blanket, Digestives...you know the stuff you really need to survive....I fixed up my bed, opened my window and decided to take a shower after having traveled for so many hours. I had to get the lingering stench of plane off of my body as soon as possible. 

YAAASSS SHOWER TIME

But much to my dismay, the shower is literally a square box that is barely meant for one person. Definition of have to squeeze myself through the doors

HELP ME

And because this vessel is so small and the shower head faces the opening, water got all over the floor as soon as I opened the door and turned the shower on....

Needless to say I finished that up real quick. But as soon as I opened the bathroom door I got walloped by cold air. I had forgotten to close the damn window. I mean Ireland doesn't really get snow so we're not talking single digits temperature but when you are soaking wet from a shower and the cold, wet air from outside creeps into the room...you're gonna feel a little chilly. 

So I bundled up in several layers, shut the window and attempted to turn the heater on. YIKES. Never have I felt more incompetent than trying to figure that damn heater out. Too many numbers and dials.

Keeping in mind that I don't have a comforter, just a few fleece blankets, I 'snuggled' into bed for the night. I eventually dozed off but woke up within two hours of falling asleep and still felt like I was in an icebox.

What the devil is going on here?!

As makeshift blankets I grabbed the two towels I brought and several thick sweatshirts and burrowed myself in those. Actually had to make a nest for myself because I was that cold.

To make matters worse, I woke up four hours later literally sweating to death because the heater decided to work and I was buried under a mountain of heat. 

Literally dripping sweat

I clearly was not winning the battle that night. Too hot, too cold? No happy medium for this gal. The next day however, made up for all of my troubles that night because I finally laid my eyes on the school I would be attending for the next five months.

I pretty much go to Hogwarts now

Despite my trials and tribulations that first night, it absolutely was worth it. I now can slide in and out of the shower like a pro without getting any water anywhere and I am the master of the heater now. I feel like a wizard. HUZZAH! Although we jokingly call this place "Icky Vicky", I have actually begun to grow fond of Vic Lodge. I have a wonderful view from my window, I get a single room (with a double bed as an added bonus), and I AM IN IRELAND.

Until the next post (which will be tomorrow...still have so much to catch y'all up on), 

~Bridge

The Jump Across the Pond

I suppose it is finally time I get my rear in gear and post on this damn thing. It has literally taken me roughly three weeks to figure out/set this blog up just the way I like it...Haha, I'm too picky with all the designs...but I can't help it that they supply so many choices with the font type and color and the backgrounds and the link colors...AHHHH! Enough stalling and delaying now. I have so much to write about my time here in Ireland thus far so I guess I'll give a quick spiel about my adventure INTO the Emerald Isle. The more I thought about describing the venture over, the more and more I pictured it in gifs so that is exactly what I'll use to explain the perilous journey a one young ginger lady went through to get to Ireland.

When I first received news that I would be attending University College Cork in the spring of 2014, I was absolutely elated

After packing literally the day before my flight (good one, Bridget....)

I was finally ready to jump the pond for my junior year abroad in Cork, Ireland! YAASSSS.

Never having traveled away from home for so long or by myself was definitely the most daunting aspect of this venture. It certainly didn't help my nervousness when my sister decided to play a meloncholic Irish cd on the ride to Logan Airport....

*sniffs* Thanks Maeve.....

Finally at the airport and ready to go, I bid my family farewell and was suddenly filled with excitement and glee at the idea of my new adventure. Giving finals hugs and looking at my family from security, I was finally ready to jet-set my way across the Atlantic

The flight took about 6 hours to get to Amsterdam with a 2 hour layover (oh happy day.....). Then the flight to Cork was roughly an hour and a half. Needless to say I was exhausted and ready for bed by the time we landed 

But when I looked out the window of the plane and saw the vast green below I knew it was all worth it

It definitely took me a few days to rub off being jet-lagged and certainly a few more days to get accustomed to the Irish weather (literally has rained nearly EVERY day since being here)

But not even the rain could put a damper on my spirits because I was finally fulfilling my dream of traveling to Ireland. Since a little girl, I had always dreamed of coming here to see the country where my ancestors lived and now I am here and could not be any happier. I could not have done this adventure without the help of my family and friends though. They have given me endless support (and funds...thanks Mum and Dad!) and love and I truly thank each and every one of them. 

Well, there it is. My first post. Now that wasn't so bad! I have so much more to post so I will get going on that ASAP. 

Peace, love and luck. 

~Bridge