So since my trip in Galway, I've spent the last two weekends lying low in Cork. I've slacked off on travelling for a few reasons, one being that Cork's International Jazz Festival took place last weekend. From Thursday to Sunday, over 1000 bands descended on Cork and played in every pub, park, and other free space in the city. The festival totally took over the city, with people packed into every space possible and soft soulful jazz playing everywhere you went. Even when I wasn't watching a show, I enjoyed having something to listen to every time I had to run errands downtown. Adding to the excitement of Jazz Fest is that of Halloween! I assume the holidays a big deal here, as adorable little kids in princess dresses and monster costumes have been running around the city centre all week. Not that I miss trick or treating and Halloween parties or anything...
More importantly, it seems that come mid November, ill be spending almost every weekend travelling Europe, with Dublin thrown in for good measure. To say that Ive never been excited for anything in my life (besides coming to ireland, duh) would be an understatement. But because I have actual classwork to do, and because these adventures are going to give my bank account a Richard Simmons workout, Ive instead been keeping myself busy with:
--trying and failing to keep up with my friends from school
--Trying and failing to keep up with the blackhawks, as they play at 2 AM Ireland time and frankly don't have an offense worth caring about right now
--running a lot (half marathon in 2015)
--micromanaging the nitty gritty details of my travels and building up my already unrealistic expectations of the places Im going
--Picking classes for winter quarter, coming up with nothing, and plotting ways to spend winter quarter in ireland instead
--applying for summer jobs, coming up with nothing, and plotting ways to just teach english in europe instead
...and of course getting that pesky school stuff out of the way :)
Friday, October 31, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Galway : irelands biggest craic dealer
(Craic means fun, by the way) Because I've been completely spoiled by going to college next to one of the most vibrant and happening cities in America, I'd been eyeing Galway for a while. After a false start two weeks ago, I actually made it there this week. With all the hype I'd heard about its reputation as Ireland's most bohemian, artsy, and student friendly city, I wondered if id be disappointed. but after 5 minutes of walking through the city centre, i was sold.
Although galway is smaller than dublin and cork, the city is positively overflowing with opportunities for fun. Flyers for comedy festivals and concerts were posted on every corner and the main street was packed with pubs advertising live music. Luxury department stores, souvenir shops, outlet stores, and boutiques fill the street, so of course I filled my afternoon with some window shopping and wandering around. After grabbing some dinner, I wandered into a pub where a show was about to begin. At the bar, a guy in his 30s and I got to talking. True to irish form, he was really friendly and gave me some tips about the city and, naturally, recommendations for pubs. In between, his father would grab my hand and start messing with me a little- asking me if I was married, that sort of thing.
I was headed to a pub they recommended when i finally got my first dose of true irish rain. My hair, totally unprepared for the downpour, got destroyed so i went back to my hostel before hitting another pub just across the street. The trad band played a lot of covers of 60s and 70s classics like "bad moon rising" and "folsom prison blues". The music was bascially blues with little infusions of Irish traditional music. The combination was incredible, made drunk guys start dancing, and electrified the room.
Once i left, I spent a mostly sleepless night at my hostel. This isn't a knock on hostels, as mine was way more comfortable, clean, and safe than even the excellent reviews suggested, I just felt keyed up with residual excitement. When morning finally came, I walked a few kilometers along the Salthill, which is a promenade overlooking the water. Standing on the beach's rocky shores while the winds and fog rolled in from the sea was mesmerizing, if not kind of cold.
After that, i headed back to the city centre and undertook more sightseeing. I stopped at the Spanish Arch, a stone arch dating back before the 1600s, as well as Eyre Square, which is the city's cozy public park. Along the green lawn are 14 flags, each of which representing the coat of arms of one of Galway 's founding tribes (families). For some reason, I was totally enchanted by the visual.
In all, Galway is a incredible place. Especially because the city centre only consists of a few tightly packed streets, it's a warm and friendly place that offers quality music and good times everywhere you look. It reminded me a lot of how much i appreciate the chance to use Chicago as my playground in college - for the concerts, sports, and fashion. The only downside, if any, was that traveling alone probably kept me from having as much fun as possible. But Galway is insanely into Halloween and is holding a huge festival on Halloween weekend. The windows of all the pubs and the mannequins in stores are already decorated for it. So if I find a crew, I could definitely be back!
Miscellaneous highlights:
1. An entire store dedicated to cake decorating, decked from floor to ceiling in the most colorful prints I ever seen. And it smells like frosting inside. I only freaked out a little.
2. A lot of storefronts have chalkboards illustrated with snarky little messages. Personal favorite: "unattended children will be given an espresso and a free kitty".
3. I'm over half way through the semester. What. The.
Although galway is smaller than dublin and cork, the city is positively overflowing with opportunities for fun. Flyers for comedy festivals and concerts were posted on every corner and the main street was packed with pubs advertising live music. Luxury department stores, souvenir shops, outlet stores, and boutiques fill the street, so of course I filled my afternoon with some window shopping and wandering around. After grabbing some dinner, I wandered into a pub where a show was about to begin. At the bar, a guy in his 30s and I got to talking. True to irish form, he was really friendly and gave me some tips about the city and, naturally, recommendations for pubs. In between, his father would grab my hand and start messing with me a little- asking me if I was married, that sort of thing.
I was headed to a pub they recommended when i finally got my first dose of true irish rain. My hair, totally unprepared for the downpour, got destroyed so i went back to my hostel before hitting another pub just across the street. The trad band played a lot of covers of 60s and 70s classics like "bad moon rising" and "folsom prison blues". The music was bascially blues with little infusions of Irish traditional music. The combination was incredible, made drunk guys start dancing, and electrified the room.
Once i left, I spent a mostly sleepless night at my hostel. This isn't a knock on hostels, as mine was way more comfortable, clean, and safe than even the excellent reviews suggested, I just felt keyed up with residual excitement. When morning finally came, I walked a few kilometers along the Salthill, which is a promenade overlooking the water. Standing on the beach's rocky shores while the winds and fog rolled in from the sea was mesmerizing, if not kind of cold.
After that, i headed back to the city centre and undertook more sightseeing. I stopped at the Spanish Arch, a stone arch dating back before the 1600s, as well as Eyre Square, which is the city's cozy public park. Along the green lawn are 14 flags, each of which representing the coat of arms of one of Galway 's founding tribes (families). For some reason, I was totally enchanted by the visual.
In all, Galway is a incredible place. Especially because the city centre only consists of a few tightly packed streets, it's a warm and friendly place that offers quality music and good times everywhere you look. It reminded me a lot of how much i appreciate the chance to use Chicago as my playground in college - for the concerts, sports, and fashion. The only downside, if any, was that traveling alone probably kept me from having as much fun as possible. But Galway is insanely into Halloween and is holding a huge festival on Halloween weekend. The windows of all the pubs and the mannequins in stores are already decorated for it. So if I find a crew, I could definitely be back!
Miscellaneous highlights:
1. An entire store dedicated to cake decorating, decked from floor to ceiling in the most colorful prints I ever seen. And it smells like frosting inside. I only freaked out a little.
2. A lot of storefronts have chalkboards illustrated with snarky little messages. Personal favorite: "unattended children will be given an espresso and a free kitty".
3. I'm over half way through the semester. What. The.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Belfast and Giants Causeway pictures
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| King Billy Mural |
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| Crown Bar |
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| The Thing with the Ring |
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| River Lagan |
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| City Hall at sunrise |
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| Giant's Causeway! |
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| Add caption |
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| Add caption |
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| Belfast cuisine! |
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| Belfast rocks, basically. |
Sunday, October 12, 2014
hockey in northern ireland! and other reasons that belfast is the coolest.
Thus weekend, i went to belfast with my study abroad program. After a marathon bus voyage, we finally arrived in belfast during late afternoon. Upon checking in, a few friends and i started to explore belfast. As if to remind us that Northern ireland is NOT irish, our first key sight was an imposing mural of King William, situated alongside a street adorned by Union jack flags. After my friends took selfies with King Billy, we happened upon Belfast City Hall, which is a magnificent Georgian estate with imposing memorial statues placed throughout a perfectly manicured lawn. As i discovered while running the next morning, the building is even more breathtaking at sunrise when blue lights still shine under its windows, so much so that I put it on instagram.
After taking a few pictures there, we found ourselves in a cupcake cafe. Though we could have killed a few hours taking in the chill vibes and cinnamon aromas, we instead headed to our programs information session about belfast's...colorful...political situation. Turns out that the mural we saw is by no means unique, as catholic nationalist and Irish protestant armies expressed their belligerence by painting death threats onto the specific walls they controlled. With the signing of a ceasefire agreement in 1998 came significantly toned down murals that are largely focused on global peace. In one catholic area, a huge memorial murals of Bobby sands lies adjacent to one honoring Nelson mandela. In protestant areas, walls that formerly house death threats now simply show homages to King William or to Ulster. Seeing the murals both on screen and in person on sunday made me appreciate just how deeply The Troubles colored the minds and hearts of a generation. 40 foot walls still separate contentious areas and tensions still flare over cultural practices, but Belfast seems to be greatly investing in its future as a unified city
According to our tour guide, one of these investments was the Belfast Giants, Ireland's only ice hockey team. Apparently, the city wanted to unite protestants and catholics through a team and wanted to choose a sport that both sides could appreciate. Perhaps they realized that people needed a new way to release their aggression, so naturally they landed on hockey, the only major sport that allows fighting. Regardless, once I found out they'd be playing at home while I was in belfast, I knew I'd have to get my long overdue hockey fix. Suffice it to say that the experience didn't disappoint. For only 10 pounds, I got a first row seat directly behind the Giants' bench, which gave me a an awesome chance to watch the players and coaches mess around on the bench. Nothing can beat an overtime playoff win over the Blues, but watching the Giants roll to a 6-1 win over the Dundee Stars was a thrilling substitutes. They play the bagpipes before puck drop, cheer when players topple the refs, and seem really interested in the game. Only downside is that a weird amount of Belfast fans love the Bruins.
The Giants game ate into most of my Saturday night, but I got a chance to explore the downtown area some more the next morning. Because this is me, i ventured to the shopping centre to wkndow shop britains most posh brands like jack wills. Then, I checked out the historic buildings such as City Hall, the Scottish Provident, and Royal Courthouse, all of which exude regality and importance. Coming from a country less than 300 years old, I'm always humbled when I think about the centuries of history that have taken place in these places. This provided a nice contrast to a modern artpiece along the waterfront nicknamed "the lady with the thing", in which a woman standing atop the earth holds a halo above her head as an offering. Bent over the river, it's a compelling symbol of peace, hope, and resilience.
As you can tell by the novel I just wrote, I absolutely loved belfast. Its sharply witty people, rich colonial flavor, harrowing but interesting political history, and emerging atmosphere of revitalization all made for an awesome weekend. All this, and it's a hockey town!!!
After taking a few pictures there, we found ourselves in a cupcake cafe. Though we could have killed a few hours taking in the chill vibes and cinnamon aromas, we instead headed to our programs information session about belfast's...colorful...political situation. Turns out that the mural we saw is by no means unique, as catholic nationalist and Irish protestant armies expressed their belligerence by painting death threats onto the specific walls they controlled. With the signing of a ceasefire agreement in 1998 came significantly toned down murals that are largely focused on global peace. In one catholic area, a huge memorial murals of Bobby sands lies adjacent to one honoring Nelson mandela. In protestant areas, walls that formerly house death threats now simply show homages to King William or to Ulster. Seeing the murals both on screen and in person on sunday made me appreciate just how deeply The Troubles colored the minds and hearts of a generation. 40 foot walls still separate contentious areas and tensions still flare over cultural practices, but Belfast seems to be greatly investing in its future as a unified city
According to our tour guide, one of these investments was the Belfast Giants, Ireland's only ice hockey team. Apparently, the city wanted to unite protestants and catholics through a team and wanted to choose a sport that both sides could appreciate. Perhaps they realized that people needed a new way to release their aggression, so naturally they landed on hockey, the only major sport that allows fighting. Regardless, once I found out they'd be playing at home while I was in belfast, I knew I'd have to get my long overdue hockey fix. Suffice it to say that the experience didn't disappoint. For only 10 pounds, I got a first row seat directly behind the Giants' bench, which gave me a an awesome chance to watch the players and coaches mess around on the bench. Nothing can beat an overtime playoff win over the Blues, but watching the Giants roll to a 6-1 win over the Dundee Stars was a thrilling substitutes. They play the bagpipes before puck drop, cheer when players topple the refs, and seem really interested in the game. Only downside is that a weird amount of Belfast fans love the Bruins.
The Giants game ate into most of my Saturday night, but I got a chance to explore the downtown area some more the next morning. Because this is me, i ventured to the shopping centre to wkndow shop britains most posh brands like jack wills. Then, I checked out the historic buildings such as City Hall, the Scottish Provident, and Royal Courthouse, all of which exude regality and importance. Coming from a country less than 300 years old, I'm always humbled when I think about the centuries of history that have taken place in these places. This provided a nice contrast to a modern artpiece along the waterfront nicknamed "the lady with the thing", in which a woman standing atop the earth holds a halo above her head as an offering. Bent over the river, it's a compelling symbol of peace, hope, and resilience.
As you can tell by the novel I just wrote, I absolutely loved belfast. Its sharply witty people, rich colonial flavor, harrowing but interesting political history, and emerging atmosphere of revitalization all made for an awesome weekend. All this, and it's a hockey town!!!
Friday, October 10, 2014
8 weeks?
Five hours into a bus trip into Belfast, totally unable to sleep, I've had a lot of time to think and I realized that this Sunday marks 8 weeks since I arrived in ireland. The 8 week mark has taken me aback, as it feels like I just landed. Ireland's hidden pleasures are still revealing themselves to me every day, whether through my numerous day trips or from my adventures in cork city. But on another dimension, my everyday life in cork has become so natural and routinized that even my summer job in Chicago feels like a distant memory.
Although I've already spent almost 2 months here, almost three months still remain. In between papers about van morrison and trad music, Ive spent bit of time planning (obsessing) my next voyages. Although train problems made last weekends trip to Galway a bust, I'm making some headway on that front. I'm currently on my way to belfast with my study abroad program. Next weekend will be, if the transportation gods cooperate, Galway and Connemara. Outside of ireland, my ireland friends and i will be spending a weekend in rome, as well as a few days in madrid and barcelona during our reading week. Ive totally fallen in love with traveling and I'm hoping to see anything and everything i can while I'm here, so I'm hoping to do as much as the budget allows. Ironically, it seems like my travel wishlist has only grown since I boarded my plane at O'Hare 8 weeks ago. The Aran Islands, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Prague, Budapest, Switzerland (don't worry, not doing it all, or any for that matter)
Why the obsession? Simply put, the last 8 weeks have given me a better, or at least a more important, education than my last two years in college. Traveling has broadened my mind and already changed my perspective on life. It's taught me to tolerate uncertainty, Exploring a new city always leaves me forever changed once I leave, whether it be because of its unforgettable sights, thought provoking sites, or quirky shops/people. As skeptical as I was about people claiming to "find themselves" while abroad, exposing myself to new environments and ways of life has taught me so much about myself, my values, and my future.
Whenever I look up flights or tours or what have you, I still experience a sense of denial that I'm actually here after dreaming about the possibility for so long. I've gained a much deeper appreciation for all of the people who turned my dream into a reality- from my scholarships financial help to all the family members who are living vicariously through me. Similarly, being away from my school has made me cherish my family there so much more. Whenever I get homesick for tailgates and everything else, I remember how lucky I am that I'll be coming home to such an amazing family in january.
Tl; Dr : Ireland's awesome, I love travelling, and i miss you all so stay in touch!
Five hours into a bus trip into Belfast, totally unable to sleep, I've had a lot of time to think and I realized that this Sunday marks 8 weeks since I arrived in ireland. The 8 week mark has taken me aback, as it feels like I just landed. Ireland's hidden pleasures are still revealing themselves to me every day, whether through my numerous day trips or from my adventures in cork city. But on another dimension, my everyday life in cork has become so natural and routinized that even my summer job in Chicago feels like a distant memory.
Although I've already spent almost 2 months here, almost three months still remain. In between papers about van morrison and trad music, Ive spent bit of time planning (obsessing) my next voyages. Although train problems made last weekends trip to Galway a bust, I'm making some headway on that front. I'm currently on my way to belfast with my study abroad program. Next weekend will be, if the transportation gods cooperate, Galway and Connemara. Outside of ireland, my ireland friends and i will be spending a weekend in rome, as well as a few days in madrid and barcelona during our reading week. Ive totally fallen in love with traveling and I'm hoping to see anything and everything i can while I'm here, so I'm hoping to do as much as the budget allows. Ironically, it seems like my travel wishlist has only grown since I boarded my plane at O'Hare 8 weeks ago. The Aran Islands, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Prague, Budapest, Switzerland (don't worry, not doing it all, or any for that matter)
Why the obsession? Simply put, the last 8 weeks have given me a better, or at least a more important, education than my last two years in college. Traveling has broadened my mind and already changed my perspective on life. It's taught me to tolerate uncertainty, Exploring a new city always leaves me forever changed once I leave, whether it be because of its unforgettable sights, thought provoking sites, or quirky shops/people. As skeptical as I was about people claiming to "find themselves" while abroad, exposing myself to new environments and ways of life has taught me so much about myself, my values, and my future.
Whenever I look up flights or tours or what have you, I still experience a sense of denial that I'm actually here after dreaming about the possibility for so long. I've gained a much deeper appreciation for all of the people who turned my dream into a reality- from my scholarships financial help to all the family members who are living vicariously through me. Similarly, being away from my school has made me cherish my family there so much more. Whenever I get homesick for tailgates and everything else, I remember how lucky I am that I'll be coming home to such an amazing family in january.
Tl; Dr : Ireland's awesome, I love travelling, and i miss you all so stay in touch!
Although I've already spent almost 2 months here, almost three months still remain. In between papers about van morrison and trad music, Ive spent bit of time planning (obsessing) my next voyages. Although train problems made last weekends trip to Galway a bust, I'm making some headway on that front. I'm currently on my way to belfast with my study abroad program. Next weekend will be, if the transportation gods cooperate, Galway and Connemara. Outside of ireland, my ireland friends and i will be spending a weekend in rome, as well as a few days in madrid and barcelona during our reading week. Ive totally fallen in love with traveling and I'm hoping to see anything and everything i can while I'm here, so I'm hoping to do as much as the budget allows. Ironically, it seems like my travel wishlist has only grown since I boarded my plane at O'Hare 8 weeks ago. The Aran Islands, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Prague, Budapest, Switzerland (don't worry, not doing it all, or any for that matter)
Why the obsession? Simply put, the last 8 weeks have given me a better, or at least a more important, education than my last two years in college. Traveling has broadened my mind and already changed my perspective on life. It's taught me to tolerate uncertainty, Exploring a new city always leaves me forever changed once I leave, whether it be because of its unforgettable sights, thought provoking sites, or quirky shops/people. As skeptical as I was about people claiming to "find themselves" while abroad, exposing myself to new environments and ways of life has taught me so much about myself, my values, and my future.
Whenever I look up flights or tours or what have you, I still experience a sense of denial that I'm actually here after dreaming about the possibility for so long. I've gained a much deeper appreciation for all of the people who turned my dream into a reality- from my scholarships financial help to all the family members who are living vicariously through me. Similarly, being away from my school has made me cherish my family there so much more. Whenever I get homesick for tailgates and everything else, I remember how lucky I am that I'll be coming home to such an amazing family in january.
Tl; Dr : Ireland's awesome, I love travelling, and i miss you all so stay in touch!
Five hours into a bus trip into Belfast, totally unable to sleep, I've had a lot of time to think and I realized that this Sunday marks 8 weeks since I arrived in ireland. The 8 week mark has taken me aback, as it feels like I just landed. Ireland's hidden pleasures are still revealing themselves to me every day, whether through my numerous day trips or from my adventures in cork city. But on another dimension, my everyday life in cork has become so natural and routinized that even my summer job in Chicago feels like a distant memory.
Although I've already spent almost 2 months here, almost three months still remain. In between papers about van morrison and trad music, Ive spent bit of time planning (obsessing) my next voyages. Although train problems made last weekends trip to Galway a bust, I'm making some headway on that front. I'm currently on my way to belfast with my study abroad program. Next weekend will be, if the transportation gods cooperate, Galway and Connemara. Outside of ireland, my ireland friends and i will be spending a weekend in rome, as well as a few days in madrid and barcelona during our reading week. Ive totally fallen in love with traveling and I'm hoping to see anything and everything i can while I'm here, so I'm hoping to do as much as the budget allows. Ironically, it seems like my travel wishlist has only grown since I boarded my plane at O'Hare 8 weeks ago. The Aran Islands, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Prague, Budapest, Switzerland (don't worry, not doing it all, or any for that matter)
Why the obsession? Simply put, the last 8 weeks have given me a better, or at least a more important, education than my last two years in college. Traveling has broadened my mind and already changed my perspective on life. It's taught me to tolerate uncertainty, Exploring a new city always leaves me forever changed once I leave, whether it be because of its unforgettable sights, thought provoking sites, or quirky shops/people. As skeptical as I was about people claiming to "find themselves" while abroad, exposing myself to new environments and ways of life has taught me so much about myself, my values, and my future.
Whenever I look up flights or tours or what have you, I still experience a sense of denial that I'm actually here after dreaming about the possibility for so long. I've gained a much deeper appreciation for all of the people who turned my dream into a reality- from my scholarships financial help to all the family members who are living vicariously through me. Similarly, being away from my school has made me cherish my family there so much more. Whenever I get homesick for tailgates and everything else, I remember how lucky I am that I'll be coming home to such an amazing family in january.
Tl; Dr : Ireland's awesome, I love travelling, and i miss you all so stay in touch!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
I survived titanic, and other adventures from cobh
My pictures from last weekends trip aRe marked by palm trees and pretty harbor views , but I did not spend last weekend in spain (soon!). Instead, I took a very quick bus ride to a port town called cobh to kill a saturday morning. Situated on a harbor off the Atlantic ocean, cobh's biggest claim to fame can't found in the town itself but instead in the emigrants who left ireland through its ports.
Sparked by the 1840s great famine and continuing throughout the 20th century, cobh served as the last port of call for millions of Irish people. I got a better sense of what forced a quarter of Ireland's population to leave at the cobh heritage center. Some indeed left voluntarily in pursuit of better economic opportunities, but others were deported from cobh to prison camps in australia. I walked through a really fascinating exhibit that focused on the emigration, but I was most impacted by learning about the conditions that emigrants dealt with during their voyages. Especially during famine times, people faced weeks of food shortages (oh, the irony). They spent weeks locked under the deck at night in dark and damp quarters, where they constantly feared getting shipwrecked.
Speaking of shipwrecks, cobh was the final sending port of the titanic. At cobh, 123 irish people boarded the Titanic at cobh. Their stories were told both in the cobh heritage center and at the Titanic experience, my next stop in cobh. Essentially, this is a tour in which you take on the role of an actual irish Titanic passenger. I was nora oleary, a 17 year old in third class. A tour guide walked us along the actual pier from which Titanic left before showing us model third class and first class cabins. Surprise, first class was wayyy nicer! But actually, a first class ticket cost $70,000 in today's dollars. For the price of a small house in 2014, one could buy an absurd amount of priviledges- a library, gymnasium, 14 course dinners, and a pool. In a boat. in 1912. Clearly the ship designers were focused on luxury, to the point that they chose to provide lifeboats for only half the passengers instead of making the first class cabins smaller. Spoiler alert: it didn't go well. Basically, I learned that the Titanic was a preventable human tragedy, but on the bright side I found out that Nora OLeary did survive!
After the titanic experience, I visited st. Colmans cathedral. For some reason I'm having trouble uploading pictures but it's a hulking Gothic cathedral built on a huge hill overlooking both the town and the harbor. Inside, bright colored floral arrangements hang from the ceilings and these crazy sculptures are carmed into every inch of wall space. I'm still taken aback every time I see one of these intricate cathedrals and realize they were built hundreds of years ago with so much less technology than we use today
Finally, I walked along this beautiful pier right before leaving and definitely did not pretend that leonardo dicaprio and I were boarding the Titanic together.
Sparked by the 1840s great famine and continuing throughout the 20th century, cobh served as the last port of call for millions of Irish people. I got a better sense of what forced a quarter of Ireland's population to leave at the cobh heritage center. Some indeed left voluntarily in pursuit of better economic opportunities, but others were deported from cobh to prison camps in australia. I walked through a really fascinating exhibit that focused on the emigration, but I was most impacted by learning about the conditions that emigrants dealt with during their voyages. Especially during famine times, people faced weeks of food shortages (oh, the irony). They spent weeks locked under the deck at night in dark and damp quarters, where they constantly feared getting shipwrecked.
Speaking of shipwrecks, cobh was the final sending port of the titanic. At cobh, 123 irish people boarded the Titanic at cobh. Their stories were told both in the cobh heritage center and at the Titanic experience, my next stop in cobh. Essentially, this is a tour in which you take on the role of an actual irish Titanic passenger. I was nora oleary, a 17 year old in third class. A tour guide walked us along the actual pier from which Titanic left before showing us model third class and first class cabins. Surprise, first class was wayyy nicer! But actually, a first class ticket cost $70,000 in today's dollars. For the price of a small house in 2014, one could buy an absurd amount of priviledges- a library, gymnasium, 14 course dinners, and a pool. In a boat. in 1912. Clearly the ship designers were focused on luxury, to the point that they chose to provide lifeboats for only half the passengers instead of making the first class cabins smaller. Spoiler alert: it didn't go well. Basically, I learned that the Titanic was a preventable human tragedy, but on the bright side I found out that Nora OLeary did survive!
After the titanic experience, I visited st. Colmans cathedral. For some reason I'm having trouble uploading pictures but it's a hulking Gothic cathedral built on a huge hill overlooking both the town and the harbor. Inside, bright colored floral arrangements hang from the ceilings and these crazy sculptures are carmed into every inch of wall space. I'm still taken aback every time I see one of these intricate cathedrals and realize they were built hundreds of years ago with so much less technology than we use today
Finally, I walked along this beautiful pier right before leaving and definitely did not pretend that leonardo dicaprio and I were boarding the Titanic together.
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