Lots has happened, but the best...Ireland!

Blarney! Yes, Blarney as in the Blarney Castle with the Blarney Stone. I kissed it, so I guess I have eloquency now. But I told that to the horse and he just laughed at me and said, "What a bunch of Baloney." I guess I didn't say it with enough eloquency for him to believe me. Or maybe I just mis-heard him and he really said, "Blarney," but I just couldn't decipher it quite right since my horse whispering skills are still under development. I may never know, but one thing I do know, is that this horse really did make that face and I really did get a picture of it.

Anyways, I'm sorry its been so long since I've updated my blog. Everything was really crazy the first two weeks with orientation and excursions and everything.

But now orientation is over and classes have begun. 2 weekends ago, we went on a trip to Madrid as a group. It was right after orientaion had finished. The trip was great. We got to see a bullfight, and a play, and the Museum of Prado.

We had a little over a week before classes started, so from Madrid, me and 5 friends flew to London. We stayed there for 3 days and saw the sights.

Then we went to Ireland. We had ended up staying in London an extra day so we only had about a day and a half in Ireland. Well, that wasn't enough for me, so I stayed for an extra week and tried to become Irish. The best I could do was a traditional Irish-style tweed cap and a new found appreciation for hot tea (with milk and sugar). So I guess I'm still far from being Irish, considering I didn't even try the supposedly delicious whiskey or beer. But I did sit in a pub with a tea and a scone (it was the daily special) and watch a rugby game on tv. Its an intense sport that's even more fierce than I though it was.

Although I didn't become Irish, I experienced many of Ireland's treasures. The beautiful scenerey and fresh, cool air were my favorite parts. Tied with those was the friendly, cool-accented people and especially the folks I talked to who taght me a little Gaelic, history, and some folktales.

I toured 3 castles. The one in Trim, which is where part of the movie Braveheart was filmed, one in Killkenny, and of course, the Blarney Castle. All were great, but Blarney was my favorite. The castle grounds ther had beautiful gardens and forrests, and the castle itself had many secret doorways and underground caves that were cool.

Overall, the weather was great during my trip. It only rained 2 times and the rest of it was cloudy with some sun and a perfectly crisp breeze and cool air.

I really enjoyed experiencing the Irish life. My time there made me realize how much there is to see in Ireland. I could easily spend months travelling around to see different areas. Its a small country, similar sized to Iowa, but the beauty is abundant and the Irish legends of luck and folklore really do exist. So does the cool accent, the rain, the countryside, the pubs, and the music.

Its all there, on the lucky little island called "Eireann" in the native tongue. It means "peace" "merciful" and "gracious," which offers a nearly perfect description of the magical land where castles steal your breath, leprechans steal your wallet, and nobody steals your beer. Cheers to Ireland!