"Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk
Of a day -I-ay-I-ay
I met a little girl and we stopped to talk
Of a fine soft day -I-ay-I-ay
And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do
'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
And I knew right then I'd be takin' a whirl
'Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl"
As the Irish musician ended his concert in Chambéry a few day before we were to leave, I couldn't wait until the weekend and our trip to Ireland on March 12-16!
The five days of traveling were a whirlwind as we wafted in and out of four countries to get there and back! As a result of the train and plane schedules, Veronica and I had a few extra hours on that Thursday morning in Geneva. We mostly explored the old city and saw the Lac de Geneve on the way. After a little "pause de café", we went in search of some great Swiss chocolate! We stopped to take pictures with an Italian Bugatti (a fellow admirer told us it was worth over $1.5 million) and just enjoyed a nice morning exploring what we could of the city.
Our plane flew into Belfast where we stayed for one night. We still got to see most of the sites including the City Hall, the leaning Albert Memorial Clock Tower, Queen's Bridge, and a giant fish sculpture appropriately called "Bigfish". We also tried to visit the Belfast Castle, but the bus driver couldn't even point us in the right direction and due to a lack of signs, we were unsuccessful. Instead, we went through St. George's Market and grabbed lunch from some local vendors. Belfast is also where the Titanic was manufactured and the city boasts quite heavily of the famous boat. We didn't have enough time to do a tour through the Pumphouse and boatyard where it was constructed, but we did see them from a distance.
We caught a mid-afternoon bus to Dublin and I really enjoyed the drive through the Irish countryside. When planning the trip, we couldn't find a hostel available so we booked a hotel instead. It was really nice having our own space for a few days! All weekend, Dublin was holding various activities for the St. Patrick's Day festival. The night we arrived, we went to the Docklands to see a performance by "The Spheres". The performers stood in these stilted globes that moved in all directions.
We ended the night by walking through the Temple Bar area known for live music, restaurants and night life. The next morning, we ate a traditional Irish breakfast at our hotel and went on a walking tour of the city. I met up there with, Megan, a UT friend studying in Whales! Amid the green-clad tourists and funny leprechaun hats, we saw the City Hall, Dublin Castle, Christchurch Cathedral, Trinity College (which houses the Book of Kells), Ha'penny Bridge, O'Connell Street, The Spire (the world's tallest sculpture), The Leinster House (home to Irish Parliament and the building that inspired the White House), and the beautiful St. Stephen's Greens park. Our tour guide even played our group a little Irish jig on a piccolo!
After taking a break to spend some time in the great weather and to admire the park, we went to the Guinness Storehouse. The Dublin storehouse and brewery is located on property under a 9,000 year lease signed by the founder. At the top of the storehouse, there is a glass-enclosed restaurant with a 360 degree view of Dublin.
Next, Veronica and I went to meet up with several of our fellow American friends studying in Chambéry who had arrived that day. We all went to Temple Bar for dinner and had fun exploring Dublin by night!
Sunday morning was an early one as we went to visit Galway and the Cliffs of Mohor which reside on the opposite coast of Ireland. We took 2 buses for a total of 5 hours to get to the Cliffs but it was worth the scenery we passed on the way and the views of our final destination! The Cliffs were so impressive and unlike anything I had seen before!
We returned to Galway, a picturesque coastal village where we ate a great dinner and wondered through the town's streets. Upon returning to Dublin, we walked through the St. Patrick's Day carnival and rode the ferris wheel for one last view of the city!
To get to the airport the next morning, we took a taxi with an amusing driver who played Abba the whole way! And after a flight to London, a flight to Geneva and a train, we made it back to Chambéry!
I loved Ireland and although we didn't get to stay for actual St. Patrick's Day, I think we all left with a new appreciation for everything Irish!
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