Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Is this real???

I couldn't have had a more diverse experience in Northern Ireland. Never before have I felt such a combination of visual ecstasy, weather related misery, sleep deprivation, and excitement. I can certainly say that the good far outweighed the bad. Wait until you see the pictures and the videos!

From Northern Ireland



After a weekend like this I'm often left wondering, is this real? Last year I never could have seen myself here, and yet here I am. This is real. I've met a lot of great people and I've made a lot of memories that I'll never forget. Ireland has made me realize that there's so much in the world that I haven't experienced. I need to get out there and embrace it!

From Northern Ireland


From Northern Ireland



I only wish you could all share in my euphoria! Take my advice, get out and see the world while you still can! Put aside the routine acceptance generated by the nine to five lifestyle and open your eyes. The world is waiting!

From Northern Ireland


This trip consisted of one night in Belfast and one in Derry. We got a bus tour of Belfast and stayed in a hostel with 30-something beds all in one room. The room was gigantic, and a mixture of Erasmus, Irish, and Study Abroad students came together for a truly great social experience. That night we went out but we soon discovered that it was going to be difficult to get in to any clubs because of the discriminatory nature of the city.

From Northern Ireland


Overall, aside from some confusion that led us unsuspectingly to a gay club, the night was a success. I met a lot of great people and I enjoyed our stay.

The next day was incredible. We crossed the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in Antrim, and visited the Giant's Causeway. Words can't describe how amazing the view is, and the pictures may not either.

From Northern Ireland


From Northern Ireland


From Northern Ireland


From Northern Ireland


See the full album and some videos!!!

Northern Ireland

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Next Journey

I'll be taking one night in Galway tomorrow and a weekend in either Belfast or Kilkenny after that. Stay posted for stories and pictures!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Amsterdam, Brussels, Rotterdam

Amsterdam is a crazy place to say the least, but I think I was expecting it to be a bit crazier.


There's a lot to see at a place like this, but I wouldn't recommend planning a long stay unless you love to smoke or get hookers. We saw the Van Gogh Museum which was pretty interesting, along with a few others.

Brussels was my favorite part of our journey.


Belgium is famous for beer and chocolate, and I might've brought some of both back with me if I had the luggage space and the money. The best part of Brussels was the incredible sculptures and architecture. It's also where the European Commission and the EU HQ is located.

Rotterdam reminded me a lot of a standard port city in the US.


A lot of tall buildings and barges and big supply crates. Overall I was extremely satisfied with the week long journey but I spent more money than I had hoped to. I took a LOT of pictures so please check out the albums. Just click on any of the slideshows above to see that city!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Holland, Belgium, Denmark

Tomorrow is the first day of a week long trip to 3 different countries. Expect pictures and maybe some stories next week!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Canterbury Tales!

Spent this weekend visiting the NCC girls in Canterbury England! Couldn't've had a better time. Their accommodation is located right in the middle of town, and all of the action is just a short walk away. This is quite in contrast to our situation at the University of Limerick where town is a considerable distance and you're forced to either take a bus or a taxi. England still uses its own form of currency, the pound instead of the euro, and the exchange rate is a bit worse than the euro. Fortunately things were considerably cheaper than back here. The town was very nice and Canterbury is, of course, home to a massive Cathedral. While I didn't get to take a proper tour of the structure, I have a few good shots of it from outside the wall.


We didn't get to spend more than a couple hours in London before the flight back but we did get to see the Buckingham Palace. By this time the day tours were over but there are some impressive sculptures surrounding the majestic building. It'll be nice if we get a chance to see London again, but we'll see if my limited time (and finances) allow for another journey.






See the full album from the trip below!




Friday, October 2, 2009

Update

I'm off to England tomorrow! Expect pictures late sunday!