Hello from (sunny?) Dublin,
Apologies for not posting earlier, but the internet at my cousin's house is playing up.
My flights were pretty good, but it was a long trip, with 5 hours in Singapore airport and 7 hours in Heathrow.
I arrived on Sunday to the wettest day you could imagine, the roads were flooding and so on. Driving back from the airport, it's weird how things similar to Aus, but the small differences are really noticable. For example, the houses here are built so differently to cope with the cold. There's not as much glass here and often houses are all joined to each other. Real estate is really expensive. A house on the coast near where Bono lives sold for 20 million euro (1 Aussie dollar is about 0.6 Euro), the most expensive place in Europe. I was hoping to post some photos, but I'm in a internet cafe and can't seem to find a USB port on this computer. So will follow up with photos when I can.
Monday was a public holiday ("bank holiday") here. I'm staying with my cousin, Ros, and her partner, Colin (nicknamed Boz), so we spent the morning catching up and ventured out in the afternoon to have a look around the local area. It was so funny going down to the sea on a really wet, dreary day in 'summer'! It felt colder than winter in Adelaide last week!
Luckily, Tuesday was absolutely gorgeous, and restored my faith in the Irish weather! Although it was funny to see how people reacted to the 20-25 degree day, there were these kids in St Stephen's Green (a large park in the city) who were having a water fight to cool off! In the morning on Tuesday I went on this hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city. The drivers provided the commentry. The first driver was hilarious but his accent was not easy to understand. When I got on the next bus, I ended up sitting next to this guy who had just gotten a job at the tourism centre, and was told to go on the bus. So he knew heaps about the city and sat there and gave me his own commentry, with recommendations about what to see and do. I also went to Kilmainham Gaol. This gaol has played a big role in the political history of the Republic of Ireland, which I didn't know much about, but was really interesting.
Tuesday night Boz and I drove the approx 2 hours to Carrick-on-Shannon, which is were Ros' parents live. Soon after I arrived on Sunday Ros' uncle died (other side of the family to me), and she'd been down in Carrick since Monday afternoon. I wasn't really sure what to do, but in the end I was invited along to the funeral and so on Wednesday I experienced my first Irish Catholic funeral. Apparently the tradition in these parts is that funerals are quite public occasions, and not sad occasions, and there are even some people who are almost 'professional' funeral-goers. In the end it was a nice day as I got to meet more Irish rellies than I ever knew I had! All of Ros' relatives on her father's side (Ros' mum is my dad's sister) seemed to know who I was and were quite happy to meet this blow-in from Australia. And I also met some rellies on my side of the family (the Mahers) who declared instantly that because they didn't have any 1st cousins, I was now their 1st cousin.
Carrick-on-Shannon is a gorgeous village. the church where the funeral was held is probably hundreds of years old. It's strange here to see how old things are (we drove through a town that was built in the 1500s or 1600s) but also how the new developments fit alongside the old. Carrick is the classic example of that, with tiny streets and amazing old buildings and walls, and heaps of new housing developments next door. The funny thing is that all the houses are built the same, they look very funny!
Wednesday was gorgeous weather, again about 25 degrees and sunny, and all the men at the funeral were sweltering in their suit jackets! The school kids here started the equivalent of year 12 exams yesterday, so that's why it was hot apparently!
Ros and Boz have a boat on the Shannon River, so we're going to go out on it on the weekend, which I'm really looking forward to. Then on Saturday night, we're going to the Oarsman a pub in Carrick, which is run by Connor and Ronan (they are Mahers, who I mentioned earlier).
On Monday next week I'm going on a Paddywagon tour (a backpacker's tour) to Northern Ireland for three days, which should be good craic (ha ha I'm picking up the local lingo). So I will try and update soon, but not sure when I will be able to.
Hope that everyone is well and not too cold. Thanks for all the emails and messages people have sent!
Best Wishes,
Anneke
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5 comments:
You'll be pleased to known that we have taken over and shown Pads the door.
Great that you had a good look around Carrick. When you return on the w'end, try and see the second hand bookshop -almost opposite the Oarsmen. And Boyle Abbey.
Have a long yarn with Gerry re his family's history of the area too.
So you're back in Dublin and thoughts of Guinness! Look forward to reading more exciting stuff. We'll write a note to Mollie.
Cecak!
Yay it sounds like you are already having an awesome time! just think in just a few days i should be meeting you, on the otherside of the world. that is just tripped out! cant wait.
Kat x x x
We are very pleased you are having a great time and particularly that you are contemplating a visit to Guinness factory today.
Think of us back in Adelaide, filing,keyboarding,sorting out the rubbish,organising things in the kitchen, supervising the staff here and reluctantly having the odd shut eye.
The olds send their love
H & B
Hi Anneke La!
Glad you had a good trip down, and Ireland sounds great. Try posting pictures too! It would be lovely to see some of the sights you've experienced firsthand.
Melbourne misses you though, and we must bubble tea together when you come back (do they sell bubble tea in Ireland?)!
Take good care sister dear (and please email to my Gmail at ksuan87@gmail.com instead of my hotmail address, thanks!) :)
Lots of love,
Your sister whose room is hopelessly berantakan before exams.
Thanks for your pc Annie. The ones that we sent from our trip to the NT took as long to arrive as did yours from Europe!
This blogger account will be a wonderful way to keep your memories safe -- so you can look through your thoughts and ideas when you are like us and in your dotage!
I trust your travels will have convinced you that Oz really is a very special place -- despite the attractions you will have discovered on your adventures! (Not that we are biased!)
Look forward to your safe return.
Love and hugs
Jan and John
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