Dun Dun Dungeon

Day 2: the Edinburgh Dungeon! And the Edinburgh Castle :) May 27.

Talk about opposite, huh? Well, kind of. 

Started the day with breakfast in our room: peanut butter sandwiches and apples. Man, I could live on that stuff. Peanut butter, I mean. 

Anyway, we went to the castle the first thing. It opened at 9:30, so we waited until it opened, along with the other hoards of people on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Once we got in, it was amazing. Not like it wasn't amazing to begin with. It's seated in a freaking rock mountain overlooking the whole city. Gee whiz. I remember walking along the street in Tuesday and then randomly looking up. I turned the corner and was hit with the magnificent image of the castle. Literally almost like took my breath away. 

So when we got inside the gates, we went to the edge where you could look out at the city. Beautiful.

We perused the grounds for about 3 and a half hours. There was so much to see!

The Scottish Crown Jewels, the Jacobite rebellion artifacts, royal army museums, you name it. There was even a graveyard for dogs of soldiers, which was started during Queen Victoria's reign. Gosh I love that woman. 

Scottish man. He's coming home with me, mom! ;)

The castle was gorgeous, though. I loved everything about it. Had to pause a few times to take it all in. Btw, Mary Queen of Scots lived here. So for you Tudor fans or history buffs...yeah. 

More pictures!

Yay, UK!

Alright. So after finally getting through that amazing castle and visit in the gift shop, we explored the city until our next tour. We went to a mall and had McDonalds for lunch. I know what you're thinking. But they are different over here. I promise. And it was a cheap option, plus, we wanted to compare differences. If you were wondering, it was much better. Fries weren't downed in salt. Food tasted more fresh. As fresh as it can be for mac dons. 

Then it was time for the DUNGEON. DUN DUN DUN. 

It was an amusement/haunted house type thing. Except it was in underground creepy Edinburgh. Yeeks. The backstory is that two men teamed up and dug up graves and sold the bodies to doctors so they could do medical tests and stuff on them. So to make more money, they started intentionally murdering people. They were arrested after their 19th victim. Eerrieeeeee. 

So yeah, it was cheesy and freaky, but pretty great :)

Then we went shopping at Primark briefly. Love Primark. So much. I got Scotland socks! That was really random and irrelevant. But I love them.

Then we were on our way on a tight schedule. We had a date to see Pitch Oerfect 2 at 6:10. Oh, yeah. (Said in Kool-aid guy voice.)

IT WAS SO FUNNY. And being like 2/4 Americans in the theatre, we laughed at parts others didn't get. So it was really cool to see how other people would react. And we got a student discount! UNL fees help us across the seas. They must feel sorry that we actually have to pay for our college in the U.S.

Oh, and this is the Scots Monument. We couldn't pass up a photo op. It's gorgeous voice and so gothic. You could go to the top for 4 pounds, but we thought being on the outside was good enough. We couldn't miss our movie time! 

Then we just rested so we could sleep in the next day. I fell asleep to Zoey 101. Living the good life here in the U.K. :)

Cheers,

Kelli

Flapping the wings again...

Yesterday marked the first day of a new journey. 

Day 1: Edinburgh, Scotland!

But first, we had to say our goodbyes to Ireland.

At 5 a.m. Good lord.

We rode away in the coach at 6 to the airport. Our flight to Scotland left at 1, but getting a ride to the airport was easier if we left with everyone else. So we waited. For like, five hours. But it was alright, because yet again, an attractive Irish man (at the Aer Lingus desk) helped us out. We checked in our bags and were expecting to pay around 50 euro for the fee. But since it was so early in the morning when we checked in our bags, he said not to worry about it :) Thank you kind sir!

We finally boarded the plane, and after a half hour, we were told we had to switch planes because of a heating issue. It only set us back about an hour, thankfully! It was a beautiful flight. 

Once we landed, we eagerly waited for our luggage. Once we got that, we darted for currency exchange and a taxi. First time riding in a black taxi cab! We got to our hotel and were delighted to get settled before dashing out again for a booked tour at Mary Kings Close.

The attraction was guided by a character. A close is a very narrow street. Mary kings close was just one of the many closes that were abandoned because the government built a building on top of them. Weird, right? So basically, the closes were undergoing streets, now. The plague struck the people of Edinburgh and in the closes, which our guide informed us about. It got kind of creepy at times, but it was really interesting and informative! As well as entertaining and humorous. 

After that, we walked around for a while, searching for food. We stopped in a few shops, as well. We came across a small diner that offered take away. They had burgers and chips (fries), so we jumped at it. It was about 8:30 at this point. The people were extremely nice there and talked to us about where we were from. The owner said he was going to New York soon, and that he loved America. That was a nice thing to hear!

Netflix, take away and sleep was the only thing on our agenda from that point. :) it's nice to take it easy!

Cheers,

Kelli 

Dublin Dame

Day 13: Trinity College and the Book of Kells and Dublin

What else is there to do in an airport for 5 hours than catch up on blog posts? Watch out, world.

So yesterday, Monday May 25, we spent our last day in Ireland by roaming Dublin. Grand, it was. First we went to Trinity College, which is historic in its own right. Smack dab in the middle of Dublin, the college is a main tourist attraction. If I actually went to school there, I might be a bit annoyed with mobs of tourists. Alas, I probably won't have to experience that.

Here's the courtyard:

Our whole group met for a presentation from a PR professional. Though I'm not studying PR or Ad, I thought he it was pretty runner nesting. We then said adios to Frank, our tour guide. Then we were pretty much free for 8 hours in Dublin. 

A good sized group of us went to the library to see the Book of Kells. This book is often called the most beautiful book in the world, apparently. :) It documents the four gospels and was handwritten. Unfortunately, photography wasn't allowed, but it was allowed in the library. 

It's ginormous. I don't Ben know how you would find a specific book. Bindings line the walls of the two-story library, with busts if famous writers and philosophers on the pathway. Simply amazing. 

After that excitement, we had hours to kill. I followed this coffee shop on Instagram back in January or February when I applied for this study abroad trip and have wanted to venture out to it ever since. That coffee shop actually inspired my idea of doing something with coffee for my project. It's something I like and am obligated to like, as a journalist. What could be a better combination than journalism and coffee???

It was almost an hour walk to find, but we did it. It's just a simple little nook in Stoneybrook, Dublin. It was spectacular--the setting, the food, the COFFEE. I can't say enough. I interviewed the owner, Ken Flood, on a whim as he was working behind the counter. I loved hearing bits about hottie shop started just one year ago and the visions he has had and continues to have for it. 

The shop started off only doing coffee, and just recently (like a month ago) started serving food. He said people know they're serious about the product because they are very precise and specific in the menu. Simplicity is the element. He said his wife is Australian and the shop has lots of Aussie design influences. 

That's the actual shop name, but to keep things fun, Flood said they often change the sign out front. This time it says "Yes" in support of the same sex marriage referendum that Ireland voted on just last week Friday. And I noticed the Cinderella figurine--adds a nice touch, doesn't it? You can definitely feel the love when you're in this place. 

Ken Flood, one of the owners of Love Supreme. He is a Dublin native and recently moved back from Sydney just a few years ago. 

If you read closely, this tells about where the coffee beans came from. The shop does direct trade, which means the farmer is directly paid top dollar. (Or whatever currency.) Flood said they won't take coffee that's older than 5 months. That includes the whole process of picking the beans, as well. This ensures the freshest coffee. And that's exactly what it tasted like. So smooth and fresh. I had a coffee white, which was one of the roughly five drinks on the menu. It was the best thing I've ever had--even better than the mocha. It was beautifully presented and lengthily savoured. Flood really takes his coffee seriously and with heart, and it shows. 

Lemon curd poppyseed cake thing. I forget the actual name, but it was delightful and nearly heavenly. 

After the coffee, Kayla and I roamed around Dublin. We made our way back near Trinity and stumbled upon a lot of souvenir shops and on Dublin Castle. We wanted to find a movie theatre to see Pitch Perfect 2, but we couldn't find any close theaters. 

We sat, we walked. We shopped. Tried to waste time until 8:30 p.m. when our bus was picking us up. It was an extremely long day. But a very fun one--one of my favorites!!! And we checked out the fish and chips in Dublin for dinner. Gotta compare all the isles!

So back to Bray it was. For the last time. We packed up, signed thank you cards and stayed up too late. It was great. Then up at 5 a.m. to leave with everyone to the airport. 

Is it really the end of a journey?

Cheers,

Kelli

 

Knowth is not the time...

Day 12: Knowth (near Newgrange) and the Boyne Valley at the Battle of the Boyne.

The day started early and ended early. We drove from Bray to the Boyne valley--a little over an hour. Seems longer than it actually is, trust me. Since we apparently couldn't get into a tour for Newgrange, which is an ancient burial mound that predates Stonehenge by about 1,000 years, we went to Knowth. Knowth is very similar to Newgrange, but I don't believe it's as old or as well-known. 

We got to go inside the tomb for a brief moment and we went on top for a lookout viewpoint. A tour guide explained to us the different usuages the mound had for different eras of people and what the stone art meant. 

It was neat to see so much history still preserved today. And it helped that the view was of the beautiful Irish countryside. 

Here is a picture of Newgrange:

After Knowth, we went up the road to the place where the famous Battle of the Boyne took place. This was a very important battle inirish history. Thee was a house and a large walking garden in the back to entertain ourselves with.

It sort of reminded me of Kensington gardens in London. 

After that, some people were dropped off in Dublin at the Jameson factory while the rest of us went back to the hotel in Bray. A group of us girls decided to take a hike up to Bray Head, which is a small mountain right next to our hotel. The sights were beautiful and the brief steep climb was worth it.

It was replenishing to get out and do something completely different, yet relaxing at the same time. Right on the Irish channel. There's not anything more peaceful and beautiful. 

I know I'm a day behind on my blog posts, but I will finish! Today was a really exciting day, which y'all will hear about tomorrow, since I have to get up in about four hours to head to the Dublin Airport. Yay flights. 

But it's been an awesome trip and I'm sad it's ending. Alas, Scotland and England are awaiting me. More to come!

Cheers,

Kelli

Bustling to Bray

Day 11: it's all kind of a blurrrrrrrrr. 

Upon our departure from the Connacht Hotel, we stopped in the town of Galway to check out the shopping super quick. For about a half hour. 

Of course, that only gave us enough time to walk into the mall and buy a coffee. But it's better than nothing. And the coffee brightened up the foggy day, since the barista at the G Stop was tall, dark and Irish. So that would imply that he was also handsome. :) I got a white mocha, served with a smile and a coffee-art heart. It's the little things. 

We hopped back on the bus to head back to Bray. The trip was a little longer this time, so we only made a stop at a truck stop/food court for lunch. Bray or bust!

Finally, we got back to the Wilton hotel in Bray. We had a couple of hours of free time, so we walked around the town and waterfront. Not a whole lot to see, but I did get an ice cream cone with a chocolate flake...I've been missing those from London...so good. 

The rest of the night after dinner I just chilled out, which was nice to relax somewhere other than a coach bus. 

Only 2 days left!

Cheers,

Kelli 

By Golly Galway

Day 10: it's almost to an end! :( 

The Cliffs of Moher were in our reach after we left the hotel in Limerick, but the fog prevented us from viewing them.

A huge fog cloud lingered over the cliffs and the surrounding area. We went there nonetheless. It was misting and impossible to see much, but it was still cool to be there.

Trust me, those cliffs are there.

After the cliffs, we stopped in a small town on the way to Galway for lunch. I had a Nutella, banana and chocolate crepe at a cute cafe. YUM. 

Then we stopped in the Burren, which is an old burial ground place. The ground is consistent of limestone and rock--a very cool sight to see. 

After that, we kept making our way into Galway to our hotel. I relaxed and did a little laundry before heading down to dinner. Hand washing and drying is not fun, let me tell ya. After dinner, I went with some others into the town to go shopping. It was really fun! And I finally got my traditional key chains to add to my travel collection. :)

And in case you were wondering, I finally re-packed my suitcase...kind of.

Cheers!

Kelli