Ireland!

Greetings, Readers!

            Hello :) I am currently sitting down to write this blog the night before we port in Lisbon, Portugal. This week has just flown by! I have three ports in the next two weeks, which include Portugal, Spain and Morocco. I am so excited to go to Africa, even though I have really enjoyed my time in Europe so far. What this means is that my next blog entry may not be for a while. It may or may not include all three countries. I also do not have class for the next couple weeks, which is cool. We have one study day in between Spain and Morocco, and it is a day dedicated to studying, obviously, but also presentations about Morocco and Moroccan culture. I am so excited for that day!

            This week I experienced a milestone of sorts. On Tuesday I passed the one-month marker! I had officially been at sea for a whole month. I couldn't believe it! Six countries in one month is pretty overwhelming, but I have loved every second of it! I have made so many memories already and have learned so much about the world and myself. I had no idea going into this how much my world would be changed. So many opportunities have come up and my once seemingly restrictive boundaries have expanded and shown me that I don't have to have everything figured out right now.

            The seas have been pretty rough this week! We finally entered the Atlantic Ocean on this Atlantic Exploration voyage! Prior to Ireland, the ship had only traveled through inlets. I guess reaching a large ocean means rougher seas. It is quite comical watching people walk around on the ship. You see them walking one direction and then sliding over to the other side of the ship. To an onlooker, it may seem like we are all intoxicated or something. Today, I went in my room to drop my stuff off and the force of the ship rock was so strong I fell face down on my bed! My roommate thought I did it on purpose. Haha! A lot of the time I feel like I am hiking up a steep incline.

            Because of the rocking this week, I had my first real case of seasickness. :( It was definitely rough, but part of the experience, if nothing else. We have also gone through a storm, which doesn't help much. Today the waves continued to rise and they had to bolt the portholes on Deck 2 shut. When I look out my window the waves have climbed up really close to my window! It is crazy! Now, for some good news! I saw some dolphins and some whales! This has been the first major spotting of the voyage. It is quite an experience because classes will stop as everyone rushes to the windows to see. During the lifeboat drill it was hard to be silent when you could see the fins peeking above water in the distance. It made me smile! :) Thank goodness for serendipity!

We have several spirit days coming up! I am super excited for them. The first one happened this week, which was SAS Sea spirit day. I wore bright green for the Bering Sea. The next spirit day is twin day! I plan to coordinate with Laura since we have several matching clothing items. We joke that we are each other's counterparts. That will be fun! Other spirit days include crazy hair day, SAS spirit day, Super Hero Day, PJ day, Halloween costume day and the infamous Sea Olympics!! It should be fun! :)

            Over the weekend, I spent time in Ireland with my cousin and his family in Banbridge, which is a small village about 1 hour and 30 minutes outside of Dublin. I am so grateful for their hospitality and kindness. Jack and his family are the reason I had such a unique and special experience in Ireland. Big thanks to them!! :) Anyway, I had such a great time in Ireland! I really got a scenic experience, which was perfectly in line with my goal to see beautiful things on this adventure. Now, for my five experiences, which highlight how amazing Ireland is.

1) Giant's Causeway

            I was so excited to finally see this natural phenomenon I had heard so much about! It did not disappoint. I had a great time there. I had the luck of the Irish in regards to weather. It was such a beautiful clear day, perfect for photos! The audio guide really enhanced the experience because it integrated facts about the formation of the hexagonal rocks and legends about the Giant. One of my favorite landmarks within the causeway was the rock that looked like a camel sitting down. It even has a face! I also really liked the Giant's Boot. I was surprised by how interesting all of the rocks were. I had no idea that they would look like hexagons but thought it was cool how they intertwined to form a perception of an uneven honeycomb. The tide was also out so I got to see some small tide pools with different varieties of seaweed. Jack's daughters, Caoihme (pronounced Keeva) and Aoibheann (pronounced Eveen) really loved climbing on all the rocks. I climbed to the top of one of the mounds and took a moment to admire the view, and feel the ocean spray on my face. I also got to sample some more wild blackberries (I originally had some randomly near some old Celtic ruins, but that is another story) and they were very sweet. It definitely challenged my idea of a blackberry. The ones in the US are much tarter and also a lot larger than the ones in Ireland. I think that visiting the Causeway was good for me because it reminded me that the world is full of natural beauty and we should do our very best to preserve and protect it. It gave me a moment to let go of any stress I had and helped me realize how small humans are in this giant place. I realized that it is important to make a difference in the time that you have, otherwise, life would seem pretty aimless. The best way to go about that, in my opinion, is to help others and to help sustain the beautiful globe we live in. Ireland really is a beautiful place. The audio guide gave me a taste of the fun tradition of story telling. The area around the causeway was so green! There were many different shades of green, as well. The ocean water showcased blues and greens, depending on where the light hit. I really loved it there, and would recommend it to anyone looking for something interesting and scenic.

2) Belfast

            I had a great time in Belfast as well! The first cool experience I had was enjoying a traditional Ulster Fry for breakfast. It included sausage, bacon, a fried egg, a fried tomato, soda farl and potato farl. The bacon was very different than the US version. It was thicker and had less fat on it. The bacon in Ireland most closely resembled ham. It was delicious! Soda farl is basically fried soda bread. It tastes like a crouton with an oily aftertaste. I really enjoyed it, but decided that it is definitely a once in a while reat, since it isn't very healthy. I liked the potato farl the best. It looked like fried pita bread from the outside. When you bite into it you notice the slight floury flavor of the potato. It is also crunchy and has a thick consistency. The Ulster fry is native to Northern Ireland. I did not try black or white pudding. I believe that is more commonly served in the Republic, but I am not positive. I was very full by the end of the meal, but I am happy that Siobhan and Jack encouraged me to try a traditional Irish dish.

            After breakfast we headed out to explore a different area of Belfast. Here I saw a lot of murals, both uplifting and scary. Some of them were very political and threatening. Traveling this area exposed me to the conflict that still exists today. I admit that prior to visiting Ireland I had no concept of the issue except that there was fighting between the Catholics and the Protestants. In reality, it is much more complicated than that. Jack told me that it is less about religion and more about power. Northern Ireland is heavily influenced by England, and when you first enter this area of Belfast you would confuse it for England. The Union Jack is everywhere, and even the curbs are painted in blue, white and red. Some of the cars have the EU flag with the letter E on them. The Northern Irish are usually Protestant, but of course, there are exceptions. The Republic of Ireland contains more Catholic individuals, but, again, there are exceptions. I learned that the conflict is the worst in poorer classes of the nation and that the upper and middle classes are more integrated in regards to religion. You could tell by looking around that it wasn't the best area of town.

            One of the most moving things for me was seeing the Peace Wall. It was like seeing a modern Berlin Wall, if the two can be compared. This wall stretched throughout Belfast to discourage acts of terrorism and to promote peace. There is a no man zone in between the gates to prevent individuals from throwing things like bombs to the other side of the wall. I guess this was the most surprising thing I found in Ireland. Jack and Siobhan made sure to stress that most of Ireland was not represented by this small area of Belfast, so I want to make that clear for all of you. I had asked Jack about the conflict, so they both thought it would be a good idea to show me. I learned a lot. If anything, I realized that conflicts are not simple most of the time. My initial sort of ethnocentric question was why they couldn't just get along and be Ireland, because Northern Ireland is a part of Ireland. This was naive of me. This conflict is far reaching and is more complicated than I could have imagined. My new hope is for better times and for less terrorism and feelings of hate in the future. I know I only have a minimal understanding of Irish history, and I hope to return someday to get a mural tour. I am so glad I had this experience. It really showed me there is more to Ireland than beautiful scenery and delicious food and beer.

3) The Guinness Storehouse

            I could not visit Ireland without having a proper pint! Thank goodness Jack works for Diageo, a drink manufacturer of Guinness, Bailey's, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker, just to name a few. It meant free admission to the Storehouse, a complimentary pint and an employee discount at the store. Jack gave me a fantastic tour and told me all about the beer making process. He works in microbiology, so I really got a unique perspective. Much better than an audio guide!! I also received a very exclusive tour, which I greatly appreciated! He told me all about the barley, the hops, the mixing, the packaging, the shipping and so much more.

We spent about two hours in the Guinness Storehouse because it was so big! There were 8 levels, and lots of things to see and learn about. They had an entire level dedicated to advertising. It was fun to see how the campaigns had changed over time. I even got to take a photo inside one of their advertisements! They also had several restaurants. Jack and I got to experience the tasting room, which was a fun addition to the experience. You got to smell various aromas and guess which ingredient it was like the malt or the hops. Then we learned how to "properly" taste a Guinness. It was mostly for show, but still a lot of fun. Who doesn't love free beer?

Our amazing time ended in a trip up to the top floor of the Storehouse. We got to enjoy a lovely complementary pint in the Gravity bar, which has glass windows for walls and overlooks Dublin. Since it was a clear day, the view was picturesque! The storehouse was also very crowded and Jack mentioned it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland. It was fun to see some SASers and the ship's doctor enjoying some pints. I sure loved mine! I made sure to wait until the beer had settled to avoid being labeled as a 'noob.'

I also had time to look around the store, which had tons of Guinness gear. It was hard to choose what to get but I did settle on a magnet :) All in all, it was one of the highlights of my time in Ireland. It gave me a chance to learn about this iconic beer and also the chance to catch up with Jack, since I hadn't seen him in several years. You haven't really had Guinness until you have been to Ireland!! :)

4) Newgrange

            I had the opportunity to see ancient as well as modern history in Ireland. Visiting Newgrange was a nice compliment to my experience in Belfast. Again, the weather turned out to be perfect! We arrived at Newgrange after spending a good part of the morning driving through the countryside and making a stop in Monasterboice (another story for another time). It was around lunchtime, so we sat in a picnic area and enjoyed a delicious meal. I think one of the best parts of visiting Newgrange was getting to know the girls better. The first night I was only able to say hello before they went to bed. Spending the whole Saturday with them really gave me a chance to talk with them and spend time with them. They are so well behaved! Anyway, after lunch we went to go on a tour but had to wait since other tours were full. In the meantime, we walked around the museum and looked around the gift shop. When it was time for our tour we hopped on the bus. It was really an amazing day, weather-wise. The sky was bright blue, which allowed the Irish green countryside to pop out. There were a lot of cows and sheep. One of my favorite things about the scenery was seeing the small white dots of sheep against the bright green pasture. It was adorable.

            Once we got to the passage grave we received a short tour where the guide talked about the history and about the unanswered questions that still remain. It is unclear what the passage grave was really used for. One cool part of the tour was entering Newgrange and witnessing a demonstration of the ray of light that would have appeared during Winter Solstice. This signified the New Year, and called for a celebration. The ray of light only appeared for about 15 minutes, and then the people were greeted by darkness. It was pretty dark in there without light! I really liked seeing all of the intricate stone carvings. Our tour guide stressed the fact that these ancestors were not dimwitted, but rather, very intelligent engineers. They had to be in order to layer the stones on the ceiling to form the mound.

            I had a great time at Newgrange and the scenery was something I will never forget. :)

5) Castles

            Last but not least, I loved seeing the castles in Ireland. By the end of my visit, I had seen three different castles, each very unique. The first castle was in Carlingford. It was under construction so we couldn't go inside it, but I thought it had a lot of character. It was located near the ocean on a cliff. I was surprised to see flowers growing out of the stones. It was an unexpected and serendipitous beauty. It gave the castle a lot of character. Also, it was around sunset and I got some amazing photos of the area. If you look on Facebook, my cover photo is from an area right next to the castle. The tide was out, so there was a large stretch of wet mud and sand. Some small boats were stuck and would not float again until the tide rolled in. The wet sand created a perfect opportunity for reflection of the sky. As you can see from the photos, it was amazing! The blues and pinks of the setting sun highlighted the shadows and the green scenery in the background. In the case of the Carlingford castle, it had the best surrounding scenery.

            The second castle I saw was Dunlace castle, which was very close to Giant's Causeway. This castle was more intact than the other one and also had stunning views. We spent a good amount of time there, and I got to learn more about the castle itself. I even got to see a couple of the ovens! My favorite area of the castle was one of the towers. When you looked behind it, you saw green rolling hills with cows. When you looked in front you saw the blue-green ocean and black rocks. In the distance you could make out Scotland. I like to compare it to the view I have in Ventura of the Anacapa Islands. The distance was very similar. The lighting was perfect for photos. This castle was the most fun of the three and also had beautiful scenic views. I was surprised to see the infamous hexagonal stones incorporated into the castle walls. Clearly, they were borrowed from the Causeway! The girls loved this castle and enjoyed going on the treasure hunt and exploring. Jack, Siobhan and I enjoyed listening to the history and various rooms via the audio guide.

            The final castle was Malahide Castle. I saw this castle right before returning to the ship. It was the only complete castle I saw and I quickly learned that the government took possession of it in 1977. They are still working on refurbishing the other areas. The tour took us through one level of the castle. My favorite room was probably the one with dark wood paneling. It had a lot of character and intricate carvings that depicted religious scenes. Another fun item in the castle was the couch in the social room. On the sides of the couch were two small seats for the chaperones. If there was a single lady present, a male would approach and ask the chaperone if he could sit with and converse with the lady. Once he got the approval of the lady and of the chaperones he was allowed to sit next to her. The chaperones continuously monitored the conversation and reported back to the elders, commenting on the smartness of the match. I thought it was fun! The grounds around Malahide were also beautiful. It was like a giant park, with tons of trees and grass areas. Jack and I shared some strawberries on the lawn before the tour. This was a treat because I have never seen berries in the dining hall. After touring the castle, we spent some time looking at the garden before heading home.

            As I have mentioned in previous posts, there is a lot more to a port than what I write about. In any given port I have tons of experiences that I am unable to mention in these blog posts. When I return I can tell you more about some of the small things I saw and did. It is hard enough to narrow it down to five, and there is so much I didn't mention. Suffice it to say, I had a really fantastic and cultural experience in Ireland. :) I have amazing family too! Thank you to my cousins for sharing with me and opening their home to me. I plan to return someday to see even more.

            Tomorrow we arrive in Portugal! I am looking forward to a still ship for a couple days! It is supposed to rain in Portugal, but I will cross my fingers. Tomorrow I will be taking a cooking class and then going to a Fado and Folklore show in the evening. I am so excited for both. In cultural pre-port, the music teacher showed us some examples of Fado, and I am looking forward to hearing it in person. On Saturday I am visiting Sintra and Pena National Park, which should also be a ton of fun! Then we have a day of transit before arriving in Cadiz. In Cadiz I will be traveling to Seville to see some monuments. Unfortunately, the Flamenco dance lesson got canceled, so now I have a free day in Spain. I am sure there is plenty to do and I am looking at it as a chance to experience serendipity. I will write again soon. Sending hugs! Adeus!

-Jessica

P.S. Photos are in the next post! :)