Updates

Hey Everyone-
Sorry that there haven't been any new posts lately. I just thought I would post a quick one to let you all know what has been going on in the last two weeks. Unfortunately when I came home last Sunday I found that my house had been broken into and a lot of stuff had been stolen.
Since I no longer have my computer, I just wanted to explain why I may not be posting as frequently in the future. I am also sorry to say that there probably will not be any pictures up for quite a while. This has definitely been a very scary experience but I am very thankful that no one was home when they broke in.

On a brighter note, I took a trip to England this past weekend and visited some friends of mine who are studying in Norwich. It was really nice to see friends from home and I had a lot of fun riding the train and seeing a few places in England.

This coming weekend I am planning on going up to Belfast! It should be a lot of fun and I am really excited to see the murals and explore some of the history of Belfast.

Knitting Project # 2

This week I finished that hat I've been working on! I went out and bought some special wool before I started and it turned out really well! The yarn is really soft and such a pretty color!

The class officially ends next week but I've had a lot of fun so I decided to sign up for the next round of classes as well. The weather has officially started changing this week. The last few days have been pretty cold! It probably won't be too much fun walking home from knitting class on those cold, rainy winter nights, but hopefully it will be worth it and I'll have lots of new knitted garments to keep me warm!

"Kicking the Wall"

In Galway, there is a long promenade that runs alongside the beach. On nice days, people will walk along the promenade until it dead-ends at a wall, then they supposedly "kick" the wall, turn around, and walk back. They call this whole activity, "kicking the wall."

When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining so brightly through my window that I decided it was a good day to take a break fron studying and go out and kick the wall. It was a perfect day for a walk by the beach and everyone was out with their friends, families, and dogs. I didn't see anyone actually kicking any walls (though there were plenty available) but I did see some crazy people swimming in the freezing bay! I'm starting to realize that nice days are a pretty rare commodity around here so I'm glad that I got out to enjoy one before they run out.

Oyster Festival

This past weekend the oyster festival was held in Galway. There were lots of fun street performers, parades, and various other events going on in the city centre. In the spirit of the festival, I decided it was necessary to try oysters for the first time. To say the least, I found them quite unpleasant!

The pictures I've posted are of a very strange parade that was going through town, a ship on display at the docks that was once used in a Marlon Brando film, and, of course, my horrified reaction to the oysters.

Aran Islands

On Friday I headed out to one of the Aran Islands. There are three islands total, but I went to the biggest and most populated one, Inis Mór. The island is about 9 miles long and 2 miles wide. In order to get around the island, you can choose between a minibus tour, renting bikes, or a traditional horse-drawn carriage. I went with a friend and we decided to get bikes and explore the island without a tour guide. The scenery on the island is so beautiful. There are amazing coastal views as well as incredible rural sights. The island has tons of hand-piled stone fences that are held together by nothing but have somehow still managed to stay intact after many years and lots of harsh weather.

One of the main attractions on the island is the ancient aran fort, Dun Aonghasa (pronounced dun angus). It's a large stone fort ruin on the top of a huge cliff. On top of the cliff, there were some amazing views of the island's coast. The islands are also really well known for their aran knit sweaters. There are a lot of little sweater and craft shops set up across the island which are pretty touristy but still fun to see. We picked a really good day to go because it wasn't raining and at times it was almost sunny. We've had a few really nice weeks without rain, but I'm pretty sure that is coming to an end so I'm glad I've been able to fit in a few outdoor trips before the weather interferes.

My first *successful* knitting project

My actual first knitting project was kind of a bust. It was supposed to be a cute little bag, but instead it turned out to be a misshapen rectangle. Luckily, my second project turned out much better. It is a headband made with a basketweave pattern and a cute little flower which I am told will keep my ears warm during the frigid Galway winters. Next project: a hat!

The Burren

So far, I have found that the Irish tend to be huge under-exaggeraters. When they say that something is just a 10 minute walk away, they actually mean 30 minutes. When they say that class begins at 10:00, they actually mean 10:15. The list goes on, but you get the picture. So last Sunday when I went on what I was told would be a "nice hike around the Burren," I should not have been surprised that they actually meant we would be hiking 11 km (about 7 miles) and climbing up to 300 meters (about 1000 feet).
While the hike was definitely a challenge, it was well worth it. We saw some amazing views and the Burren itself is a geographical area unlike anything I have ever seen before. The hills that comprise the Burren do not consist of much earth or trees but are instead covered in many layers of broken limestone. Since many of the thin sheets of rock have come loose, you definitely have to focus very hard on exactly where you are stepping. The parts of the Burren that are not rocky are big grassy fields that for some reason or other, have big holes in the dirt covered by a thin layer of grass--something else you have to watch out for when walking. Because of the unstable footing, I spent most of my time staring at the ground in front of me as I walked. When I did look up, however, there were some amazing sights of the Bay and the Irish countryside. The pictures I took really don't do the scenery justice but you can kind of get an idea of what I was looking at.