My last day in Ireland...

I know. I am super delayed... I haven't blogged in a while. So here's making up for lost time.

So my last day in Ireland- Monday April 26, 2010, I woke up around 7am... was out the door by 8am. I had the car until 5pm and my cousin was off to work. I decided to take another mini road trip up to County Kerry (see purple line on map above). So glad I did. The main town is Kilarney where I got out of the car, asked the tourism office what I should do with 5 hours in the area. The gentleman was very nice, and he gave me a list. He first suggested I walk around the National Park... on my way there......

a bird pooped on me. Is this good luck? Or is it only good luck if they poop on your head?! Either way... what a great way to start the day.

First stop... the National Park...such a beautiful little walk.

walked around the lake...

And made my way to the waterfall... stunning!

After the walk, I decided to take more of a scenic route back to Cork... stunning rolling hills, cute little towns, beautiful scenery.

I was told from my uncle that I had to go to Skibereen...a very cute town.

I made it back to Cork in time to return the car, caught my flight, and went to London for 2 nights to pick up my stuff and make my way to Paris.

It worked...

Thank you for your responses!

I am sorry I have been so delayed on the posts... I've been super busy trying to find a home here in Paris. I will update everyone when I have news... all I can tell you now is that it's quite difficult.

Phone- check

Bank account- check

Job--pending

Home--pending

Monday is the big day!!!! Will let everyone know!!!

Feeling a bit frustrated, but it is only day 3...so I must be patient.

I haven't actually enjoyed Paris for what it is yet, other than a crepe with Nutella and Banana...but a couple of girls from the hostel and I are going to go out for a Parisian dinner tomorrow night! How exciting! Then maybe some dancing too!

Anyways, thank you again for your comments, keep them coming :)

Hope everyone is well!

yes... I'm talking to *YOU*

I want to first say a special ~*~*~thank you~*~*~ to those who have commented on my blog or emailed me their comments.

Now...to the rest of you:

I appreciate comments more than you can imagine. Whether it's just a "I'm enjoying your blog" or "What a great picture" ... it's as easy as that. I know you are content because you are reading everything I'm doing, so you may have this feeling as though you're keeping in touch because you're aware of what I'm up to...but reciprocation is required.

I don't need to know absolutely every thought that's going through your head, but I really do like knowing who is reading this.

So whether it's a direct comment on the blog post, a message on facebook, or an email.... I'd appreciate it :)

I do hope everyone is enjoying it so far... it's my first time blogging, and I know I am enjoying telling you my stories so you can live vicariously through my adventures!

My cousin asked me the other day if I feel lonely when travelling alone. I told him I don't because I have my camera. It is as if I'm travelling with all of you through my pictures and videos...we're just experiencing them at different times.

So... get typing!

When in Rome...

do as the Romans do. When in Ireland, do what as the tourists do... kiss The Blarney Stone. Despite how unhygienic this is... I did it! hahahaha...look at this line I got off wiki: "Tripadvisor.com recently ranked the Blarney Stone as the most unhygienic tourist attraction in the world."

I love Rick Steeve's (the travel writer) write up on this tourist activity:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/ireland/soireland.htm

Blarney Stone and Castle — The 15th-century Blarney Castle is five miles northwest of Cork (the major city of southern Ireland). The town of Blarney is of no importance and the castle is an empty hulk (with no attempt made to make it meaningful or interesting). It's only famous as the place of tourist pilgrimage where busloads line up to kiss a stone on its top rampart and get "the gift of gab." The stone's origin is shrouded in myth (it was either brought back from the Holy Land by crusaders, or perhaps was part of Scotland's royal Stone of Scone).

The best thing about this lame sight is the opportunity to watch a cranky man lower lemming tourists over the edge belly up and head back to kiss the stone while his partner snaps a photo — which will be waiting for you for purchase back at the parking lot. After a day of tour groups mindlessly climbing up here to perform this ritual, the stone is literally slathered with spit and lipstick.

The tradition goes back to the late 16th century, when Queen Elizabeth I was trying to plant loyal English settlers in Ireland to tighten her grip on the rebellious island. She demanded that the Irish clan chiefs recognize the crown, rather than the clan chiefs, as the legitimate titleholder of all lands. One of those chiefs was Cormac MacCarthy, Lord of Blarney Castle (who was supposedly loyal to the queen). He was smart enough never to disagree with the Queen — instead, he would cleverly avoid acquiescing to her demands by sending a never-ending stream of lengthy and deceptive excuses, disguised with liberal doses of flattery (while subtly maintaining his native Gaelic loyalties). In her frustration, the Queen declared his endless words nothing but "blarney." Walking back, you'll cross a stream littered with American pennies — as if the good-luck fairy can change them into euros.

On my last visit to Blarney Castle, heading back to the tour-bus parking place, a woman behind me asked her friend, "What is the Blarney Stone anyway?" Her friend said, "It's what you kiss when you come to Ireland."

More history on the stone, the ritual, etc can be found on wiki. I highly recommend reading up on it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Stone

The guy did say that they clean it every 1/2 hour...but I doubt it! haha

Here I go!!!

Check out who gave it a kiss with me!!! Vasco and Nunez!!!

This is the Blarney House which is beautiful... unfortunately they're closed on Sundays, so we didn't get a tour, but it was stunning and so were its gardens. I highly recommend a walk around the beautiful gardens.

Just outside the Gardens of the Blarney House...look what I found!!!!! A 4 leaf clover!!!!! YAYYYYYY... we took a rest after a nice walk around the gardens, I took a rest on the grass and started a wee search. Not even five seconds after my cousin says, "Well Farida, it looks like the laws of nature are against you today..." WABAM... I find my 4 leaf clover!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!
If I ever find the time... I'm going to paint this one. Stunning hills just outside of Blarney.

Symbolism

Every Saturday at 3pm my family and I have been having tea at my grandparents house since before I was born. It is a family tradition that my immediate family, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents attend... and we are always open to having visitors.

There are a few symbols at this tradition that really stand out and having been abroad, I have noticed the same patterns.

1- The round table

Circular shape of the table: Medieval tables usually were rectangular, sometimes square, but rarely round. This unusual feature of the Round Table invites symbolic interpretation. Some or all of the symbolic interpretations of the table's circularity can be viewed either in bono (pointing to a positive value) or in malo (pointing to a negative value).

Round Table as symbol of the equality of Arthur's knights. Rectangular tables were used at feasts, and the seating assignments normally reflected the feudal hierarchy. In a royal court, the king and queen and a select group of nobles were seated at a "high table" on a dais, while the other participants were seated at one or more rectangular tables in the hall. Those of higher rank were seated closer to the dais; those of lower rank would be seated further away. The Christmas feast at the beginning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight uses this conventional seating arrangement. The Round Table, in contrast, seems to subvert the feudal hierarchy with its claims of equality among the knights.

In bono we can imagine a fellowship of knights bonded as equals under the code of chivalry. But the explicit statements of this theme present in in malo, as a negative detail. Wace, in his Brut, writes that Arthur ordered the Round Table to be built in order to resolve a conflict among his knights concerning who should have precedence. This theme is elaborated by Layamon in his Brut: he writes that during a Christmas feast at Carduel in Wales, a quarrel broke out among the knights as to who had precedence, and Arthur ordered Merlin to fashion the Round Table in order to resolve the conflict. The Round Table thus becomes a symbol of pride and contentiousness rather than of equality.

Round Table as a symbol of the world: In the 13th-century Queste del Saint Graal, Malory's source for his "Sankgreall," another interpretation of the symbolism is given. An anchoress tells Perceval: "You are well aware that the world has seen three great tables. The first was the Table of Jesus Christ, where the apostles often ate. . . . After that table there was another built like it and in remembrance of it. That was the table of the Holy Grail. . . After that table there was the Round Table build by Merlin, which was not established without a high spiritual meaning. That it is called 'the Round Table' suggests the roundness of the earth, the spheres of the planets, and the elements of the firmament. . . so that one can justly say that the Round Table means the world.

This is just it...equality. Everyone sits around the table, we're all facing each other, it is a form of acceptance, equality, and coming together. Even if it is for just a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon. And some family members might disagree; that there isn't equality because someone always has to have the microphone, voices rise, fists thump the table at once and 5-4-3-2-1 countdowns are made in order to bring certain pointless conversations to an end. We are restricted to 2-3 hours only, everyone wants to put in their share/opinion. Conversations generally include and are not limited to politics, international news, Hollywood news, hockey if the men get a chance to speak (which is rare being a matriarchal family), personal updates, weekly agendas, etc.

2- A pot of tea...not a cup of tea, a pot of tea.

Hahahaha... this is the worlds smallest teapot, I just thought it was so cute, so I thought i'd post it.

Anyways, there's something to be said about a teapot. We always have two going at once, because there are so many of us, while one is being used, the other one is in preparation or is steeping, this way we have a constant flow of tea. Our teapots usually pour about 6 cups each, and we don't just drink them out of mugs with "Hey ya old fart, happy 21st birthday" on them, we drink them out of proper tea cups with proper saucers... but we're not that anal, they don't always have to match.

In Kinsale, when we visited my cousin's family friends/former neighbours in Zimbabwe, they welcomed us into their home and served us a cup of tea, poured out of a tea pot and enjoyed around a round table. We were then invited to stay for dinner, as were others that came in, and the house exploded into a long conversation(s)/debate(s) about Irish politics. Some things are universal.

Anyways, the reason why I'm posting this is because I'd like to recognize the social benefits of sitting around a round table and sharing a cup of tea with family or friends. We do this every Saturday back home, just as a way to connect/regroup every week. I suggest setting this up with your family and/or friends too.

Happy Steeping!!!!

It rained in Kinsale

BUT...that's okay! Because it was the only rainy day I experienced in Ireland in the last 2 weeks... so I can have one.

Kinsale is a beautiful small town about 20 minutes south west of Cork. My cousin and I went there to visit a family friend of his, eat at Fishy Fishy and to see Charles Fort. I'm sure it would have been much more beautiful on a sunny day, but like I said, I really can't complain.

Kinsale (Irish: Cionn tSáile) is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and when the boating fraternity arrive in large numbers.

Cute little town...
Fishing town...

This is what they call the Car Train in Kinsale... a tourist trap I didn't get caught in, but very cooL!

I was told I had to go here...but couldn't because of time constraints. So this is for you... if you're ever in Kinsale, go here.

Perhaps the best-known historical attraction in Kinsale, Charles Fort, is on the road just beyond Summercove. It is open all year, and regular guided tours are available. Charles Fort is one of the finest surviving examples of a 17th Century star-shaped fort, and much of the construction begun in 1678 remains. The fort has two enormous bastions overlooking the estuary, and three facing inland. Within its walls were all the barracks and ancillary facilities to support the fort's garrison. The fort continued in military use until 1922.

My cousin and I were given a great historical overview regarding the fort... pretty neato!

Charles Fort (Irish: Dún Chathail) is a star fort located on the water's edge, at the southern end of the village of Summer Cove, onKinsale harbour, County Cork, Ireland.^[1] James' Fort is located on the other side of the harbour.

Charles Fort is built on the site of an earlier stronghold known as Ringcurran Castle, which featured prominently during the Siege of Kinsale in 1601. The fort, which is named after Charles II, was designed by the Surveyor-general Sir William Robinson - architect of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.^[2] The fort was built in the 1670s and 1680s to a star fortification design - a layout specifically designed to resist attack by cannon.

The in-land bastions of the fort however are overlooked by higher ground. A fact which was of critical importance when the fort was besieged by the Duke of Marlborough in 1690 during the Williamite War in Ireland.^[3] Repairs were made following the siege,^[4] and the fort remained in use as a British Army barracks for several hundred years afterwards.

An early lighthouse was established here in the 17th century by Robert Reading.^[5]

The fort was relinquished by British forces following the Anglo-Irish Treaty, but it fell out of use after being burned by the retreating anti-Treaty forces during the Irish Civil War in 1922. The complex was named a National Monument of Ireland in 1971^[4] and has been partly restored by Dúchas, the Irish heritage service.

Cuzzo Mikail doing the star formation, the same shape as the fort!
This is a really well known restaurant I was recommended to eat at by numerous people... and it's my cousin's favorite, so we did!

MMMmmmmm..I had John Dory fish with broccoli and citrus sauce. Divine.

My favorite day in Ireland

On Thursday April 22, 2010 I had the best day ever in Ireland. It started out waking up in a hostel room by myself at around 8am. I was on the road for Rossaveal to catch the ferry that goes to the Aran Islands, specifically Inis Mor. (The largest island). See previous post for a map- on the left you can see the 3 Aran Islands. The ferry left around 1030 and I was there by 945 to take my time. I sat up on the top of the ferry to enjoy the view and another girl travelling solo sat next to me. We eventually started talking and how we were both going to hire bikes, so we thought...why don't we ride with each other so we can take one another's pictures. Perfect! A special thank you to Kailey from Montreal for being such great company!

Background of the Aran Islands:

The Aran Islands encompass three thousand years of human history, and one billion years of natural history. Once part of a craggy ridge of limestone that extended from the Burren in County Clare, there is evidence of people living on the islands from as far back as 2300-2000 BC. These early settlers were most likely farmers who came from the Burren and the Irish mainland.

Pirates of the Atlantic..

By Medieval times, the islanders lived in "chiefdoms", the largest example of this is the hillfort at Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór. (The word "Dún" means fort of a king or chieftain). The Aran Island chiefs were powerful and wealthy people who controlled the western sea passages - supposedly keeping the seas free from pirates on behalf of the merchants in Galway in exchange for protection money. But these protectors were apparently not against a bit of pirating themselves!

Pilgrim Fathers

Around the same time (between 800 AD and the early 12th century), there was a frenzy of pilgrim activity in Ireland. The Aran Islands were a very popular pilgrimmage, due to the hardship required to get there in the first place, so suitable penance was endured en route. Each of the three islands have extensive ancient and religious sites worth exploring, including a Bronze Age mound and a "sunken" church on Inis Oírr.

Early Bronze Age

It was on Inis Oírr that some of the earliest evidence of civilisation on the Aran Islands was found. Irish legend holds that the Firbolg were the earliest inhabitants of this island having fled to the island to escape invaders.

Cnoc Raithní, is a burial mound which dates back to approx. 2000 BC. During its excavation, some cremation urns were discovered which probably originated in Scotland, so these settlers were well travelled and had connections from far afield.

Early Medieval

Dún Formna is one of the seven stone forts on the Aran Islands. The name literally means "the fort on top of the hill" and it was the home of Inis Oírr's island chieftain sometime after 400 BC. The oval-shaped stone fort now also contains O'Brien's Tower which was built hundreds of years later.

There are three chapels on Inis Oírr, which date back to the 11th century, when pilgrimages to the Aran Islands were at their height - Cill Gobnait, Teampall Chaomháin (now appears to be sunken in the sand) and Cill na n-Seacht Iníon. The patron saint of the Aran Islands is St. Enda, who founded the first monastery on Inis Mór in the 6th century. St. Enda also has a holy well - Tobair Éinne on Inis Oírr, where it is said that if you see an eel in the water, it will bring you luck!

Medieval

Because the Aran Islands were the key to controlling Galway Bay, they were contested, fortified and garrisoned by various competing powers. During the Medieval period until 1582, the Aran Islands were controlled by a branch of the O'Brien clan from Clare. From as early as the 13th century, there are records of payments of large amounts of wine by Galway city to the O'Briens to keep the shipping routes in the area free from piracy.

O'Brien's Castle on Inis Oírr was probably built in the 14th century, which makes it earlier than the tower houses of the Burren and later than the stone forts of the Aran Islands. The castle was taken from the O'Briens by the O'Flaherty's of Connemara in 1582. It was occupied by them and others until 1652, when the Aran Islands were surrendered to Cromwellian forces. The castle appears to have been partially dismantled at that time in favour of the Arkin Fort on Inis Mór.

Recent History

Another prominent feature on Inis Oírr's landscape is the military signal tower, which was built between 1804 and 1806. This was part of a network of towers built around the Irish coast. They formed a line of communication from Dublin on the east coast to Bantry Bay in the south west and then up along the west coast to Malin Head in the north west.

Behind the Signal Tower are the ruins of the island school that was used from 1889 - 1942. At the end of the l9th century the British government wanted a school to be built on the island. The landlord did not want the children to receive an education and refused to give any land. However a law was passed in London forcing him to donate Iand for a school. In revenge he gave a plot of land on the highest point of the island, forcing the children to make a very long climb every day.

In the 1960s a freight cargo vessel, the Plassey, was shipwrecked during a storm off the coast of the island. All of her crew were saved by the islanders using Breeches Buoy, and a further storm and high winds moved the boat to its current spot, which is above the high tide mark, where it is rusting its way into the landscape. Viewers of the popular Fr. Ted show may also recognise it from the series where it features in the opening credits.

Here I am! On my bike with the squeaky breaks...ready to explore the Island! We arrived at about 11:15, hired the bikes, and off we went.

Normally, the roads were like this one below... paved, quite flat, with the occasional hill.

However, in order to enjoy the beauty of Dun Ouchathair (The Black Fort), we had to hike up a steep gravel road.
But it was worth it!!! look at this view!!!

This was the beautiful terrain up there...stunning!!!

Sooooo scary!!! Lying right on the edge of a massive cliff! Bad @$$!

My attempt at building an inukshuk...

Off we went, through the teeny weeny town... and met the Lucky Star Bar's most valuable customer... Mr. Rooster, waiting for it to open.

So stunning, rolling hills with loads of walls made from rocks stacked on top of each other.

Where we took a break for lunch, in the ruins of an old home... here's me... Just chillin, reading a book in the window...

Cute little houses...

A leprechaun house!!!

Stunning cliffs...

An aerial view borrowed from the internet...

Stunning!

I was too scared to look over the edge... but Vasco is a brave man. Nunez was holding on for dear life

Beautiful view!

One of my two favorite houses I saw on the island!

A neat old home...

Me putting wood on the fire, just like the olden days...

An old house with a straw roof!

This was my wonderful adventure on the island. We finished up around 430 and took the ferry back to the mainland at 5pm. It was a loonnngggg day. After biking for over 4 hours I was exhausted. I went back to the hostel, showered, and went out for dinner by myself. I was told I must go to a restaurant called The Woodquay Cafe which was located above the local pub where a musician I met the night before was going to be playing. So I had a lovely dinner, read my book, people watched those walking in the streets, and come 9:30 went downstairs to watch Mr. Kevin O'Connor play his guitar and sing Irish tunes. He had two other friends come in and join him in the fun. Then two others came down with banjos and flutes, and the next thing I knew, the whole pub joined in, singing on the top of their lungs!!! It was incredible!!!! I didn't want to be rude and sit there and video record it all, but I got a lot of sound recordings on my camera!!! what a wonndeerrrfulllll experience!!!! I was the only foreigner too!!!!

If you're ever in Galway...ask for Mr. Kevin O'Connor and if he's still playing music!