Caio Italia!

Hello Ireland.
I'm back in dublin where it's easy to pay for things and find my way around, yet the food just isnt as good and the people are not as attractive (no offense ireland!). Of course the trip was good. I have to say it was very different from other trips i've taken.

I spent the first three days on my own, it was a bit lonely, but allowed some quality thinking time. Rimini is suppose to be one of the liveliest cities on the Adriatic coast. But because i was there on a wednesday through thursday not much was going on. I spent a lot of time on the beach, but got so burnt that i couldn't really go back. So then i thoroughly walked around the quiet city which took only about a half an hour. The majority of the remaining two days i passed time reading and drinking corona's in the garden at the hostel. Friday nite i headed out with two swedish girls (super nice girls), but headed in early because i had to catch my train early the next morning.

The Tiberius Bridge in Rimini, began under the Emperor Augustus in 14 and was completed under Tiberius in 21.

Saturday morning I headed to Faenza. I found the hotel that sarah was staying at really easy but she has left a note at the front desk to let them sleep a bit, so i grabbed a coffee and read more of my book. It was so great to see sarah, I haven't seen her since January and I haven't spent quality time with her in a very long time. The wedding was at three so we got ready and headed to the church. It was a smallish wedding at the very small, oldest church in Faenza. Now, all i know of italian catholic weddings is that the entire thing is read from a booklet and there's a lot of standing up, sitting down, kneeling and singing. After the wedding we headed to the reception at a vineyard a little outside the city. The food was amazing and the wine even better (as expected). After the reception finished, we headed back into town and joined the towns people in the pre-palio, (a jousting tournament between the town's five districts) festivities.


Sunday we walked around the town a bit and then headed over to the stadium with everyone else in town to watch the Palio. It was pretty fun, but at time more fun to watch each district yell and shout at the other districts and in some cases throw water balloons. After the match was over we headed out for a bit to eat and then sarah and i stayed out assuming there'd be some sort of victory party. We ended up crashing the winner's party but it was quite boring so we went and sat in the piazza for a while. Around 1:30am, the piazza was dead, but just as we were about to give up on any further festivities and head home, we heard drums and along trots the winning district with their pennants flying high. We sat around for an hour or so more and watched them celebrate.

Piazza del Popolo

This morning I had to get up early and head home. The travel home went very smoothly, I only wish I didn't have to do so much sitting around at airports I could have had some more quality visiting time. I need to get working on that teleportation devise.

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To feel the sun on my back

Isnt it great lying in the italian sun? its only great until you wake up the next day and realize youre a lobster! I can barely move. And that was with sunscreen on. As italy will have it, i was suppose to head to Faenza today to meet up with sarah but guess what? Train Strike! No trains are running for 24 hours. Not only that but sarah missed her flight in Frankfurt (curse you again frankfurt!). So I hope to see her tomorrow. Off to put some more burn cream on.

Rain, rain, go away...

The weather here is crazy! Everyone is freaking out because normally June and July are very nice in Dublin. However, there's flooding all over the country and the rain is not stopping. It's predicted to rain for the next month solid!

I think I'll go to Italy and lay on a beach all day! Rimini and Faenza here I come!!! Be back on Monday.

The end of an era.

Sad day.

Brú na Bóinne!

Wow, what a great weekend!

Guess I'll start with friday. After work, it was so nice out I couldn't bare to go home so I walked up to stephen's green park and walked around then popped in topshop where i found two great shirts and ran into Martina (imagine that). We went and grabbed a quick bite to eat and then I met up with Kieran (my flatmate) and his friend Tom at Trinity College for a few cans on the grass. Headed home just after nine.

Saturday, I woke up early and hit the bus station for a trip out to Newgrange. I usually don't like tour bus' but it is one of the only ways to get out to Newgrange if you don't have a car. So at 10am I climbed on the bus with all the other tourists. On our way we stopped by Mainistir Bhuithe, an early christian settlement. Now mainly a graveyard with a remaining round tower. Then back on the bus and off to Mellifont Abby, dating back to 1142! We had about an hour tour and then back on the bus again.

Celtic Cross

Cup o flowers

Mellifont Abby

Next stop our main attraction, Newgrange. Let me also point out that it was HOT outside, well into the 70s and clear blue skies, therefore, the airconditioned bus was actually quite enjoyable. When we reached newgrange we had an hour break for lunch and then waited out turns to catch a minibus out to the site. It was pretty amazing, it was constructed 500 years before the pyrimids! Of course no one is quite sure what it was used for but, it aligns with the sun for the winter solstice. They've built in a similation of the solstice while you're inside. It's pitch black and then slowly a pencil thin light begins to creep in and illuminiates stones with spirals carved on them. Pretty cool indeed! We remained at newgrange for an hour or so, then back to the bus for the ride home.

Newgrange

I was walking up the path to head back to the bus, and who comes trotting down the path towards me? Kieran and Tom! Crazy coincedince. They were out for a drive, saw signs, and decided to check it out. I got my stuff from the bus and told the driver I wouldnt be continuing home with them, which was fine, he was a super nice guy and a great guide. Unfortunatly the boys had arrived too late for the last tour out to newgrange but we were able to book the next one out to Knowth.

Knowth

Around 5:30, tired, and sunburned we headed back to dublin, stopping at an overpriced golf pub on the way for some grub and watch a little Back to the Future.

Long day huh? Well it wasnt over yet. Got home cleaned up and then met up with Martina and Aishling for a nite on the town. We were all in great form, full of laughs and beers. We ended the nite shaking our booties at Whelans pub.

Again today the sun was out. I absolutly love dubin in the summer, as do the dubliners. Everyone just gathers in the parks to lounge all day. I grabbed my book and headed down to stephen's green for some reading. I was dreading having to go find a dress to wear to Erick's wedding, but I completely lucked out and bought the first dress I tried on in the first shop i went (i swear by this shop, it works everytime). Then I met up with Aishling for some sushi! And now I'm home.

Great weekend!

As always see my Picasa Page for more photos

I pomised my mom I wouldn't do anything crazy

So I cut my hair. Bangs!

Blog theft!

For your viewing pleasure, meow.

Short Trips

This weekend was (still is) a bank holiday weekend! Aishling and I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and head over to Galway. Galway is only a three hour train ride from Dublin, it's one if Irelands largest cities. It's most known for the Claddagh Ring. Over all it was a cute little city, we were only there for one nite but walked circles around the city center several times. We lucked out with the weather, Saturday it drizzled off and on. Sunday when we headed out to Salthill, the beach, the weather was gorgeous. Here are some of the highlights.


Galway Cathedral


Claddagh


Salthill coastline


All smiles at the Bierhaus, drinking a nice blonde ale.