mylifeinireland

Long time no see! :) How is it back home in Sweden? As for me, I'm laying in the hotel bed in Dublin, waiting for the hotel breakfast, ha ha, it just sounded like I'm a rich goddess or something. Either way...I was going to tell you about my day yesterday, I got to see a place I've always dreamed about and I had such a great time, visiting the castle with my well knowing guide Paul.

I had wondered for ages (well, it felt like ages), for that day to be fulfilled, and be another chapter in my book called ”My trip to Ireland”. If you did read the previous entry, you would know I planed to visit Cork. So what's so special about Cork, unlike the other south-western city's in Ireland, you may wonder. Well I'll sure tell you that. A little bit outside this city, we'll call it a village, there's a big castle, called the Blarney Castle. It has a bit of a history, that I already knew, which was surprising for Paul, who was ready to tell my all he knew. I said to him that I've studied and that it is a fun story actually. Once upon a time I began the story, it was a man, called Comerc McCarthy. Paul nodded, and I continued the little story. He built the castle he was going to leave in, and like most ordinary people, he placed a bed in his bedroom. One night when he laid their, he dreamed an odd thing. The first stone he would see in the morning, would make him become an extraordinary speaker. The first thing he did that morning was finding a stone, kiss it, and finally win the law case, where he spoke. Now they say if you kiss the stone, who is in the castle's wall, you will get the same thing as Mr McCarthy, which is the gift of the gab. I finished the story with an overall dramatic end. I was actually very pleasant about the way I told it to him, and I think I saw that Paul was a bit impressed, though he didn't dare to admit... :)

Totally in to a conversation with Paul, I missed the amazing nature we passed with the old shrunk bus. Middle of march, and the tree's had just finished their way from the bare, cold look, to the powerful green. The tree's had a color that matched the grass so well, you almost couldn't see a difference in between them! Although I didn't see so much, I could see a bit, and it really reminded me of Sweden. One hot summer day, driving through the landscape somewhere outside a small town. It was a little bit greener in Ireland, but the landscape was so similar, and it actually fascinated me, in a weird way some people think, but for me it was totally normal for the moment. As we arrived to the Blarney Castle, the environment hit me again. The tree's, the lakes, the heights, and especially the height that The Blarney Castle was standing on. With the big castle on top of it, it turned out huge!

I just stood there leaning my head backwards so much that I almost fell. We began the trip up towards the height. I didn't know where to go or what to do, but Paul showed me the little road to the main door. We paid, very expensive for the little bacillus trade. The guard told us in the door, that the adventure was totally on us, and if something happens, it's not their business. At that moment I got really scared which maybe was a little bit ridiculous because they have good security, but I couldn't control my little mini shaking. We climbed up the ladder, and I had right to think it was tall, we climbed 40 meters (!) to the top. Luckily I didn't look down, because if I did, I would have panicked, for sure! Though the climbing took about 5 minutes, it felt like an eternity for me. When we reached the top a line was building up, but I got a chance to take some photos of the view. It was wonderful day to be out on adventures, the sun was shining like never before. I took a photo and the blue sky compared with the green landscape gave such a strong contrast. As I said before, Sweden had the same nature, but not in so strong colors, so when I looked through my pictures in my camera of a summer day in Sweden a few years ago, it almost looked like I had photo shopped it a little bit brighter. It was really cool actually!

As I was thinking my very very deep thoughts (ha ha) the security guard, said it was our turn. I had let my shaking go a bit, but it was still there. Paul was first. They said to him to lie down on the cold concrete floor. It was three persons that was holding him. One held his left leg, another the right leg and last held under the back. They moved him to the stone, and as soon as he was near, the guard said with a aggressive tone, “Well, what are you waiting?”Paul quickly took the handles that was strongly walled in the stone, and I couldn't help to laugh! My guide didn’t know! He kissed the stone very quickly, but luckily I snapped a photo, I laughed so hard, because he looked like it was so disgusting. I couldn't help to wonder if it tastes anything, or did Paul just have a bit of germophobia? Haha maybe not. :) (If he sees this he'll go crazy). I snapped a photo and it was directly my turn. The same things was repeated with me, but I was quicker then Paul to take a grab of the handles. I kissed the stone, longer then Paul so he could take a really good picture, I want to make a fantastic photo album when I come home. It's a little bit old school, just because I can just have the photos in my computer, but it's cozier with an real album in my opinion!

When I was set and ready to go, we climbed down the ladder, and this time without panicking! But something in me must have still been shaking because the moment my foot touched the ground, I felt kind of a release. Weird, isn't it?:) Me and Paul walked down to the park near Blarney Castle where it is small rivers and big bold trees, it was sooo beautiful.

Can you see the Balrney Castle in the background?

As my release to be on the ground again, Paul "released" something as well. He said that he had a surprise, and when someone says surprise, I just can't keep it together. "What is it? What is it? What is the surprise?!". It almost felt like he would propose to me, believe me, THAT'S how beautiful it was, you can't even imagine if you haven't been there, I promise! We walked a bit til' we came to a wooden bench. When I saw what was on it I got really happily surprised. It was...

A bottle of Guinness, Ireland's most famous beer! We sat down on the bench and drank our beers, the only thing you could see was the small rivers shimmering and the only thing you could hear was the birds singing their lovely songs in the sky. WOW, it's a beautiful day! I directly got this song on my mind, it suited just like a perfect glove on my hand.

Makes me long for summer even more!

As we sat their with our beers in our hands, I wondered how different Irish people and Sweden's people are. In Ireland you can go and take a beer after a long day of hard work on a pub. In Sweden, it's more like taking a beer on Saturdays with someone you know, it's not even open on "ordinary work" days. :) It's just different ways to hang with you buddies, friends or workmates. In Sweden, we go to a cafe after work to take a coffee, chill and talk. It's more like a cozier way to hang out, unlike in Ireland, where they take a beer, chill, laugh and make jokes. Even if it's different ways to "hang" or talk, it have similarities. We both like to just spend the time so we have a nice time together with someone you know. :')

Oh, finally, I'm exhausted of all this writing! The breakfast is here, gotta go everybody and I really hope you stay here to continue reading my adventures in Ireland, it would be great. :)

SEE U SOON!

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Sources:

- en.wikipedia.org

- Gleerups HAPPY Textbook No. 1

Beautiful photos belongs to:

- milky.way @ flickr.com

- ceasol @ flickr.com

That's right, Happy St Patrick's Day everyone! Some would say it's to late to say it, but in my opinion it is just better late then never. :) I hope you enjoyed the holiday, because sure I did. I'm going to tell you a little more about it, but first... My flight! Well, there's not really that much to tell, but it was not like ordinary flights, that I can tell. I guess some people didn't know it was St Patrick's day that day, they didn't wear anything green! At first, I was very surprised, but of course, some people just don't want to wear it, or they don't have something green at home. In my closet I actually didn't find anything green and I got a mini panic attack. Silly me, right?;) Luckily I found an ordinary deep green t-shirt in my sisters closet. Green is not my colour, but hey, I didn't want to be pinched. I was surprised how it worked with a pair of jeans, perfectly! Anyway, I got into the plane, found my seat, and the moment I was going to sit down I noticed something really weird. When I was going to check in I just saw ordinary people who didn't wear green simply things, circulating with my thoughts if it had to do something that most of the Irish people is catholic and Swedes is protestant. I guess not, some people is, but that so many people is conservative is hard to believe, just because St Patrick's Day is a part of the Irish culture to. I was so absorbed by my thoughts, that I didn't saw the whole costumed people! Head to toe, all green.


The hats looked just like the hats abowe!
While their hats, shaped like big massive shamrocks, where sticking out behind the front row seats they replayed a song, at least 10 times during the flight. And the odd thing was, nobody was reacting. Everybody just sat on their seats and were liking it. It would be wrong to tell you guys that I didn't enjoy it. I liked the song really much actually, specially when they sang “ Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da, wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o, it's whiskey in the jar!”

The song is very cozy isn't it? Love the accent!

Either way, I was surprised by the Irish people. Yes, I been very surprised before, almost with everything that has to do with Ireland and my trip over here. I guess I didn't believe that Irish people is good raised and cheerful in their way to hang with people they know, or correctly, people they don't know! :)) In Sweden it's a totally different environment, we are more shy, unlike they are! Yes, my hole festival was like that, and that made me totally in love with it. I decided it would be a good idea to have a personal guide, so I booked one (although it was VERY hard, I found one). As we arrived to the centre of Dublin, we was told to wait a hour. Luckily my guide, Paul, told me it was plenty of other things to do on St Patrick's Day. He started telling me, that they celebrate St Patrick's Day to honer the patroon, who kind of brought Christianity to Ireland. Some people don't like that the day is celebrating, because your supposed to honer the great patroon of Ireland. I was very curios to know why the shamrock is so meaningful for this day. As we walked down street and stopped by a big dance show, Paul told me that St Patrick explained the Christian Trinity to his disciples, and had the shamrock as a help because it has three blades, which is actually one. Clever, isn't it? :)

I remember how he said he would be right back, and came back with two big glasses filled with green bear and two cups, with lam stew, exactly what I wanted on this trip! Sláinte, he said, you have to have eaten a traditional St Patrick's Day meal! We ate the amazing lam stew, sat on a bench watching the dance show. They danced to The Cranberries – Zombie. It was really good, a quite modern dance, with strong messengers. The dance was really long, and it was perfect timing to the festival. We found good places and when the festival started I was totally blown away! It looked something like this, but far better, in my opinion! :

Sometimes I actually thought it was a bit scary, haha! I don't know, why, but I think the enormous dark things scared, oh no I'm sorry, wait, the things that moved! Like it was one massive all-coloured bird that had a head that was circulating. That was just creepy. :S I had never seen a parade like that in Sweden. This things that were showing here were huge, guess they worked a year on the things. I was wondering how the parade would be in the flight, and was trying to make my own pictures in the head, so I don't have to high expectations. Fortunately, they didn't. But one odd thing I became aware of after a while; Nobody was screaming as I thought they would, just like in the flight, and sometimes, like in Sweden. You scream and scream, and then when the parade starts everybody just get a little bit quiet, not much, but still enough. When I stood there in the St Patrick's Festival, with Paul beside me it hit me, like I said. Everybody was singing, screaming and all of a sudden get taken away by the beautiful art the artist made for the Festival. You could see how they struggled, and made an effort into something that means a lot to the Irish people. I could take a bite of that amazing cake many had waited for, and I was just as blown away like their were. We stood there, with are beers in our hands, the colourful festival in front of us, and good old Irish music, like 20 meters away. :D Though we didn't talk, somehow, it felt like we did.

It really was the ideal end of an incredible, marvellous day and I'm already looking forward to my next adventure... Cork, here I come!