The Bells are Ringin'

Time to mark some more items off of the Bucket List today!  I woke up feeling a little more energized, so I felt that it was a great day to do some mindless activities.  Jane and I decided to conquer the ringing of the Shandon Bells at Saint Anne's Church, and then go for some O'Conaill's hot chocolate after!

We wandered over to the church later this afternoon, after sleeping in very late, which was much needed.  Ringing the Shandon Bells is something that everyone says you must do while in Cork.  When you get to the top of the bell tower, there are (supposedly) endless vistas of Cork City, as well as the countryside.  And I can now confirm these claims, the sights were breathtaking.  We had to travel up lots of winding, narrow, staircases, crawl through some ladder holes, encounter some pigeons, but eventually we made it to the top.  There was no one up there, and a great breeze.  Today was the perfect day to do this! I could not stop saying, "Oh my goodness, this is amazing!"  Attention all visitors, this will be a stop on your tour of Cork with me!

After ringing the bells, and taking in the scene for a very long time, Jane and I wandered the city for a little while.  We found the Franciscan Well Brewery, which is supposed to be a really fun bar/pub with great craft beers!  I think that is one of or Bucket List stops for tomorrow :)

Last stop: O'Conaill's Chocolates.  We have been told that this is home of the greatest hot chocolate around.  If you know me, you know that I am a chocolate addict, so this ad my name all over it.  It took us a while to find it (my sense of direction is the most horrible thing you could imagine), but once we did get there, it was well worth the wait.  I got Milk Chocolate Praline Hot Chocolate, and a O'Conaill's Caramel Brownie.  I was in heaven.

Cork is known as the food capital of Ireland, if I have not told you.  I am attempting to try all of the famous foodie areas, and I cannot wait!  Me and good food is a perfect combo.  I will let you know of what other hidden treasure I find along the way :)

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend!  It sounds like Black Point has been a blast, even Olive has had a little too much fun, so I hear...

Be back tomorrow, hopefully with my rating of the Franciscan Well!

XO,

Caitlin

View of Cork from the top of Saint Anne's!

We made it! 

The bells of Shandon

I rang the bells! 

Jane and myself with our O'Conaill's

I found heaven.

YUM!!

Sick Day

Today, unfortunately, I believe I woke up with strep throat!  This called for a rather boring day in Cork City, as well as lots of Netflix.

I tried to rally this morning and went out to brunch with Chelsea and Nicole.  We tried the Liberty Grill, which has been a place I have been dying to try.  Maureen's friend, Jenna, is from Cork, and she told me it is one of the best brunch places.  I got the Eggs Benedict, as was suggested, and it was heavenly.  There is no doubt I will be back there a million more times to test everything on the menu! 

After the Liberty Grill, I went to the English Market for a quick restocking stop.  I "forgot" to get a few items, aka I really want an excuse to go back this week at some point!  After the market, I stopped at the package store for some water, and surprisingly found Powerade!  This was like a gold mine for me, I have been dying for some, especially when not feeling well.

I came home shortly after and crashed in bed, and have not left since.  Thank goodness for FaceTime, because my family has been great on checking up on me!  It is as if I were home with all of them :) 

Be back tomorrow!

XO, 

Caitlin 

 Liberty Grill!

My mouth watering breakfast.

What the rest of my day has consisted of--tea and pea soup!

 

North Cork

Friday was another field trip day! We were going to North Cork to see three sites, a Wedge Tomb in Labbacallee, Co. Cork, Mitchelstown Cave, Co. Tipperary, and the Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary.  I love days when we have field trips, especially when it is right after an exam. It was a great way to continue seeing the surround areas of Ireland.

The first stop was Labbacllee.  This is a Wedge Tomb dating back to the Chalcolithic Age.  What makes this even more fascinating, you ask?  Cork is home of the largest Wedge Tomb in all of Ireland! I was lucky enough to see this firsthand.  We were able to go inside and explore (not that it is very big) and see what it was like.  The tomb was so unassuming, it was basically in someones front yard of a farm!  Ireland is so relaxed...ahhhh I really do love it!

The next stop was Mitchelstown Cave in Co. Tipperary.  These caves were SO cool!  We were not allowed to take pictures, unfortunately.  I wish I could have because this sight was incredible.  There were these large, sparkly boulders everywhere.  At one point, we were 200 meters underground!  In order to get to the end of the cave, you have to walk down 87 steps, all which curve in a million different directions (at times challenging for a klutz like myself).  This was my favorite spot of the day.  It was so quiet, and everything was unbelievably natural looking.  I would be more than happy to take some visitors there when they arrive!!!

Last stop (after lunch, of course, which also had CHOCOLATE CAKE...yum) we went to the Rock of Cashel in Co. Tipperary.  When we got here, I noticed that it looked very familiar and I realized I came here with my family six years ago!  The weather, unfortunately, was starting to get Ireland-esque (rainy and windy).  This historical setting was from around the 12th century!  It was still very beautiful, and full of a lot Celtic art fixtures.  

On our way home, I was slowly fading and not feeling too great, so there were no plans for the evening!  My kind of night!

Be back soon and Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!  Serious FOMO (fear of missing out) of everyone in BP, and Care's (aka Carlos's) homemade ice cream!

XO, 

Caitlin 

P.S. Good luck to all of the Crusaders moving back on the Hill this weekend :) 

Labbacallee Wedge Tomb

Mitcheltown Cave Entrance

Chocolate cake :)

The Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary

The Rock of Cashel

Me, Chelsea, Jane, Nicole 

The Rock of Cashel Artwork

Test Time

Exam day, nothing good comes with the word "exam."  I began the day today with a three hour lecture, and then the exam after, at 2 PM!  The exam was only an hour and a half, so not too long, but, if any of you do not know this by now, I HATE taking a test more than anything.  I was so ready for it to be over with!

The exam turned out to not be horrible, but I think it is safe to say, Archaeology is not my forte.  I was just so glad for it to be over with, nothing else mattered.  After the exam, Chelsea, Nicole, Jane, and I did a little de-stressing and went to the gym (really preparing for the amount of food we would be eating later in the evening).

Tonight was definitely a feasting night.  After the gym, we cleaned up quickly and went out to dinner to a pizza place we have been dying to try.  This was called, La Tana, a little hole in the wall pizza joint with incredible food.  La Tana has some connections with a few pubs in the area, if you order your food, they will deliver the pizza to the pub for you!  We were so hungry we could not wait to eat.  We sat in La Tana (not so patiently) waiting for the pizzas to cook (which they make right in front of you), and took them to Mr. Bradley's, a quiet pub next door.  This worked out very well!  We sat in a room with a a fire burning, making me feel as if it should be winter, but I was so cozy and satisfied with my food.  I had the Bresaola Pizza.  This had bresaola beef, mushrooms, and spinach-- oh my goodness, it was amazing.  Our goal is to try every pizza by the time we leave in May, and I have a feeling this could be achieved.  The food was delicious and the cooks were so nice!  It was an awesome way to relax after the exam and be in pizza heaven.

Tomorrow I have a field trip to North Cork.  I am hoping the weather holds out and it will be a nice day to be outside!  Archaeology may be a drag, but I do love the field trips!  Now it is time to curl up in bed and watch some much needed Netflix.

Be back tomorrow!

XO,

Caitlin

La Tana in its entirety, so small!

The menu ( I wanted everything)

Chelsea and me with the prized possessions.

Heaven in a box

I did not leave this spot, is it too soon to say I am ready for winter and fireplaces?

We conquered the pizzas, and the boxed are empty!

Selfie withe the fire and Jane!!

Study Day

Yesterday was a VERY quiet day for me in Cork City.  I had to prepare for my first exam abroad!  However, studying while living in Ireland is not the easiest task to do, so I really attempted to stay focused (emphasis on attempted).  I also feel like I am on a vacation, and taking an exam is not one of the items on my list of "to do."  But, I managed to sit down and get to work (eventually!)!

After my class in the morning, I went to a spinning class with the (slightly crazy) instructor, Alanna.  I felt that this would maybe take my mind off studying for an hour?  Wrong.  I got so distracted after spin, I decided to walk around for a little while, which turned into another hour!  Being familiar with Cork seemed way better than studying at the time.

I eventually made it back home and decided to put myself to work.  It was a rainy day, so I was not missing out on anything! I studied for a little while, and then just gave up.  Archaeology is not a subject to studying while cozy in your super comfy bed...

For my "reward" of studying, I got to FaceTime Maureen and Kath!  I haven't talked to the fourth Spalluto sister, AKA Kathryn, since I have been here.  I loved seeing her face, and I was so jealous she and Mo were together.  I was suffering from some serious FOMO hearing about their activities lined up for the night and Labor Day at BP!

After hitting the books for a few hours, I packed up for the night.  I wasn't having the exam until 2 PM on Thursday, so I had plenty of time in the morning.  I'll let you know how it turned out!

Be back with more details later!

XO,

Caitlin

The park by my apartment I stumbled upon while not studying for Archaeology! 

I forgot to post this on Tuesday! It was the sunrise on my way to spin class! 

 

West Cork

Today was a busy day, full of field trip activities.  We left for the outing at 9:30 this morning, and headed towards West Cork.  Our first stop was Garranes Ringfort.  Ringforts are round, grassy areas where people in the Middle Ages.  It is not often that ring forts are found in southern Ireland, they are usually in the north of the country.  It was a treat seeing one in our area, and to make it even better, this is one of the largest ringforts ever excavated!  Tomás gave us the opportunity to explore the wooded areas around the ringfort, which I was definitely not dressed for (grass stains everywhere!)!  However, it was really beautiful, and nice to be out of a city environment.

After the rignfort, we headed to Ballinacarriga Tower.  Since Tomás has a number of degrees having to do with Archaeology, he has a "skeleton key" allowing him to unlock many historical sites, including this one.  He showed the class the different parts of the tower and explained their significance, and also led us to the top of this tower (filled with winding stairs), and gave us some historical background on the site.  I felt like a VIP being able to enter the tower!   The vistas were gorgeous at the top, showing you endless, rolling hills.

Our next stop (after lunch) was Coppinger's Court.  This is a castle that is located in the middle of an open, lusciously green, valley.  It was very old, so we were unable to go inside, unfortunately.  Tomás said there was a chance stones could fall on us if we entered, so I was okay with keeping away!  The castle was gorgeous (and massive) even from the outside, I cannot imagine what it must have looked like on the inside at one point in time!

We quickly moved onto the final site, the Stone Circle at Drombeg.  Stone circles were used as ritual places, with strategically aligned stones across from one another.  This circle contained 17 stones, which is a very large amount (usually they contain about 5 stones).  What is interesting about this site is the sunset on the Winter Solstice.  The way the stones are set up allows for a magnificent ray of light during the short moment of time of setting sun on the 21st of December.  This had to be my favorite site of the day.  It was not because of the Stone Circle, however, but the amazing ocean views when standing at the site of the circle.  The water looked so calm and welcoming, almost like Black Point :)

We had a great day, full of lots of sun!  Tonight we are headed out to meet up with the USD students and roam the city!

Be back tomorrow!

XO,

Caitlin

P.S. Good luck to Maureen starting her fourth year of teaching the 5th Grade tomorrow!!

Exploring the ditches in the woods!

Just hanging out ;)

Top: Nichola, Chelsea, Molly

Bottom: Me, Nicole, Jane

The Garranes Rignfort.

 Ballinacarriga Tower

 View from the top of Ballinacarriga Tower

Jane, Chelsea, Me, Nicole at the top of the Tower.

Coppinger's Court

Me, Jane, Nicole, Chelsea in from of Coppinger's Court.

Stone Circle at Drombeg

Heather, Molly, Nicole, Katy, Jane, Nichola, Me, Chelsea in front of the beautiful views at Drombeg! 

Rain, Rain Go Away

I have been spoiled by the constant sunny weather in Cork!  It has rained for the past few days, and I have a feeling this is something I am going to have to get used to.  However, the rain did not stop me from my daily activities, Holy Cross and Worcester has prepared me well for ugly weather!

Class is finally becoming bearable and I am adjusting to the three hour session.  But, luckily tomorrow is a field trip!  We are headed to West Cork for the entire day.  This will be a great way to see the surrounding areas in Cork, and even better, out of the classroom.  I will hopefully have some new pictures :)

Later this afternoon, I headed down to the English Market to pick up the ingredients for a new recipe I found.  It was a lentil, carrot, onion mix, topped with goat cheese and spinach.  It was soooo delicious.  Thank goodness I have leftovers for the rest of the week! I could spend my entire day in the English Market.  It is such a fun setting to people watch, explore new foods, and find the freshest ingredients from local distributors.  It may be my favorite spot in Cork so far (shocking, I love somewhere solely based on food), and I especially cannot wait to take Carolyn to it when she visits in 44 days!

It was a quiet afternoon for me full of walking around the city planning my (many) next Cork excursions!

I have an exam Thursday, unfortunately, so I should get to studying!  This could be interesting...

Be back tomorrow with lots of info on West Cork!


XO,

Caitlin

P.S. A HUGE thank you to Mom, Dad, Maureen, and Caroly for my first care package!  They are the best family in the world for buying me my favorite sheets, granola bars, and other goodies.  The sheets are on my bed already, and officially make it just like home.  I love you!!!!!

The English Market 

Saint Patrick's Street, one of the main roads in Cork City.

Washington Street, another main Cork City street (also, so much traffic today!).

Lazy Sunday

Today was a very quiet day for me over here in Cork City.  After the busy weekend of traveling, it was nice having a day allowing me to just sit back and relax!

I began the day by walking into the City Centre and grabbing a bagel sandwich for breakfast.  I was so happy to be having a bagel, and it definitely hit the spot and reminded me of home!  After breakfast, I explored the city a little more.  It was rainy for the first time since I have been here!  However, this did not stop me, I loved walking around the city, even in the rain.

I decided to go to TK Maxx and give in to my coffee addiction, I bought a French Press.  The coffee in Ireland does not compare to the coffee at home in any way!  I have been spoiled by American coffee, and even more spoiled by my Dad's cappuccinos!  I perused TK Maxx (a little longer than I probably should have, they have so much stuff!), and then went to the grocery store right next door to pick up dinner for the night.  This grocery store was called Lidl, and it reminded me a lot of Aldi (Dad, you would love this!).  I then moseyed around the city a little more after Lidl, sort of in disbelief that I am living in the incredible city for the next year!  It is so hard to get homesick when I am here, this place is just so beautiful, and really beginning to feel like home.  But, my daily FaceTime session with Mom, Dad, Maureen, and Carolyn definitely makes me envious of the gorgeous Cape weather!

Dinner tonight was a test of my creativity again!  I made mixed veggies, with chicken, and sweet potato.  It tasted pretty good!  I am always open to some easy meal recipes from my readers :)

Be back tomorrow!

XO,

Caitlin

There was an entire window of BC gear in the City Centre! A taste of home :)

A rainy day on the River Lee.

Dinner! 

Dublin

Saturday was a long day of driving, but we were finally getting to Dublin!  We left the hostel in Slane at around 9 am and headed towards Dublin.  Dublin was about an hour away, so not too bad!

When we arrived in Dublin, our first stop was Christ's Church Cathedral.  This church was massive!  Our professor pointed out the various styles of construction  there (Gothic and Roman), giving us some historical background on the Church of Ireland, specific dates, etc.  It was a very beautiful place, and the structure of it was particularly interesting.  This was the second building on the field trip we stopped at that was built in the shape of a cross.  It was so beautifully designed, and the flow of it was so normal, I would have never guessed!

Our next stop was the National Museum of Ireland.   This museum contains a number of ancient artifacts found in Ireland, many of which pertain to what we are learning in class.  It was a really great opportunity to apply what we have learned to some physical objects.  I thought it was a great way to better my understanding of our current class information!  In order to get to the museum, however, we had to walk across the city.  This was a perfect chance to gain a better feel of Dublin and see the various sections of the city.  Dublin reminds me a lot of New York City.  It was very busy with activity for an early Saturday morning!  It was a really cool place, and I am definitely going to go back again soon!

After the museum, we stopped for a quick lunch in the city and then headed back to Cork.  This was a little over a three hour drive back, so it was not too bad!  We got home around 6 pm, giving us enough time to get settled back into our apartments and make some dinner before meeting up with new friends!

Later in the evening, the HC girls and I went to Leeside.  These are the apartments of a number of American UCC students, including the USD people we have become friends with.  It was a lot of fun going to see where they live, as well as continue to get a better sense of the city.  After meeting up at Leeside, we all went to a pub called Holy Cow.  We have been dying to try this and it turned out to be a lot of fun!  This HC girls and I made a Cork/Ireland bucket list, and Holy Cow was on it.  One activity down, many more to go!

Be back later with more details of the weekend!

XO,

Caitlin

Christ's Church Cathedral

Newgrange Day

Yesterday was a great day of our two day field trip.  It was such a treat to start exploring the Irish countryside, as well as continue to meet new people in the program!

We began the day by leaving UCC at 8 in the morning and driving straight to Trim Castle in County Meath.  This was about a four and a half hour ride, which was a great time to catch up on sleep!  Trim Castle is the largest Anglo-Norman castle in all of Ireland.  It was a very beautiful structure, and luckily we had a great day to visit it!  The entire Archaeology class went on a tour of Trim Castle all the way to the very top.  There were lots of spiral stairs to navigate, which for someone who is clumsy, like myself, can be tricky!  At the top of the castle, there were never-ending views of the Irish countryside that were breathtaking.  I felt as if I needed someone to pinch me, it was so magnificent.

After Trim Castle, we drove to Newgrange in Boyne Valley.  Newgrange is a Passage Tomb from the Megalithic period (around 3200 BC).  This passage tomb is most famous for the entrance of the light on the Winter Solstice.  We were able to go on a tour of the tomb, and a demonstration of the solstice was provided.  It was such a short moment of light entering the tomb, but it was really beautiful and very one of a kind.

On our way to the hostel at the end of the day, we drove to Monasterboice, which holds the tallest high cross in Ireland, known as Muiredach's Cross.  There was also a very tall bell tower at the sight, known as the Round Tower.  It was later in the evening and very serene at this site.

From Monasterboice, we then drove to dinner in Slane, Co. Meath, which was where we were staying for the night.  We had a great dinner in Slane, and then went to a pub, Boyle's, with our professor.  He told us that in Ireland, it is rude not to order something at a pub!  Definitely not something I am used to hearing from professors back home.  The owners of Boyle's Pub were playing live music for a while when we got there, and were so friendly and welcoming to the large pack of Americans.  It was such a fun night!

We then headed to the hostel at the end of the night.  This was on a farm (which was evident by the smell), and my first time staying in a hostel!  It is definitely something I will have to get used to!

Be back tomorrow with the next leg of the trip!!

XO,

Caitlin

Trim Castle

Trim

Front: Heather from USD, Jane, Nichola from USD

Middle: Molly from USD, me, Katy from USD

Back: Chelsea, Nicole

Newgrange

Passage of Newgrange

Famous carved stone at Newgrange

Chelsea, Jane, me, Nicole, Molly, Heather at Newgrange

Me!

Tallest High Cross in Ireland.

The High Cross and Round Tower

Boyle's band