A Roman Valentine's Day!

Amsterdam!

I have been way too busy to post many things this past couple weeks, but I'd like to update on some of the travels I have been on.   Two weeks ago I traveled to Amsterdam with about eight other students & Derek. We saw the Anne Frank house, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Red Light District.   I think prior to visiting Amsterdam, I just figured the entire city would be sleazy.  However, the city is actually amazingly beautiful! 

Dutch Gold and Other Cheap Beer

A lot has happened since I last blogged...I have now moved from Derek's apartment into my very own DCU apartment with my fabulous room mate Kayleigh.   Everyone in the program has been amazing and so far having a blast.  

Kayleigh and Nina

 For part of our orientation we were supposed to go on a scavenger hunt around Dublin, but my group decided to stop in Temple Bar for a pint instead.  Here is a video of some of the live music they had there. 

Later that night we went out with some of the group to a bar called Fitzsimons.   It did prove to be an interesting first night in Dublin for many of the people from the program....Kayleigh....

A Stroll in Dublin

     

The Ha'Penny Bridge crosses the River Liffey.  It gets it name from that in 1816 it was built under the condition that William Walsh could charge half a penny for pedestrians to cross it. For a time the toll was raised to a "penny ha'penny" which equals a penny and a half.  Currently there is no toll for crossing with about 27,00 people crossing it everyday.

Under the Ha'Penny Bridge

Graffiti put on the side of the quays (pronounced keys) that says Let Them Eat Cheese.  This was put up the night before the protest march on the 27th of November against the government economic policies.  The statement gets at a policy the government enacted two weeks earlier that was going to give free cheese to those in need.  

Corner of O'Connell Street Bridge

James Connolly was a famous Socialist leader.  He was later executed by a British firing squad for his leadership role in the 1916 Easter Rising 

These are pictures are of a memorial of the potato famine of 1845-1852.  During these times it was said that Ireland's population fell between twenty and twenty-five percent.  About one million died and about another million emigrating to other countries.  The potato famine is directly related to the diaspora of the Irish people around the world today along with the residual Nationalist movement against the British.  The potato famine also has direct ties to the loss of the Irish language in Ireland where partly due to the emigration of the Irish people with the other half being due to government language policies enacted by the British.

This is a picture of the Luas (pronounced Louis) in Dublin.    The word means speed in Gaelige (Irish) language. 

Buskers at Temple Bar

Buskers Night Club in Temple Bar

Saturday night Derek and I decided it was high time that I went to my first dance club in Dublin.   Strangely enough, they played many top 40 songs, but also played ones like 9-5 by Dolly Parton (which particularly made me feel at home) and Shout by the Isley Brothers.    I also found out how expensive it is to drink in Dublin.  Beers are moderately priced at about 5 euros, but a shot of Smirnoff is anywhere between 5-6 euros which equals about 7 dollars and then the coke is an additional 3 euros.   So in total one vodka and coke can cost you about 10-12 dollars depending on the venue.   It looks like I'll either be carrying a flask with me or drinking at home first.    

Hard Rock Cafe Dublin

Temple Bar is notorious for drunken Irish males looking for female tourists.   The name Temple Bar seems that it is a specific bar, but it is actually an area of Dublin named after Sir William Temple of 1609.  It boasts a lively night life and during the day has many street performers.  

The Porterhouse Central

On Thursday night we decided to go out to a bar that had been recommended to us for me to find a beer I would really like.   The Porterhouse Central boasts that it is the largest genuine brewery in Ireland with many beers on tap and other bottled from around the world.   It is a great relief to me that I now know where to find a Sam Adams if I want one.  The bar is unbelievably cozy with many different floors and nooks and crannies.  This is definitely one of my favorite places I have been to while here.   Although, one of the strangest things I have found here was while I was in the bathroom I found that you could use a flat iron for two euros

  

National Museum of Ireland