Hola!
I think I'm in love with Spain. I went to Barcelona with absolutely no expectations at all, just wanting to experience the La Merce festival, and meet up with dear friends from back home, but the experience I had left me yearning for more, wishing I had gone with my guts to miss my Wednesday 6am flight and get another ticket to come back on Friday instead.
I won't deny it - I don't think I'd have loved it as much if I hadn't stayed in a random apartment I found on AirBnB. After checking out the fiery dragon bearers at the street procession, having Paella, churros and gelato for dinner and catching a fireworks show, I found myself at Fatboy Slim with a group of my host's friends, barely 6 hours after having touched down in Barcelona. Needless to say, it was a good night. Chilling on a roof terrace after, watching the sun rise over Barcelona, with 4 guys - practically strangers - yet feeling completely safe and at peace, is a moment I'd like to remember as being one of the best of this voyage. Again, I am reminded that sometimes, for the best time, you have to put yourself out there, breaking away from the group and making yourself slightly vulnerable. I definitely would not have experienced the same had I been traveling with a huge SAS bunch, as much as I love them, or had I gone to Ibiza with everyone else. My Barcelona was a diverse one - Lebanese, Germans, Columbians and so many more - and it was sweet to realize that the rest of the world really is becoming a crazy melting pot, one that would be fun and easy enough to join. It was a welcome departure from the American-centric approach that still characterizes this ship, despite the nature and goal of the program.
It was so nice to see Chanelle and Laia again, and I was happy they got to meet Earlene and Alanna, and vice versa. I feel like Reedies carry a little part of 3203 Woodstock Blvd everywhere we go, and its sometimes hard to share it with everyone else: as Chanelle said, the ex-Spanish language scholar uses us whenever he wants to give an example of something weird people do in America. I was glad to see my two worlds converging, in Barcelona of all places. The human pyramids were impressive and mind-blowing, while the 30 minute fireworks show was spectacular, even as it made me cringe to think of how many jobs that amount of money could have created in the ailing economy. While, I guess the Spanish have to live up to their names as knowing how to party! I also got a peek into a typical suburban Spanish house. Not only did Chanelle 'welcome and ease' me into Reed as my Interconnect mentor, she's even continuing her job in Barcelona!!! Obviously kidding.
And of course….. Serene Leong was there!! Lucky girl gets to stay in the city I'm newly obsessed with for a whole year… I'm obviously very, very jealous. Almost missed my flight so I could stay back an extra 2 days with her but alas! rationality got the better of me. I knew the moment I stepped foot back in Sevilla that Barcelona was where my heart still was though, and 40 euro would have been totally worth it.
Nevertheless, I had a great time in Sevilla. The Alcatraz, Cathedral and Plaza de Espana are in your face stunning, and the bullfight arena tour was interesting. Since I was traveling with Steph, we also ate our way through the different Tapas joints and I must say that food is one area in which Sevilla > Barcelona, or at least, in terms of what I tried.
Cadiz was cute. It felt slightly disconcerting exploring it on the last day, since it was so unrecognizably different from the first introduction I had to it, which was full out last-day-in-port partying. On that note, I realized I really take some time to get used to being surrounded by SASsers, and I even had to take a little food breather, since it was so different from the previous days of blissful isolation. Its getting enjoyable in a different way though, I'm getting a little better at superficial mingling, and it was a fun night, even though I might have moaned about being sad that I wasn't in Barcelona….
Cadiz had the coolest watch tower, with a camera obscura. Everyone should go look it up, we loved it so much, even though our narration was in Spanish and German, neither of which I understand, because the English one would have made us late.
That's it for Spain! A country I definitely have not seen enough of, and want to hit again sometime in the very near future. Come on Canary Islands!!!!
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Alternate Universe
Spain in less than 6 hours!
Its unbelievable how different all the port experiences have been so far - granted there's only been 4. Portugal was a languid 3 days of exploring the city, Sintra, the beach, and taking in the eclectic clash of Christianity and Islam, Old and New. The architecture was truly beautiful, and although they're part of Europe, it felt markedly different from Belgium and the rest of Western Europe. I appreciated the grit to an extent for the rawness it added to the character of the city.
Something new I tried was Couchsurfing. Cris, my host, was awesome - conversation flowed effortlessly, we were on the same page about so much, and he gave me a good introduction to typical Portugese cuisine! Bumping into the gang at the bar was CRAZY, but it was really nice that they hit off remarkably well! He brought us to the popping spots of Lisboa and Urban Beach is definitely up there as one of the better clubs on my list. It's really interesting to see not just the different music and setting of places so far, but the local crowd in them…
It finally sunk in how surreal Semester at Sea actually is though - we're on this ship, which already feels like a whole different lifestyle compared to anything anyone is used to, we land in these diverse ports where we always have way too short a time and spend intensive time with people we just got to know. I was skeptical about how they always say its the experience of a lifetime, like no other, but I truly believe it now. It wouldn't be the same if we were just on a cruise ship sailing around the world and having fun in ports. It's the shipboard community ship, the structured learning and the people I've been experiencing everything with that truly makes this work.
On that note, I'm really blessed. I laugh so much with the group, and it's gotten to a point where it's on a deeper level with most of them, and we just understand and really care for each other. Steph says we're might just become psychic by the end of this trip. It's nice that I'm also still meeting people all the time who are interesting and offer something new. It's tricky though. How much of this alternate universe stuff do you let affect your relationships? Emotions are real and can leave lasting impact, even as sensory memories have faded away. Everything on this ship is so fast and furious, but sometimes that can lead to regrettable things happening. I guess there's nothing to be done except to go with the flow. If being away from everyone at home has taught me anything, it's that there's some value in distance. Distance acts as a natural filter for those who mean anything to you. I thought I would be terrible at keeping in contact before going to Reed, but some friendships have emerged stronger, while its easier to accept those that have just faded away.
Well, Spain will give me some time away from the intensity! Can't wait to see Serene, Chanelle and Laia!!!! Feel like it'll be the best collision of all three of my worlds - Singapore, Reed and SAS - and there's no way I won't have a blast in Barcelona.
We found out we're no longer going to Morocco due to concerns about the Islam conflicts, which is a real bummer since it was the port I was looking forward most to, and the country I had wanted to go to the most out of any in the world, but surprisingly i'm not even that upset. We get 2 more days in Spain, which will be perfect for exploring Cadiz and Seville, and also 2 days in the Canary Islands. I guess i KNOW I'll make it back to Morocco some day, I have to, the 4 days we had there wouldn't be enough anyway, and the Canary Islands are a place I don't foresee myself purposefully going back to anytime in the near future. So it works out…?
Anyway, finding it hard to complain about anything these days. Things could always be better, but if they're not, its easy to remember they could also be a lot worse. It's funny because while i've had interactions with impoverished people in squalid conditions and I've known this all along, it took someone who has a lot more than i do materially, but obviously lacks a lot in many other areas of life that truly made me remember this. I just keep reminding myself to not sweat the small stuff - and small is pretty subjective.
Its unbelievable how different all the port experiences have been so far - granted there's only been 4. Portugal was a languid 3 days of exploring the city, Sintra, the beach, and taking in the eclectic clash of Christianity and Islam, Old and New. The architecture was truly beautiful, and although they're part of Europe, it felt markedly different from Belgium and the rest of Western Europe. I appreciated the grit to an extent for the rawness it added to the character of the city.
Something new I tried was Couchsurfing. Cris, my host, was awesome - conversation flowed effortlessly, we were on the same page about so much, and he gave me a good introduction to typical Portugese cuisine! Bumping into the gang at the bar was CRAZY, but it was really nice that they hit off remarkably well! He brought us to the popping spots of Lisboa and Urban Beach is definitely up there as one of the better clubs on my list. It's really interesting to see not just the different music and setting of places so far, but the local crowd in them…
It finally sunk in how surreal Semester at Sea actually is though - we're on this ship, which already feels like a whole different lifestyle compared to anything anyone is used to, we land in these diverse ports where we always have way too short a time and spend intensive time with people we just got to know. I was skeptical about how they always say its the experience of a lifetime, like no other, but I truly believe it now. It wouldn't be the same if we were just on a cruise ship sailing around the world and having fun in ports. It's the shipboard community ship, the structured learning and the people I've been experiencing everything with that truly makes this work.
On that note, I'm really blessed. I laugh so much with the group, and it's gotten to a point where it's on a deeper level with most of them, and we just understand and really care for each other. Steph says we're might just become psychic by the end of this trip. It's nice that I'm also still meeting people all the time who are interesting and offer something new. It's tricky though. How much of this alternate universe stuff do you let affect your relationships? Emotions are real and can leave lasting impact, even as sensory memories have faded away. Everything on this ship is so fast and furious, but sometimes that can lead to regrettable things happening. I guess there's nothing to be done except to go with the flow. If being away from everyone at home has taught me anything, it's that there's some value in distance. Distance acts as a natural filter for those who mean anything to you. I thought I would be terrible at keeping in contact before going to Reed, but some friendships have emerged stronger, while its easier to accept those that have just faded away.
Well, Spain will give me some time away from the intensity! Can't wait to see Serene, Chanelle and Laia!!!! Feel like it'll be the best collision of all three of my worlds - Singapore, Reed and SAS - and there's no way I won't have a blast in Barcelona.
We found out we're no longer going to Morocco due to concerns about the Islam conflicts, which is a real bummer since it was the port I was looking forward most to, and the country I had wanted to go to the most out of any in the world, but surprisingly i'm not even that upset. We get 2 more days in Spain, which will be perfect for exploring Cadiz and Seville, and also 2 days in the Canary Islands. I guess i KNOW I'll make it back to Morocco some day, I have to, the 4 days we had there wouldn't be enough anyway, and the Canary Islands are a place I don't foresee myself purposefully going back to anytime in the near future. So it works out…?
Anyway, finding it hard to complain about anything these days. Things could always be better, but if they're not, its easy to remember they could also be a lot worse. It's funny because while i've had interactions with impoverished people in squalid conditions and I've known this all along, it took someone who has a lot more than i do materially, but obviously lacks a lot in many other areas of life that truly made me remember this. I just keep reminding myself to not sweat the small stuff - and small is pretty subjective.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
random
Went to bed and woke up this morning feeling rather pensive, and musing about similar things.
As I think of various places I consider 'home', I'm glad they exist because of the people and connections made. Practically and logically speaking, it might be a form of inefficiency, to have to miss and think about all these people, because it is obviously only humanly possible to be one place at once.
However, i continue to be enriched and touched by them, even from the middle of the freaking ocean. So I'm glad I tend to choose quality over quantity - or rather, it's okay that I can't do superficial interaction and am awkward at making new friends because I can't really do small talk (for now at least, I hope I learn before I work). The past 2 days on the ship have made me really happy with the group I have here, even as everyone from back at 'home' is constantly at the back of my mind.
When this voyage ends, I can safely say there will be at least another few people, from all over the US or the world, who I will always look forward to hearing from.
AND IT'S ONLY BEEN 3.5 WEEKS THIS IS UNREAL.
As I think of various places I consider 'home', I'm glad they exist because of the people and connections made. Practically and logically speaking, it might be a form of inefficiency, to have to miss and think about all these people, because it is obviously only humanly possible to be one place at once.
However, i continue to be enriched and touched by them, even from the middle of the freaking ocean. So I'm glad I tend to choose quality over quantity - or rather, it's okay that I can't do superficial interaction and am awkward at making new friends because I can't really do small talk (for now at least, I hope I learn before I work). The past 2 days on the ship have made me really happy with the group I have here, even as everyone from back at 'home' is constantly at the back of my mind.
When this voyage ends, I can safely say there will be at least another few people, from all over the US or the world, who I will always look forward to hearing from.
AND IT'S ONLY BEEN 3.5 WEEKS THIS IS UNREAL.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Less than a month in
And it feels like Singapore was a lifetime ago already.
The last few days in port were perfect - a leisurely yet purposeful exploration of Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges, i felt like we really got a feel of the place, especially the former, and I left thinking that Belgium had severely surpassed my expectations. Its not just a stopover between France, Holland and Germany, but a place with its own pulse and spirit. The architecture was stunning, and simply strolling around could make us stop agape as we turned the corner. It's telling that I don't have many photos despite that beauty - we were truly immersed in the place, more interested in discovery and enjoying the moment rather than capturing it for show or posterity.
The war museum in Brussels was great. Airplanes of the past galore on top of endless displays of costumes and weapons, and entry was free?! The psychiatric museum in Ghent must have been my favorite museum yet. It's housed in a mental institution that's still in operation up to today, and had interactive displays on both the history of psychiatric care and how it's developing. Most provoking though were the artwork done by the patients, walking through the relatively empty galleries sometimes got so creepy I had to hurry out, not just because of the limit of 3 hours we had there, which was way too short. Guess it's true when they say art is that which stimulates your senses, mind or soul.
We decided to take a day trip to Breda - literally the closest town in Holland to Antwerp that potentially held anything of interest, as that is where we described to the train ticket seller we wanted to go (we didn't want to travel almost 3 hours each way to Amsterdam, and were too cheap to pay 40euro instead of 20). Good decision - as we encountered yet another quality museum, this time of Graphic Design, with displays from artists around the world to illustrate how it could be used it virtually EVERY field. it was such a good trip we even went back the next day, having found out that the town's biggest music festival of the year was going on in the park, for free. We also managed to squeeze in some exploration of Antwerp, which is especially stunning at night.
Coming back to the ship also feels like a weird dichotomy now. It feels so much like returning home, to a safe and secure environment, but also time in port is never enough and we mourn having to leave the lands we had just begun to discover.
Work is piling in.. but yet it's become more difficult to get down to it. There are distractions all around, but mostly the material still hasn't picked up the way I hoped it would and is tedious, but not as stimulating as the classes I'm used to.
Something insightful i learned recently: When in doubt, always look for and go back to the Home of your highest self.
As friendships deepen through traveling or meaningful interaction on the ship, certain decisions have to be made, and in a sense it ironically gets harder to plan time in ports. It becomes a toss-up between wanting to hang out and enjoy the company of SAS friends, or venture out in smaller groups, spending more time with locals or even being alone. Either way, I trust my gut to tell me what to do. It's served us well so far…… :p
Portugal in 2 days!! TIme to stuff my face with egg tarts wooooo
The last few days in port were perfect - a leisurely yet purposeful exploration of Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges, i felt like we really got a feel of the place, especially the former, and I left thinking that Belgium had severely surpassed my expectations. Its not just a stopover between France, Holland and Germany, but a place with its own pulse and spirit. The architecture was stunning, and simply strolling around could make us stop agape as we turned the corner. It's telling that I don't have many photos despite that beauty - we were truly immersed in the place, more interested in discovery and enjoying the moment rather than capturing it for show or posterity.
The war museum in Brussels was great. Airplanes of the past galore on top of endless displays of costumes and weapons, and entry was free?! The psychiatric museum in Ghent must have been my favorite museum yet. It's housed in a mental institution that's still in operation up to today, and had interactive displays on both the history of psychiatric care and how it's developing. Most provoking though were the artwork done by the patients, walking through the relatively empty galleries sometimes got so creepy I had to hurry out, not just because of the limit of 3 hours we had there, which was way too short. Guess it's true when they say art is that which stimulates your senses, mind or soul.
We decided to take a day trip to Breda - literally the closest town in Holland to Antwerp that potentially held anything of interest, as that is where we described to the train ticket seller we wanted to go (we didn't want to travel almost 3 hours each way to Amsterdam, and were too cheap to pay 40euro instead of 20). Good decision - as we encountered yet another quality museum, this time of Graphic Design, with displays from artists around the world to illustrate how it could be used it virtually EVERY field. it was such a good trip we even went back the next day, having found out that the town's biggest music festival of the year was going on in the park, for free. We also managed to squeeze in some exploration of Antwerp, which is especially stunning at night.
Coming back to the ship also feels like a weird dichotomy now. It feels so much like returning home, to a safe and secure environment, but also time in port is never enough and we mourn having to leave the lands we had just begun to discover.
Work is piling in.. but yet it's become more difficult to get down to it. There are distractions all around, but mostly the material still hasn't picked up the way I hoped it would and is tedious, but not as stimulating as the classes I'm used to.
Something insightful i learned recently: When in doubt, always look for and go back to the Home of your highest self.
As friendships deepen through traveling or meaningful interaction on the ship, certain decisions have to be made, and in a sense it ironically gets harder to plan time in ports. It becomes a toss-up between wanting to hang out and enjoy the company of SAS friends, or venture out in smaller groups, spending more time with locals or even being alone. Either way, I trust my gut to tell me what to do. It's served us well so far…… :p
Portugal in 2 days!! TIme to stuff my face with egg tarts wooooo
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Things that have struck me in Belgium so far:
- It truly is a country of contradictions. I have met the nicest people here, and also those that are just plain rude (although it might just be the language barrier). Thankfully, the nice ones outnumber them 3 to 1 ITS CRAZY I keep thinking I'm still in Ireland, except it is that much more impressive because they don't speak English
- Reminded all the time of the universality of human communication despite the lack of a common language
- Europe is really becoming a cultural melting pot.
- There is never enough time to explore a new place.
- I will never cease to marvel at the stunning work of ancient architecture.
- Good food can be found everyyyyywhere. I am as piggish (or even more) as always
- Travelling alone adds an extra dimension of vulnerability that can attract some interesting experiences, but there's nothing like the comfort of being with a like-minded friend
- Reminded all the time of the universality of human communication despite the lack of a common language
- Europe is really becoming a cultural melting pot.
- There is never enough time to explore a new place.
- I will never cease to marvel at the stunning work of ancient architecture.
- Good food can be found everyyyyywhere. I am as piggish (or even more) as always
- Travelling alone adds an extra dimension of vulnerability that can attract some interesting experiences, but there's nothing like the comfort of being with a like-minded friend
Monday, 10 September 2012
Chocolate and waffle overdose
Hello from Belgium!
So I decided that instead of crazy shuttling around Amsterdam/Germany/Paris like 90% of the ship is doing, I'm going to take my time to fall in love with Belgium, enjoying the vibe of the different cities and towns.
Its been a good, chill day - essentially eating our way through Brussels, topped off with amazing Turkish music in front of the beautiful Grand Place, and interesting encounters with someone who works in the EU/nice Belgians.
With the chocolate, people and architecture, there's nothing about our third port that has disappointed me so far.
One observation though - there really are a lot of immigrants, from all over the world. It's interesting, and illuminates the fact that it really isn't a Singaporean phenomena and people might need to stop bitching so much about it but rather engage in constructive dialogue.
Peace out.
So I decided that instead of crazy shuttling around Amsterdam/Germany/Paris like 90% of the ship is doing, I'm going to take my time to fall in love with Belgium, enjoying the vibe of the different cities and towns.
Its been a good, chill day - essentially eating our way through Brussels, topped off with amazing Turkish music in front of the beautiful Grand Place, and interesting encounters with someone who works in the EU/nice Belgians.
With the chocolate, people and architecture, there's nothing about our third port that has disappointed me so far.
One observation though - there really are a lot of immigrants, from all over the world. It's interesting, and illuminates the fact that it really isn't a Singaporean phenomena and people might need to stop bitching so much about it but rather engage in constructive dialogue.
Peace out.
Keep calm and sail on
My London experience was completely different from Ireland. Most people took it a lot more slowly, and this was really evident getting back on the boat today, when everyone was still gathering around like it was a normal day, unlike when we returned from Galway and half the ship just passed out. I took it one step further and didn't do a single touristy thing, telling myself 4 days was way too short and I would save it for this winter!
So, onto the highlights:
- The international management field lab (not kidding) where we met and listened to the stories of the bosses of MONK engagement - 25 years old, never went to university and voted one of the top marketeers in Europe. Just pushes the point that passion, talent, interest and hard work are more important than anything else.
- Bar/club hopping with Steph the first night, when we stumbled upon the fact that in London, no matter how many people try to sell you tickets or the bouncers let you in for 'half price entry', it really isn't that difficult to get in for free.
- Sweeney Todd, which is ending its run, getting lost around SoHo looking for gay bars
- Just spending time chilling with Mich…... stocking up on food for the ship, devouring fresh oysters and wandering around markets. Definitely had not enough time but I can't imagine how it could ever be.
- Failing to find a Comedy Club because we were seduced by Indian food… then getting taken on the trippiest rickshaw ride ever to Fabric
New insights and resolutions about how this trip shall proceed were gleaned. Specifically, shall try to stick to a one club night per port rule. 6 out of 6 nights out on land is intense, on hindsight, and while it is obviously easy and tempting to have fun, that's exactly the kind of SAS participant I did not want to be before the trip. The very American style of partying is also not a pull factor...
I'm not sure how life changing SAS is going to be, despite what everyone says, but one thing's for sure, it's already been an eye-opening experience in more ways than one!
So, onto the highlights:
- The international management field lab (not kidding) where we met and listened to the stories of the bosses of MONK engagement - 25 years old, never went to university and voted one of the top marketeers in Europe. Just pushes the point that passion, talent, interest and hard work are more important than anything else.
- Bar/club hopping with Steph the first night, when we stumbled upon the fact that in London, no matter how many people try to sell you tickets or the bouncers let you in for 'half price entry', it really isn't that difficult to get in for free.
- Sweeney Todd, which is ending its run, getting lost around SoHo looking for gay bars
- Just spending time chilling with Mich…... stocking up on food for the ship, devouring fresh oysters and wandering around markets. Definitely had not enough time but I can't imagine how it could ever be.
- Failing to find a Comedy Club because we were seduced by Indian food… then getting taken on the trippiest rickshaw ride ever to Fabric
New insights and resolutions about how this trip shall proceed were gleaned. Specifically, shall try to stick to a one club night per port rule. 6 out of 6 nights out on land is intense, on hindsight, and while it is obviously easy and tempting to have fun, that's exactly the kind of SAS participant I did not want to be before the trip. The very American style of partying is also not a pull factor...
I'm not sure how life changing SAS is going to be, despite what everyone says, but one thing's for sure, it's already been an eye-opening experience in more ways than one!
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Ridin'
I'm still not a complete believer in what they say about how we will meet our best friends on this trip and I'm far from being a social prodigy like some of these people are, but I must marvel at how quickly comfortable, easy friendships can be formed over the joys of exploration and travel. Some have reached remarkable depth, and its a little hard to believe that we barely know each other. New information being revealed prompts exclamations like "what! How could I not have known this before?" before we crack up, realizing that we only met less than 2 weeks ago.
Time runs on different planes on Semester at Sea.
Time runs on different planes on Semester at Sea.
Are we human, or are we dancer?
Ireland - 3 nights of revelry and celebration of life, I feel like it wouldn't be an overstatement to declare that it might just have been the best possible way to spend our first port. It is probably also revealing that I was knocked out for 12 hours straight last night. It was also lovely to hear everyone else's stories about their different experiences and watch our ship pulling into and away from the dock, back to a distance where land mass cannot be spotted. What a great thought that this is to be repeated 13 more times before the end of our voyage!
Galway was the perfect place to first step foot on after 8 days of swaying - we all took a while to just revel in the fact that the ground below us was hard, and unmoving. We spent the first day on a walking tour, exploring the charming European architecture of the town, and then leisurely made our way along the Salthill promenade, feeling like hipsters because most of SAS were on day trips out of Galway and we bumped into hardly anyone except when walking down the main pub street. Of course, 500 students is a lot, and we were all reunited barhopping in true irish fashion at night.
Continuing on our avant-garde itinerary, we took a private plane to the Aran Islands the next day, where the only SAS folks we met were faculty. Beautiful plane ride, amazing scenery. We climbed up to the fort, and were delighted that the cliffs there were comparable to the ones at Moher, indeed saving us a trip. Dublin at night was unforgettable as we finally settled into Kitchn after sweet talking our way into the place, then happening upon the best party ever in a pizza parlor just as we were ready to head home.
Electric Picnic was out of this world - just a day spent high on happiness, topped off by seeing the Killers from the second row. Definitely need to go back for another year's picnic.
Was left feeling like we needed at least another week in Ireland, but we topped it off with sweet life music and a last meal in an Irish pub - if 4 days was meant to be a teaser, it succeeded all right.
London tomorrow - unbelievable!
Galway was the perfect place to first step foot on after 8 days of swaying - we all took a while to just revel in the fact that the ground below us was hard, and unmoving. We spent the first day on a walking tour, exploring the charming European architecture of the town, and then leisurely made our way along the Salthill promenade, feeling like hipsters because most of SAS were on day trips out of Galway and we bumped into hardly anyone except when walking down the main pub street. Of course, 500 students is a lot, and we were all reunited barhopping in true irish fashion at night.
Continuing on our avant-garde itinerary, we took a private plane to the Aran Islands the next day, where the only SAS folks we met were faculty. Beautiful plane ride, amazing scenery. We climbed up to the fort, and were delighted that the cliffs there were comparable to the ones at Moher, indeed saving us a trip. Dublin at night was unforgettable as we finally settled into Kitchn after sweet talking our way into the place, then happening upon the best party ever in a pizza parlor just as we were ready to head home.
Electric Picnic was out of this world - just a day spent high on happiness, topped off by seeing the Killers from the second row. Definitely need to go back for another year's picnic.
Was left feeling like we needed at least another week in Ireland, but we topped it off with sweet life music and a last meal in an Irish pub - if 4 days was meant to be a teaser, it succeeded all right.
London tomorrow - unbelievable!
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