Hey America, it's Isabella! It's been a long 10 days and I miss home but we're on our way back tomorrow! See you soon! But before I go to finish packing of course because I'm quite the pro procrastinator...here's a brief summary of our pilgrimage.
It all started with a very early morning at 4 am. Sleepy eyes, 2 flights, lots of coffee, and lots of naps. When we first got to Ireland we got off the plane running. We were busy right away. Over these past 10 days we've been all over creation and back. We started in Shannon, went to Ennis for breakfast, Cliffs of Moher for the morning, St. Nicholas Church in Galway, Westport, Croagh Patrick, Armagh, Portrush, Derry, St. Columba's Cathedral, Peace Bridge in Derry, Giant's Causeway, then onto Dunluce Castle, (wow this is quite the list, bear with me, I'm halfway through!) Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, Temple Bar..., Grafton Street, Kildare, Glendalough, and finally the Merry Ploughboys Pub. We went lots of places and had lots of experiences and fun times.
I'd like to share my favorites and a couple of my highlights. I also included picture aids to help but I'm sure all of you have been following along on previous blog posts and Facebook of course. I enjoyed the whole trip as a whole overall but my favorite spots were definitely Croagh Patrick, Giant's Causeway, the Round Tower in Kildare, Grafton Street, and the Merry Ploughboys Pub.
Croagh Patrick as I'm sure you've already heard was quite the trek. For me it was very difficult at times and really pushed some limits but the view at the top was great and very much worth it. Always do what others think you can't. My next favorite place was Giant's Causeway. The reflection time that we had there was by far my favorite one we had. It's been quite the journey with all these people but it's always nice to have time to yourself at some point of the day so I always looked forward to reflecting on my day, reflecting on my pilgrimage so far, my surroundings, and my life. The Giant's Causeway was so peaceful and I loved it. I took so many pictures there. I would say I might've taken too many but then again there is no such thing! Beware!
Another one of my highlights was being able to do the Round Tower at Kildare. The thing so special about pilgrimage is that it is your own in every way. Some things are easier than others, or harder, depending on the person of course. Some things can be viewed differently as well. To most of the rest of the group climbing the Round Tower was a piece of cake along with Croagh Patrick. To me? Not so much. I tend to have a fear of heights and a wee bit of claustrophobia as well so the simple Round Tower was a little more difficult for me and took me a little longer than the rest of the group. The feeling at the end when you overcome something or complete something is so much greater than the fear itself and you realize why you tried so hard in the beginning to start with.
Two of our last stops were Grafton Street and the Merry Ploughboys Pub. I loved Grafton Street, otherwise known as the Souvenir Street. Everyone broke off into small groups and got to shopping. I walked around with my wonderful mentors, Michael, Martha, and Barb. I loved trying to find the perfect thing for everyone but it didn't stop there! I'll be finishing up my shopping tomorrow in the Dublin airport until i'm all out of Euros. Hey family I hope you like all your gifts! Finally, tonight we went to the Merry Ploughboys Pub for dinner and a show of Irish music and traditional dancing. It was a great way to put a closing on our trip. Food was good, music was great, company was nice to have, and I even got to do a little dancing myself when I was randomly picked to join the pros on stage in front of everyone... That was interesting!
As a closing statement, I had a really good time in Ireland and it's bittersweet to go home but I miss home quite a bit. I really enjoyed my time here and I really learned a lot about the history here, my views, myself, and about finding God and the small things in your day that make it good.
It's close to 12:30 at night here so I'll leave you with a few of quotes that I found through my pilgrimage to be important or inspiring.
"Bridges connect what has been separated. What bridges do you need to build in your life?" "Water has to hit rock bottom before it can spring back up to the top." "Be in the world not of the world." "God doesn't make mistakes or give you anything you can't handle." "A tourist passes through a place but a place passes through a pilgrim."
Goodnight Ireland. See you soon America! Isabella Galvez
First off I'd like to start off by saying that I haven't read any of the previous posts so if mine in any way pales in comparison I greatly apologize for that and hope you can overlook it. Now to get to what you guys really want to read, my recollection of this long voyage otherwise known as a pilgrimage. It was, to say the least, a life changing experience. We started out on this trip as wide eyed, almost naive, and quite sleepy children. We had no idea what to expect as we left behind our families in the church parking lot and boarded he various cars that would deliver us to an airport far away where we expected to be whisked away on a giant hunk of flying metal to an almost uncomprehendingly mystical land otherwise known as Ireland. Yet getting there wasn't quite that simple we first had to wait in Boston for nine long hours, still stuck in America and impatient to get to our destination. We played a bit if tourist and met up with Blair's aunt, who played tour guide and showed us all the fun places to go. Finally after what seemed like days instead of hours we boarded another plane, kissed the crowded streets of Boston and the familiar land of of America behind as we watched the last bit of brownish green disappeared over the horizon leaving us with a caste expanse of blue and white as a view. After a short dinner and many a drink later we (almost all) nodded off with a window full of black. We awoke to the crackle of the speakers telling us we were close to our destination and looking out the window we were surprised to see a green patchwork land stretching out before us, seemingly proving all the stereotypes of it being the "green country" right.
Our first few days flew by in a whirlwind of excitement and new experiences. We made new friends and tried new things and settled in quite well to a life here together. Unfortunately towards the end of our journey peoples' nerves began to fray a bit as the close proximity brought out some stress on our tender relationships. I was worried for a time that this whole trip, as amazing as it was, might not end well.
Then today happened. We had a wonderful experience of joy and healing in an unlikely place that I think brought us all closer back together. We went to a pub. No worries, it was a very sophisticated pub, in fact it was reservation only, and the food there was amazing. But that wasn't what was so great about it. It was the music there that did it. It also wasn't just the music itself, it was how the music was preformed. We didn't just sit there and placidly listen. The band had us interact with them, and more importantly with each other. They had us singing along, clapping, holding hands and swaying together. As I looked around our table everyone was smiling and laughing and once again really enjoying time with each other. No harsh words were said, no hard glances thrown and no thorns were spoken. It was just good old fashioned fun and it gave of a us all back our positive frame of mind and cemented out relationships.
Throughout this whole trip I noticed that everyone changed a bit, we all found a piece of ourselves here and found a bit of each other too. I'm proud to be a fellow pilgrim on this trip and I'm glad to say that we left as children but we're coming back as adults, so watch out America, j2a 2014 is coming back!.. We'll.. Right after some well deserved sleep. It is 12:43 here after all and yes I mean at night.
Today we went for a long off-road walk yet again, however this time was not as extreme as Croagh Patrick. After getting off our bus, we began our trek. Our first stop was Glendalough, a group of medieval ruins including what was left of a monastery founded by St. Kevin. It grew so much from his hermit cell that it was a cathedral in the medieval period. It also has a still kept-up large graveyard. After taking lots of pictures, we then got back on our path.
Glendalough literally means "Glen of two lakes" and we proceeded to find these beautiful and famous lakes. We find ourselves plucked from reality and placed in the midst of scenery you would only find in a fairy tale. After a quick lunch, we all split off by ourselves to engage in quiet meditation and take some time to write in our journals. We pilgrims wrote in our journals, admired the view, or just fell asleep. After a good half hour we regrouped for a closing Eucharist, then started the walk back to the bus and began our journey back to the hostel to prepare for the end of our pilgrimage.
Today we centered our day around St. Brigid, visiting several key sites relating to her.
Our day started off earlier, as yesterday was considered by many in our group as a "rest day". As we gathered in the main room for breakfast, we were sadly informed of the USA's close defeat at the hands of Portugal at the World Cup, an event that has become a source of entertainment for our "poor tech-deprived group", even for non-Soccer enthusiasts. As the weekend draws to a close, I was happy to note that the last of the sketchier and rowdier crowd inhabiting our Hostel have finally departed, leaving the task of sharing the small kitchen and main room a much less stressful experience.
Also, much to everyone's delight, Charlie, who's services had not been required the day previous, showed up again in his familiar aquamarine van to tote us up to the City of Kildare, which is where most of our adventures took place today. After driving for about a half hour, we arrived at the Cathedral Church of St. Brigid, a church built on the grounds where Brigid's original church was. After saying our morning prayers there, we were escorted by Sister Phil, a local "Brigidine" Nun, to a few other sites around town, including a Roman Catholic Church also dedicated to Brigid and a holy well in a park. After Sister Phil imparted us with some of the knowledge and philosophies of Saint Brigid, we stayed in the park with the sacred well for a short reflection period in which we were free to walk around and observe for a little while. I myself took the time to birdwatch a bit- I ended up finally spotting a European Robin, which had been on my "wish list" to see. (look 'em up, folks! They're really pretty!)
We ended our stay in Kildare with a climb up the Round Tower at our starting point, a place where in ancient Ireland, the inhabitants of the Church would hole up in case of a Viking attack. For us, however, it granted us a long climb up several ladders and a wonderful 360 view of the surrounding countryside.
As much as I have been enjoying Ireland, I am also looking forward to coming home soon. I sort of miss my bed, my own bathroom, and my family. I hope to see everyone soon!
Update: As I am writing this in the lobby of the hostel, it would be interesting to note that there is a pack of Portuguese women wildly cheering for Brazil on the TV. They have flags, tambourines, hats, beer, everything. They've been here for a while. We heard them cheering for goal no. 3 from the third floor. They've already asked Blair to take their picture! You sure meet some interesting and fun people here!
Hello friends from Old Donation Church and around the world!
Today is our second day in Dublin. After having breakfast, we walked to the Christ Church Cathedral. Christ Church Cathedral is located in the former heart of medieval Dublin, next to Wood Quay at the end of Lord Edward Street. When we were couple blocks away from the Cathedral, we could already hear the bells chiming--clanging and melodious. Soon, we reached the Cathedral. Like most of the churches we had already visited in Ireland, the Christ Church Cathedral is majestic, historic, and well organized. As soon as I walked into the cathedral, I was amazed by its beauty and its strong religious feeling. I was thinking that it would be great if I can go to this church every Sunday. As the Holy Eucharist starts, the priests, acolytes, preacher and choir walked into the church. Although the chorus is full of well-trained singers, the songs did not touch me as it would in Old Donation Church. I think it is because they were singing a lot of challenging songs that most people could not really follow them. The sermon was about the concept of being a Christian. According to the priest, a person is not really a christian only because he/she was baptized. The true christian is someone who follows Jesus and behaves like Jesus. I absolutely agree with the priest. I think not only christian, every position we have in this world is not about if we are given the name of the position but if we act what we suppose to act and take our responsibilities.
In the afternoon, we went to shopping on a shopping street in Dublin called Grafton Street. The street was crowded. I met people from all over the world who come and visit Dublin. Since we do not have a lot money to spend, I shopped at a souvenir store and bought gifts to my family.
Today was a long day for all of us. After we got back from shopping, everyone took a nap and got refreshed. Everyday in Ireland is different and exciting. As it getting closer to the returning day, I think most of us are a little bit sad and do not want to leave.
Today we had an interesting day. We went to many different locations, all that were unique, very different, and interesting. After waking up in the morning, we loaded up onto the bus and Charlie (our friendly driver) started the exciting drive to Dublin that had many stops along the way.
After everybody falling asleep on the bus on the way to our first stop (it wasn't really that exciting), we decided to stretch our legs at a gas station where everybody got a coke. A few of the cokes had names on them and some were trying to find cokes with names of friends. We then got back on the bus and drove for another hour before we arrived at Monasterboice for a lunch break. Charlie pulled the bus over and we all got out to eat our lunch. Thankfully it wasn’t forgotten or left anywhere. Twice in a row we made sandwiches and managed to leave them either in the hostel kitchen or on the bus when we couldn't get them. After eating we visited Monasterboice, a graveyard with classic Celtic High Crosses that are some of the best preserved and magnificent in all Ireland. Crosses from as early as the 10th century were in the midst of some graves from last month in this active cemetery. We walked around for a bit before we sat down with our journals to reflect our pilgrimage up to its current point.
We then got back onto the bus for a shorter bus ride to the Hill of Slane where Saint Patrick lit a fire proclaiming that he worshiped God not the king of Ireland at that time. We all explored the ruins of the old monastery there and found a few good spots to take pictures.
Our journey then continued to the final drive to Dublin where we disembarked in front of the Jacobs Inn. Everybody went upstairs to our rooms to check them out and to claim beds. After checking out the rooms we fixed supper and then went outside to explore Dublin and walked into the lively part of the city, which is called Temple Bar. We decided to grab some ice cream there and watched the many types of people who walked past, laughing at a few of them, before starting the walk back to the hostel where we would be resting. The Temple Bar area was very unsettling to many of our group, with the big city of Dublin seeming so chaotic compared to the peaceful country villages and seaside vacation town of our past 6 days. Father Bob then led a very nice compline service for us all where we all reflected on the occurrences of the day and how it affected us all.
Blair Hood
P.S. Happy Birthday Dad, and I hope you enjoyed the concert you went to.
Today was a nice day. We all were able to sleep in late and rest. We had plenty of time to get ready for the day and make sure that today's lunch was packed and with us.
After we were all ready to go we took about a thirty minute drive to The Giants Causeway. Once we arrived at the visitor center, we all got off the bus in hurry and we accidentally left the cooler of our lunches on the bus. I guess we were to excited to see what the causeway looked like.
While in the visitor center, there was a bunch of exhibits to keep you entertained while waiting for your tour to start. There were exhibits that showed you how the causeway was made, the legend of Finn McCool, and even the life that exists there and in the ocean near it.
Our tour soon began. It was a hike to the causeway. The tour guide gave us all earpieces and a wee little radio to listen to him because it tends to be very windy in some parts of the tour. During the tour he explained the different types of rocks in the area and how they are very alike yet different.
At the end of the tour we all ate lunch (yes we retrieved our cooler) and enjoyed the scenery. Father Bob+ told us all to take about thirty minutes by ourselves to just reflect and take in the affects of the beautiful area. I took a seat nearest to the ocean isolated from everyone else. I had a view of Scotland and even encountered wildlife that washed up on shore. While I was writing in my journal, a wave splashed up near me and I noticed that a Mama Duck and her Ducklings came ashore. It was also very interesting how there are many different shades of water in the area.
Father Bob+ then called everyone back and we went to Dunluce Castle. While we were there, I got lost maybe once or twice and it took me a moment to realize where everyone was. It was also very amazing of how old the castle was and it made me think how many people may have set foot in it during the past. We then left, went to the local grocery store and got food for the next day. We arrived to the hostel, got settled and here I am now typing this blog. -Matt Piston P.S. THEY HAVE KFC IN IRELAND AND THERE IS NO KENTUCKY!
Hello! Today was our day to visit the city Derry/Londonderry. We learned that the name itself is still a controversy with Roman Catholics wanting "Derry" and Protestants wanting "Londonderry." Our tour guide suggested we would be better off if we all called it "legendderry".
We started at the Cathedral of St. Columb. Martin Montgomery who is the youth minister for the diocese. He led us on a tour of ancient churches that were associated with St. Columb (more commonly known as "Columba" to us). Martin brought us across the Peace Bridge which had a very creative and beautiful design.
We then had lunch in a nearby mall and met a tour guide. Our guide took us on a walk on the historical walls that surround the city. The tour helped us understand the conflict that began in the 16th century that has continued until recently. The guide has emphasized how the United States has been helpful in contributing toward peace between the catholics and protestants in Derry.
We then had a local priest from the St. Augustine's Church speak to us about Irish youth drawing on his experience with three teenage children. He shared a lot of wisdom and drew us into conversation about social media and its pluses and minuses. One of his daughters is going to Oak Ridge TN next week as part of the peace process.
Finally we had pizza with nine youth from a local parish. It was a lot of fun talking with kids that are growing up in Ireland.
The best part of the day for me was the tour of the city. It was interesting to hear about the centuries of conflict that are occurring in this small town in Northern Ireland such as the walls and the segregation of catholics from protestants.