My friend from Norway, who is currently here on holiday visiting, and I headed out shopping this morning. Today was a big day in the rugby world with the Heineken Cup semi finals game starting around 5:30. The game was at Croke Park, here in Dublin, so hundreds of people roamed the streets as Courtney and I tried to make our way to Pennys for some shopping. A sea of red crowded around us, on their way to the pub to get a good seat for the game.

Leinster is the Province that Dublin is in and is represent by blue while Munster is another Province represented by the dreadful red that was surrounding us as we pushed through the crowds. Unfortunately Munster was called to win the game with a good record proceeding them and although all of the girls studying here in Dublin knew this, we all represented our Province faithfully by buying blue Leinster shirts and heading to the pub to watch the game on the big screens.

The game started off well with Leinster up by 3 to start matched by Munster soon after. Leinster then gained the lead again making there way up to 11 by the half to Munster's 6. The outlook was good and everyone in the pub were in good spirits, clapping happily with the score.

After the half Leinster kept up the fight holding Munster off from scoring with an incredible interception that took the ball all the way down the field. By the end of the game, the score was 25-6 Leinster and Munster was held off for the last 20 minutes or so of the game.

After some celebratory clapping and cheering ringing out from the pub, our group headed out to the store to pick up pizza's for tomorrow and were met by other fans cheering at our Leinster shirts, all in good spirits for the underdogs who had come up and held their own to win the game!

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 5:01 PM | Permalink

So I know I need to catch up my blogs so the next few blogs will be catch ups from the past month as all the sudden the month is gone and it's almost time to go home!!!... but I'll start with today: se Leinster versus Munster

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 5:00 PM | Permalink

After my morning excursion at the Today Show, as described in my last blog, I headed out to the now crowded streets of Dublin and made my way down the street like fish in a sardine can, shoulder to shoulder pushing this way and that. After walking past Trinity it became very clear that I wasn't going to be seeing much of the parade. I trucked on a little further passing kids who had climbed up street lamp poles, lining the architecture of buildings in the alcoves of windows, and sitting on top of telephone booths just to get a glimpse. There were even people carrying ladders around, knowing that it would be a struggle to see the parade.

I finally found a spot where I could see the parade just through a fence with a green lining tinting my view. I got to see some of the costumes and heard the various bands play but then I decided to head back home for some lunch. I waded through the large crowds of mostly Americans decorated with scarves, hats, and excessive amounts of green clothing and picked up a subway sandwich on my way to St Stephen's Green. I sat on a bench and ate watching groups of teenagers laying on the grass in the sun. I headed home and met up with some of the other girls here who wanted to get some lunch.

Later we headed to the carnival exploring the few rides located right near Marion Square and chose to ride the ferris wheel. We joked around about which color basket we wanted to ride in but we lucked out with the green and rode up high to a beautiful view of the city and found our apartments in the mix of buildings from above.

After the ride we waited in line to get a "softee" or rather a creamy in Vermont terms which was served with a chocolate stick and tasted a lot like whipped cream.

After some dinner we went out to the local bar for a patty's day pint. There were no green, hats or decorations around the place, which was somewhat refreshing. We ended the day the real Irish way, a day off with a pint in our hands.

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 10:38 AM | Permalink

I got an email from my mom a few days ago telling me that the Today Show was heading to Dublin for St Patrick's Day! I was, of course, excited and asked her to watch and tell me where they would be. The first day they were filming about 40 minutes outside the city, but luckily they mentioned where they would be the next day. My mom shot me an email, wrote on my facebook wall, and sent me a skype message just to make SURE that i knew exactly where it was.

Today I woke up around 9:30, which was definitely sleeping in compared to when we saw the show in New York and we got there around 5am. I headed down through the already bustling streets of Dublin to Dublin Castle. At first, when I got there, the gates were closed and it didn't look as if they were letting anyone in. I walked up and down the ally to see if any other gates were open but I was locked out. I went back to the big gate where i saw the marching band waiting to go on air. Suddenly the guard started letting people in, just when I had given up hope. I headed in quickly trying to gain a good spot with my little makeshift sign that said, "My mom is watching! Hi mom dad and megan!"

For the next two hours the small crowd, of mostly Americans and some other tourists who I had to explain to what the Today Show was, moved back and forth from one set to the other just waiting to get a front row chance. In between the shots Meredith was very friendly taking pictures and talking to people. Al also took some pictures but he just wasn't as friendly as Meredith.

Above is a picture of Meredith trying on some St Patty's day gear with a few of the rugby team members in the crowd.

Eventually I made my way to the front during the section with the Irish step dancers and I crossed my fingers that my mom could see me, moving this way and that making sure I wasn't behind Meredith or Al. I called over Al before they started filming then pushed my camera into the poor flustered kid's hands behind me and asked him to take a picture. I have a feeling he had no idea who Al was and a bit shell shocked at my enthusiasm for anyone to take my picture. So here you go mom... I got to see Al this time!

More on Saint Patrick's day tomorrow after the whole day is through!

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 10:39 AM | Permalink

So I have not been blogging the past few weeks and I am very sorry for that... but it was for good reason. I have been flying in and out of Dublin on the weekends to various locations and even took a bus trip up to Northern Ireland with the whole Champlain crew. My travel bug is definitely being treated with so many new sites and landmarks and lifetime to do list check off's.

It all started three weekends ago when we headed to Bruges and Brussels for a girls weekend away and a romantic valentines day with lots and lots of delicious waffles. After arriving at the airport we caught the train into Bruges but it was a little confusing with two different languages and a transfer. We caught the conductor's attention when we accidently sat in first class and then we were told that we had missed our transfer. We hopped off at the next station and danced around at a deserted train stop waiting for the next train to take us back to our transfer station. Once that was all sorted off we were off to Bruges with beautiful countryside and trees that looked straight out of a Harry Potter movie. On the way back we even caught a glimpse of a windmill! Once in Bruges we were mesmerized by the cobblestone streets and old brick buildings. This little medieval town was winding with canals, small shops, and restaurants.

We rushed to our Bed and Breakfast (which we got at the price of a hostel), and met up with the owner who let us in. We were a little shocked when she started speaking Spanish to us. Cassie and I turned to Lindsay, who took Spanish in high school, but we were all confused as to what she was telling us. We continued to nod our heads and smile and eventually settled in our room with private bathroom, half kitchen, and dining area. We spent the next two days wandering around Bruges and exploring the most beautiful town I have ever seen.

On Valentines day we headed back into Brussels for a day's worth of sites and a romantic dinner for three. After seeing the peeing boy and the peeing girl, grand place and much more we settled in at our hostel for a game of gin rummy. That night we slept in a long room lined with bunk beds holding 14 people, 11 of them complete strangers including a boy from Brazil who was studying in London and had perfected his English by watching episodes of Friends. The next morning we caught a very early flight back to Dublin after we somehow made it through to mob of people checking out and caught a train to the airport.

Usually, after a trip like that, you'd want to rest and recover so that is what we did. The next weekend was spent enjoying Dublin and taking time to walk down Grafton and go out to O'Brien's for a pint with the locals, but then it was time to gear up again. After celebrating my 21st birthday on Friday I headed to the airport early Saturday morning to pick up my boyfriend, Sean. I was a bit starry eyed but I managed to retrieve him and get him back to the apartments with enough time to pack up and head out to Northern Ireland for the weekend. Almost all of the Champlain Dublin abroader's climbed onto a tour bus for a weekend of countryside, and history.

Our first stop was Belfast where we took a political tour of the city and had a chance to see the murals and the wall that still divides the city including the gates that continue to close every night. Later that day we headed off to our first castle stop and took a tour followed by a drive through the countryside on the way to our hostel where we crashed for the night.

To Be Continued... (I need to clean up after a weekend in Paris) and pictures to come later because I can only upload them at the academic center....

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 7:45 AM | Permalink

Yesterday, after my science class, I headed out to Gerards, a local sandwich place. I bought myself a delicious sandwich with coleslaw and some other veggies on it, as coleslaw is always an option at a sandwich bar here! I walked the short distance over to St Stephen's Green and found myself an empty park bench. I sat down enjoying watching children sticking their hands in the fountains, reaching their hands up making it just far enough to get their fingers wet. I watched pigeons flapping around and flirting with one another. One would puff out its colorful neck while the other one cooed and walking slowly away. Underneath a Chinese architectural shelter I saw a group warming up to do Tai Chi, stretching out and practicing the motions.

Around 12:30, the business men and women as well as the school children walked through the center of the park in packs, headed home or out for lunch. This happens everyday around the same time and the streets are full with lunch goers and Grafton Street is full and hard to find a path down without following the crowds. You can forget about walking fast, because people are at a medium pace, fast enough to get somewhere, slow enough to enjoy the walk.

After lunch I went to the Chester Beatty Library for class to view the exhibits there. We all enjoyed hot chocolate and coffee afterward and discussed our travel plans. After a quick stop at Dunnes for some last minute grocery shopping, we headed home. Usually we cut through St Stephen's green to get back home, but as soon as the sun starts going down the gates close to the park and it is easier to take the back roads, which have become fairly familiar by now.

Dublin has become very familiar and the consistencies are comforting. After each weekend that I'm away, I can't wait to get back home to Dublin.

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 12:32 PM | Permalink

The first time I flew by myself, I was flying down to Ft Lauderdale to meet a friend. The excitement and freedom of checking in on the automated kiosks and the thrill of de-metal-ing yourself before going through customs.. while waiting in line and walking at the same time, (a talent that has since been perfected), was all I needed for a little adventure in my life. I would make sure to always choose a window seat so that i could look out over the earth and see big patches of field and baseball diamond dirt. I would see mountains, lakes, rivers, and oceans. It was all so intriguing.

I was ready for that excitement again as I prepared to fly to Dublin, flying into Newark for a layover first. I arrived at the airport and they quickly swept me onto an earlier flight because of bad conditions. I walked through security with not one person ahead or behind me and I made it to the gate in time to adjust my bag and board the plane. This is was about the time that I started to dislike airports. Still a bit excited, I found my window seat and sat down next to two very nice ladies, but the rest of the plane was practically empty. Once situated in our squished row I looked out the window for a quick glance. There it was, the ever dreaded wing. I was disappointed. I sat on that plane for about 45 minutes to an hour before we started taxiing the runway for takeoff and a little over an hour or so later, after peeking through the window in front of me where the wing wasn't abstracting my vision, I was in Newark.

I enjoyed a $4.00 bottle of water and a delicious sandwich while waiting for my flight to leave, at this point already delayed about 20 minutes. Everyone scrambled to the line with their carry-ons askew from trying to entertain themselves, once the announcements for boarding started. After taxiing the runway for close to two hours, we departed. I arrived safely in Dublin with a greeting from a chauffeur and Stephen, the head of the program here.

I still seemed to be OK with airports at this point as two other girls and I booked our flights to various European destinations. After the first trip last weekend, I was even ready to take on the airport again this weekend until... dun dun dun

We took the 14 euro (return) bus to the airport, made our way through security, got a slightly expensive sandwich and water, and sat and waited with a slight pity for all of those other flyers whose flights seemed to be switching to canceled on the big screens. We waited.

and we waited.

And then we checked the screen, just to make sure. And sure enough, there it was in small innocent white letters, the word that would cause us the rest of the day, our feet, our minds, and our money. CANCELED. We could not believe that a flight to Barcelona would be canceled. With the small portion of little money that I have left sitting in my pocket, I slowly came to realize just how much we had lost. We were directed to a long, which seemed short at first, but ended up being about 4 hours line. During this time we went through the fazes:

Faze 1: hahaha ohhh that stinks maybe there is another flight or we'll just go home whateverr
Faze 2: hmmm I don't think we're going to get another flight out, we'll just get our money back.
Faze 3: wow this line is long let's play a game
Faze 4: It has been 2 hours, we're so not getting there let's call the hostel and cancel, costing us the first night (18euro each)
Faze 5: Wow we paid 14 euro each for the bus and 18 euro each for the hostel ughh that's 32 euro... this really really stinks and ensue frustration.
Faze 6: lady behind us on the phone with ryanair figures out that she will not be refunded for return flight as THAT flight hasn't been canceled.... begin anger and add on another 25 euro to the tab of lost money
Faze 7: Finally make it to the counter after 4 hours to recieve a piece of paper with a fax number on it, find out that we could fly out sunday and fly back sunday, and that Madrid is booked... even though we did not ask about it, the lady felt the need to tell us 4 times.
Faze 8: mope all the way home

After we made it back home and dropped our stuff, we ranted, got our emotions out... as I am doing now a bit...

and then we went to Porter House and got the best fish and chips I have ever tasted, which made everything ok in the end... well for the most part.

Next weekend, our romantic valentines weekend away in Bruges and Brussels, will be a test of my love for the airport. I might have anger and hatred toward Ryanair but we'll be flying Aer lingus from now on, so I can't hate the airport too much! :)

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 12:53 PM | Permalink

This past weekend I had the chance to journey to Nice, France with two lovely ladies, Cassie and Lindsay. We left our apartments at 8am headed for the Aircoach stop on Lower Leeson Street, a block or so up from the academic center. The Aircoach is a bus that costs 7 Euro each way that took us right to Dublin Airport to catch our Aer Lingus flight to France. Once at the airport we looked around, a bit confused, trying to figure out where we were supposed to check in. Eventually we made our way upstairs, led by a sign stating, "check in 1-13"; I was nervous that we would need 14+, and I saw no additional signs for these.

Once checked in, we walked in one direction, then turned to walk in the other, then looked at one another and laughed. Finally we found our way to our gate and waited patiently while reading Irish History books for class. It was about a two hour flight of sleeping, reading, and writing with incredible views of the Alps and beautiful landscapes mixed with clouds and sky.

As we started our descent we were greeted with incredible views of an oceanside city. I was a bit nervous, as it looked like we were landing on the ocean, but a strip of runway appeared our of nowhere. We got off the plane to find ourselves surrounded by palm trees and sun. Once we found our way out of the airport, warmish air surrounded us and we found the bus that we were supposed to take.

The bus took us to the train station which was very close to our hostel. This hostel was basically a hotel where we had a private room with a bathroom and big french doors leading to a balcony. We spent the first day exploring our new surroundings and finding that the French don't really eat out for lunch. We walked out onto the main strip which was filled with pedestrians, big stores, cafe's, and a metro running up and down the middle. After we found some food we headed down to the water for a feel of the Mediterranean and some time to watch the waves. We watched the sunset over the city and the lights turn on down the strip. It was breathtaking.

That night we went to a restaurant on the market street down by the water. We dined on pizza, water (which came in a vase like bottle), and a bottle of wine recommended by our rather attractive English speaking waiter. For desert we enjoyed crepes filled with either chocolate or Nutella, which were so delicious, and laughed about the magnetism of our utensils to the table. That night we went back to the hostel and watched CNN, the only English channel on the TV.

Our second day in France started bright and early. We geared up and headed toward the water again and stopped for some delicious breakfast to go. I tested my french out, as I did a few times, and was excited to be understood. I had a Pain au Chocolate, which was basically a croissant with chocolate pieces in it. Once down by the water we headed up the stairs that led to the top of a large hill/mountain/park. We spent the morning climbing up to see beautiful panoramic views and some old ruins.

After the hike we hit up the public market which was located on a street completely dedicated to this daily market, filled with flowers, foods, and other goods. We bought ourself a baguette, a slice of brie, and a focaccia type of bread with peppers on top. We brought our 5 euro feast down to the water and watched the waves, enjoying our finds.

That afternoon we headed back and found ourselves on a pedestrian street, famous for its shops. We found a jewelry store where you had to take a number to get assistance, but everything was fairly cheap and I ended up getting a pair of earrings and fake pearls for 3 euro total. After a long day of walking we went back to the hostel and rested for an hour or so before going back out to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner. After another delicious meal we went to a gelato stand that we had found earlier that day and walked home trying to forget the cold while devouring the gelato.

The next morning we woke up and packed up our stuff. We checked out of the hostel and headed in search for more Pain au Chocolate. The place that we went to the day before was closed, but we ended up finding some at the market, where we went to get another baguette, more brie, and another focaccia for lunch that day. We visited the beach one last time and ate our breakfast before journeying to find the Russian Cathedral. We hiked past the train station, backpacks weighing us down, and finally made it to the beautiful Cathedral where we quickly took a few pictures, ran inside, observed, and quickly walked back to the train station to catch our bus to the airport.

We made it safely home and spent the evening relaxing. Nice was beautiful and it was a very relaxing weekend. It made me really excited for our next trip to Barcelona this coming weekend where I will get to see me best best best friend from home who is studying in Spain. It also gave me a chance to speak a little French, which made me want to finish learning it and allowed me to view a new culture, which is always very intriguing and very exciting.

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 4:58 PM | Permalink

One major thing about leaving the comforts of home is the food. You don't realize until your gone how attached to your food and food sources you are. I didn't think I'd ever find myself missing Shaws, but here I am lost in food departments located in the basement of clothing stores wondering where the heck the tofu is, mind you I'm almost positive that tofu does not exist in Ireland. I find myself craving dark chocolate, mostly because that's the only thing that is exactly the same and... well it's chocolate, enough said.

When I get back I am VERY excited for my mother's kitchen where there is a snack cabinet and plenty of ingredients. This comes with the territory of living in apartment anywhere, though, because you never want to splurge the extra 5 dollars for brown sugar or spices. I am also ready for some Panera, Wings over Burlington, Boloco, City Market sandwiches, and GOOD vegetarian food. I don't think they believe in vegetarians here.. they must just not exist.

After being abroad in Montreal, though, I know that when I get back I will be craving foods from here. There is an AMAZING vegetarian Thai food place right near the Academic Center in Montreal that I just couldn't get enough of. I'm sure I'll be craving the best cod fish and chips when I get back, but wont be able to satisfy that craving fully because it's just SO good here. Also, the best bean burger of my life is from Burger King, although I haven't had fast food in years, I find myself wandering in there once in a while. It is just that good and probably the only vegetarian sandwich in town.

Other comforts are the ability to do laundry without wondering if your clothes will dry fully, being able to use a cell phone to call home and friends at home, and my own bed. No matter where you go, you will always miss something, but eventually you get used to it all and you find yourself calling another place home.

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 9:25 AM | Permalink

The weather in Dublin is the most unpredictable thing I have ever encountered. This morning, as I was walking to class, I found myself fairly warm in a thick sweater and boots with no gloves of hat or anything. I must have been sleepy this morning and forgotten the rules of the roads of Dublin, though, because after my first class I went outside and found myself freezing. I could see my breath in our small private courtyard behind the school as we looked at the rocks on the surrounding walls to find sedimentary rocks.

For some reason, it felt like it was going to snow. The wind was so frigid but the sun was out and it felt like it should have been warm. So far I have found that it is cold when it looks warm and warm when it looks cold. Also, your best bet is always to pack a raincoat, forget the umbrella because when it rains it is always windy, dress in layers, throw some gloves and a hat in your bag, and just because it is cold during the day does not mean it will be cold at night.

I went back to my apartment to bundle up before Seminar in Contemporary World Issues because we were to meet at St Stephen's Green for a walking tour around the park, up Grafton Street, and around Trinity College. I put on gloves, a hat, and a long coat over my thick sweater. I was still cold. The walking tour was still great, though, and we got a chance to see parts of the park that we hadn't seen and learned a bit about the history of our surrounding area.

The rain, however, has only caught me a few times as it is usually the temperature that catches me off guard. Two days ago a group of us went to Malahide to see Malahide Castle. We got two for one tickets for the castle tour and took the train for about 5 euro round trip, which made for the perfect day trip. The weather was beautiful all morning as we toured the castle with a somewhat odd voice system to guide us along and give us the history and information about it. It almost felt like someone was watching us as the doors would open by themselves to allow us into the next rooms.

Once the tour was over we visited the gift shop and then headed back through the park with beautiful trees lined with vines and perfect green fields; I later found out that the mysterious brilliance of the green was most likely due to the random bits of rain that we were to encounter that afternoon. We made it into town by direction of a couple, who were very friendly locals, and to the restaurant we planned to eat lunch at, which had the BEST fish and chips so far, is actually owned by U2 and is recommended by the locals.

When we left the restaurant, it started to rain. It wasn't pouring out, but the wind whipped the rain into your face and made it very difficult to walk back to the train station. When we got back the rain and wind was worse and we made our way home in hopes that our heat was on high and our sweatpants would be in the clean pile.

I'm learning to deal with the weather, though, and it's typically between 40 and 50 Fahrenheit. For all of those in New England right now and to my friends and family deep in the snow, stay warm or head to the slopes, but to Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Papa, the Kuells, and anyone else down in the warmth of the south... I am still jealous of your weather!

Posted by Caitlin Patey at 12:19 PM | Permalink