Being a tourist is exhausting. Yesterday a group of about 12 or 14 of us got an early morning and hopped a train to Blarney to visit the castle and of course kiss the stone! If you don't know what this tradition/ tourist attraction/ myth consists of, basically it is said that if you lay on your back, throw your head over a wall and have a creepy man hold onto you while you kiss a stone a foot away from you that many others before you have kissed as well, it is said that you will be given the "gift of gab". Even though it might very well be a ridiculous tradition, it still was fun to experience. I do have a picture and will be sure to upload later :) After looking around the castle a little bit more we decided to grab some lunch, coffee, look around some shops and then head back to town. Once in town we wandered over to the English Market where you can find a variety of local cheese's, breads, meats, and fish. It was a very interesting experience to say the least. The meats looked incredibly fresh, the bread and cheese smelt amazing, and the fish was quite fishy, eyes and all. There also was animal tongue, intestines, and and a variety of organs for sale. Yum! After an exhausting but fun morning we headed back to the apartment for some R&R and dinner (spaghetti O's and pizza). That night the huge US vs. UK world cup game was on so downtown was crazy. We decided to experience the madness of it all and go out for a little bit. After the game we explored the town a little bit more and ended the night off with McDonalds, which is open 24/7 here, and a very overpriced taxi ride home.
That night consisted of memories that were by far my favorite to date. I am getting so close to the girls here and love every one of them! We have already had several heart to hearts, which are my favorite, and are learning so much about each other as well as where everyone is from. My one room mate, Jill, is the from South Dakota and the farthest from us all. Us Florida and Georgia girls sure have learned a lot about life in SD! I am also learning a lot about Georgia and life in the real south. I think I have enjoyed getting to know everyone as much as I have enjoyed this beautiful country.
Today we went on a tour of East County Cork. First we went to the cost in a town called Ballycotton which was beautiful. We took some pictures by the water and then went to a near by hotel where we had tea and scones. Delicious! After that we headed over to another town called Youghal (pronounced Ya'll) where we had lunch and then went to the "wall" where we saw and church and climbed a hill to see a gorgeous view of the city. Barryscourt castle was the last stop on our tour where we had a tour of the castle and learned a little bit more about some Irish history.
That was the end of our day, and overall first weekend here! It was most definitely amazing as well as exahusting. Tomorrow we are looking around all the COPE foundation settings and then Tuesday starts the first day of work! The wireless is still not up but tons have pictures have been taken and I will be sure to upload them soon! Love and miss everyone!
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