Back from the wild west
Dec. 25th, 2005 11:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolorosa_12I haven't been able to update my LJ for a while because I've been over in the west of Ireland, which is a bit removed from civilisation. We got back yesterday afternoon.
We spent three days in Oughterard (pronounced 'ook ter ard'), which is a small town about an hour away from Galway, in the far west of Ireland. It was absolutely beautiful!! We spent our days driving around and walking. It poured with rain, and my jeans are encrusted with mud, but I've decided that Galway and Clare are the place for me! The scenery is like the landscape of my imagination, all muddy green fields with stone walls instead of fences, mountains disappearing into the mist, and wild cliffs and oceans. Every so often you'll see a ruined stone farmhouse or castle left over from when the English ruled Ireland. There were parts where we visited which are called the 'Gaeltacht', which means that Irish is still the first language spoken by people there, but I didn't get a chance to speak to them. When I've heard Irish spoken here, it's too fast for me to understand anything but 'agus', which means 'and'!
I was worried, when I came to Dublin, that I wasn't feeling anything particularly much, but that all changed when I got to Galway. It felt like I was coming home, to a place which I imagined, or read about, but didn't realise existed...but don't worry, I miss you all and won't be leaving you any time soon!!
Everyone was so friendly, always wanting to talk about what Australia was like etc, and so on...
When we got back to Dublin, we had to walk around for ages with our bags, and then wait for about an hour for a table at this groovy restaurant which we've been to quite a bit while here. I was not in the best of moods after this, but oh well.
Everything was just insane, because Christmas Eve shopping was happening, and you could hardly move for the crowds. When we came back on the bus, it was so crowded, I had to keep getting out to let people off before getting on again.
It's Christmas day now, and I feel a little melancholy, since I'm only here with my mum. Already both sides of the family have called and spoken to me, and I'm missing them a bit, especially my awesome little sister Mimi. We're in a hotel with lots of people, though, luckily. I'd feel worse if it was just us and the poor souls who have to work on Christmas...
The coolest thing which happened in Ireland:
Hearing my favourite song by one of my favourite bands, The Pogues. The song is called 'Fairytale of New York', and it is just so bittersweetly beautifully tragic, and it is a Christmas song (but not in that sappy Christmas carols in shops style...) by an Irish band, and I heard it in Ireland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you're all having a good Christmas, or Hanukkah, or whatever...
We spent three days in Oughterard (pronounced 'ook ter ard'), which is a small town about an hour away from Galway, in the far west of Ireland. It was absolutely beautiful!! We spent our days driving around and walking. It poured with rain, and my jeans are encrusted with mud, but I've decided that Galway and Clare are the place for me! The scenery is like the landscape of my imagination, all muddy green fields with stone walls instead of fences, mountains disappearing into the mist, and wild cliffs and oceans. Every so often you'll see a ruined stone farmhouse or castle left over from when the English ruled Ireland. There were parts where we visited which are called the 'Gaeltacht', which means that Irish is still the first language spoken by people there, but I didn't get a chance to speak to them. When I've heard Irish spoken here, it's too fast for me to understand anything but 'agus', which means 'and'!
I was worried, when I came to Dublin, that I wasn't feeling anything particularly much, but that all changed when I got to Galway. It felt like I was coming home, to a place which I imagined, or read about, but didn't realise existed...but don't worry, I miss you all and won't be leaving you any time soon!!
Everyone was so friendly, always wanting to talk about what Australia was like etc, and so on...
When we got back to Dublin, we had to walk around for ages with our bags, and then wait for about an hour for a table at this groovy restaurant which we've been to quite a bit while here. I was not in the best of moods after this, but oh well.
Everything was just insane, because Christmas Eve shopping was happening, and you could hardly move for the crowds. When we came back on the bus, it was so crowded, I had to keep getting out to let people off before getting on again.
It's Christmas day now, and I feel a little melancholy, since I'm only here with my mum. Already both sides of the family have called and spoken to me, and I'm missing them a bit, especially my awesome little sister Mimi. We're in a hotel with lots of people, though, luckily. I'd feel worse if it was just us and the poor souls who have to work on Christmas...
The coolest thing which happened in Ireland:
Hearing my favourite song by one of my favourite bands, The Pogues. The song is called 'Fairytale of New York', and it is just so bittersweetly beautifully tragic, and it is a Christmas song (but not in that sappy Christmas carols in shops style...) by an Irish band, and I heard it in Ireland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you're all having a good Christmas, or Hanukkah, or whatever...