strut like you mean it ~ barcelona!

Barcelona. Every time I told someone I was studying abroad Barcelona was their first suggestion on places to go. So I took that into consideration and we booked our trip to Barcelona! What a fantastic trip it was! I have to say out of all the trip we've taken so far, this has been the one that has felt the most like a vacation. And that's because it included BEACH TIME. Although the Spaniards like to REALLY strut their stuff we decided to tan/swim the old American way! I saw so many amazing architectural structures and marveled endlessly through the Park Guell (my favorite part). Here's a look at what we saw:

Rome-ing around Italy

Italy. What a beautiful, beautiful country. I spend a lot of time reminding people that I am part Italian. I will probably do more often due to the outstanding food Italy offers. We booked a substantial amount of time in Italy and so we decided to check out as much of the country that we could. Based on the way the prices were going, the cheapest place to land for our dates and location was Pisa. We knew that basically the only thing worth seeing in Pisa was the Leaning Tower and therefore we immediately took a train to Florence. My favorite city in Italy so far, Florence (Firenze) was easy to explore. I really enjoyed walking around the markets, which were placed alongside buildings of grand architecture. As Deirdre, Molly, Elisabeth, and I were attempting to make our way to the David, we stumbled upon what is my favorite cathedral in Europe to date, the Duomo. We noted this magnificent building and promised ourselves we would return the next morning when it was open. Italy absolutely never disappoints in all things food related. I believe we started off with a bang and ordered some sort of pasta dish for dinner. Of course, gelato was the perfect was to end the evening and we figured we would rest up for our early morning the next day. We found ourselves back at the Duomo and decided to climb to the top of the tower. There are two things you can climb at the Duomo, the dome or the tower. By climbing the tower, we thought that we would get the same breathtaking views while also being able to capture the dome itself in our pictures. Although climbing the tower became a bit tight at certain spots, the view was absolutely worth it. One of the finest joys was the non-committal we felt in doing things at certain times. We wandered around the city on our own time, picking and choosing the streets and avenues we wished to walk down. Here are some images from Pisa and Florence:

   
Left: Me "holding" up the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Above: Elisabeth and me at a cafe in Pisa

Elisabeth, Molly, and me in front of the Duomo

Great view of the dome of the Duomo

Florence

The dome of the Duomo

After exploring Florence at bit more, we took the train to Cinque Terre. We finally arrived in this beautiful Italian town on the coast. Even though we had a short amount of time there we, again, ate some glorious food and enjoyed our surroundings a lot. After catching the train going the wrong way and then fixing our mistake we were finally on our way to ROMA!!! Of course nothing is easy when you're in a different country and inevitably we showed up a few hours late. Meeting times were moved and by the grace of God (literally thanks, Sister at the Vatican!) we managed to locate our tickets for Easter Sunday Mass as well as our lovely tour guide - Paul! Paul is a friend of Elisabeth's and Deirdre's who's studying abroad in Rome and showed us around all the tourist attractions with precision. Easter Mass was absolutely breathtaking, a complete wonder. It was all the more special that it was Pope Francis' first Easter Vigil! Here are some picture from the rest of our stay:

Two Gonyers and a Grego

Hello, you!

Welcome back to the story of my glorious study abroad adventures. I left you all with a bit of a cliff hanger... Well, not so much actually because there is no questioning how a visit from my best friend Tess Gonyer and her mom would turn out... It was EPICALLY AWESOME. Annie and I met up with Tess and her mother, affectionately known as Renata, shortly after their bus arrived from Dublin. They were staying at a beautiful hotel located just off of Galway Bay and right near city centre. Knowing they would be ready for a meal after their day of traveling, we ate at a nice place on the main street in town. It was wonderful to have Annie, Tess, and Renata all in the same place enjoying a meal with me. The conversations flowed nicely as though we had never been apart. It became obvious that everyone was pretty excited for our trip the next day to the Cliffs of Moher. We met at the New Coach Bus Station Saturday the 16th of March to join Galway Tour Company on a trek across County Clare and the Burren towards the Cliffs. Along the way to the Cliffs we stopped at some interesting places such as: Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara, Corcomroe Abbey, Poulnabrone Dolmen, Ballyalban Fairy Fort, the High Crosses at Kilfenora, Doolin, Lisdoonvarna, and many other photo stops. Here's a look at our journey:

Annie, Tess, and I at Dunguaire Castle (Photo credit: Tess Gonyer)

 Renata, Tess and I at the fairy fort (Photo credit: Annie Hipple)

Tess, Annie, and I at the fairy fort (Photo credit: Tess Gonyer)

Annie, Tess, and I at the Cliffs (Photo credit: Tess Gonyer)

Got a little too close to the edge (Photo credit: Annie Hipple)

The fun continued the next day, Saint Patrick's Day. We rose in the morning to a breakfast made by Meghan, her boyfriend Connor, Elisabeth, and Deirdre. We readied ourselves for the parade and then made our way down to Shop Street in order to see it. After the parade we went straight to the pub (Taaffes) and grabbed a spot. The music was already playing as the people flooded in off the street, some in better shape than others. Quickly the pubs walls were filled with tourists, locals, and staff. The mission was to celebrate the holiday properly and that we did. Have a look:

Annie and I reppin the Irish flag 

Even the army men were wearing green

Elisabeth and I amongst the crowd

Glimpse at the parade

So excited to be in Ireland for St. Pat's Day!

Tess and I doing the Tommy Timberlakes dance 

After a bit, Tess and I walked Annie to the bus station. She continued on her way back home, and the next day Tess, Renata, and I went on a tour of Connemara. This tour was especially important to me because it is the area that both my mother's parents were from. The Connemara region of Galway is known for its strong Gaelic influence. In the village my grandmother Della Sullivan (nee McDonagh) was born, Carna, Gaelic is widely used by the inhabitants. My grandmother, whose real birth name was Brigid McDonagh (she changed her first name upon arrival in the States), left Ireland when she was about 15 years old. She was one of 11 children. My grandfather, Martin Sullivan, was born and raised in Recess. His village is also located in the Connemara region of County Galway. He left Ireland to go to America when he was about 15 years old as well. He was one of 13 children. Believe it or not, the towns that my grandparents were from on this island country were 14 miles apart. For those of you reading this that are not related to me and have not already heard this amazingly beautiful love story, the two of them did not meet in their native country, despite their close proximity. Instead, they met over 3,000 miles away from home in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago would become their new home and thus my existence becomes possible. Their entire story is really one for the books. In fact, more on that later. 

Another reason I was particularly excited about this tour was that we would get to see Cong, County Mayo. Again, if you are reading this AND are related to me via my mother's side, you have most likely watched a little movie called The Quiet Man... several times. This Oscar winning movie directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, and the hysterical Barry Fitzgerald, was filmed in this quaint, small Irish town. I had told Tess prior to her trip that if she was interested in seeing a movie that really showcased Ireland's landscape, she should watch The Quiet Man. That made stopping off in Cong even better. We could both visualize Michaleen Oge Flynn chasing the runaway couple, Sean Thorton and Mary Kate Danaher, and suddenly being stopped by his horse in front of the local pub, Cohan's. Michaleen's response is one that remains funny no matter how many times you see the film: "I... I Think you have more sense then I have me-self." Although Ford does a great job of capturing what Ireland has to offer, nothing is better than experiencing it yourself. We weaved in and out of Galway and Mayo seeing the gorgeous sights Connemara has to offer. Mountains encasing our view, water falling over rocks, and sheep lined our way on this tour. Here's a look at some of our stops:

Tess and I in front of Cohan's Bar

Tess, Renata, and I in front of Kylemore Abbey

The next days Tess, Renata, and I did some touring and shopping around Galway. I had the best time catching up with them and introducing them to my family's heritage. It was so great to see familiar faces and to be able to discover new things with old friends. I absolutely adored having them visit and was truly sad to see them go. As they continued their vacation in Dublin, I readied myself for more visitors and more trips to mainland Europe. 

I will leave you all with these words from Michaleen in The Quiet Man (1952):

"Well it's a nice, soft night, so I think I'll go and join me comrades, and talk a little treason."

Hipple Hits the Homeland

Hello again friends and family...

Is there anyone still out there?!?

Just kidding, I know you were all patiently waiting for this excellent post... several weeks in the making! One of the phrases that I have constantly heard people say is: "time flies when you're having fun." Boy, did the time fly. That is why I have so much to write about and why I had absolutely no time to write it. I was having too much fun. Well, here's another glimpse into my life these past few months. Hope you enjoy the ride!

Once upon a time on a rainy day in March, I received the one-worded text message that meant my best friend Annie Hipple was coming to visit. The text read: "ON!!!!" and I immediately knew that my friend, who is a frequent standby flyer, had made it on her flight and was on her way to visit me. After screams of joy and excitement, the next task was to book a bed and breakfast or hostel in Cork, as that would be her destination. Cork turned out to be the perfect spot to meet Annie because it also happened to be one of the places connected to her family. Luckily, Molly and Elisabeth had been deciding on a place to visit that weekend too, so on March 9th the three of us set out on our trek towards Cork. This would be Molly, Annie, and my first time in Cork but Elisabeth's second. Everyone was really excited to see a new city and I was even more excited to see Annie! As we got into the city we spotted our first stop -- the Tourist Office. We picked up some maps and saw signs for tours departing from the city the next day. After grabbing a handful of pamphlets, Elisabeth and Molly waited inside a coffee shop while I went to the bus station to meet Annie. It was a relief to find Annie amidst a group of unfamiliar faces moving through the bus station. Meeting up with Annie was a success and it really seemed that the rest of the trip followed suit. We walked our stuff to the bed and breakfast and were greeted by the lovely receptionist, Kathleen. She let us go to our room earlier than expected and even told us to venture out to their backyard and play with the chickens.

This is what happens when you put a girl who is afraid of birds (Molly) next to chickens.
Photo credit: Annie Hipple

After meeting and playing with the chickens, we decided to check out the Cork City Gaol (Cork City Jail). The walk to the Gaol turned into a tour of the city itself. 

Cork City Cricket Club (I like alliteration) 

Annie and I made a pit stop before entering the Gaol! 

Outside the Gaol!

Inside the Gaol!

The Cork City Gaol offered us a look into the different cells and stories of prisoners throughout its history. I got a creepy feeling the entire time we walked through its walls. It didn't help that the staff rigged a soundtrack of jail-like sounds. I kept hearing chains, slamming cell doors, and stomping feet as I stepped in and out of the tiny cells. After a quick dinner the girls and I went to a pub where we heard traditional music. We each tried a pint of Murphys and decided after hearing heavy rainfall that it was time to head back to the bed and breakfast. The next day we went on a bus tour conducted by the Paddywagon tour company to Blarney Castle and Cobh. Once at Blarney Castle and enjoying the many aspects it has to offer, it became apparent that we must kiss the Blarney Stone. Famed around the world for bestowing the "gift of the gab" onto whoever kisses it, the Blarney Stone has become a very popular tourist attraction. After locking lips with this somewhat disgusting piece of limestone, the person would then be "talking blarney." 

Blarney Castle from afar

Blarney Castle up close

Kissing the Blarney Stone!

After we spent some time at Blarney Castle (we even made wishes at the Wishing Steps!), the tour continued on towards Cobh. Located at the southern tip of Ireland, Cobh (pronounced Cove -- the 'bh' in Gaelic is a 'v' sound) is a town known for its maritime history. Several cruise liners picked up and dropped off passengers in Cobh. The most famous of them all being the RMS Titanic (which makes my introductory video a little ironic). Many people do not know that the Titanic's last stop before it hit that fateful iceberg was in Ireland. In fact, some passengers on the Titanic actually got off at Cobh and, in essence, survived one of the most famous tragedies. Yet another famous boat is tied to the town. The RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat right by the town of Kinsale. Its survivors and victims were brought to Cobh and over a hundred of the victims were buried just outside the town. Due to these two major events, Cobh has memorials set up honoring the victims in its town centre. The town also boasts a cathedral called, St. Colman's. It is very picturesque to look out upon the water from the hill where the cathedral rests. 

                   St. Colman's Cathedral                                                               Up close   

Colorful houses

Colorful boats

Colorful town

Cobh, County Cork

After our wonderful day tour of Blarney and Cobh, we caught a bus from Cork back to Galway. Monday and Tuesday, Annie and I spent our time walking around Galway and doing a bit of shopping at the ever-popular Penneys. As a male worker in the Cork City Tourist Office even explained, "all of Ireland is obsessed with Penneys." I like to refer to Penneys as a glorified Forever 21. Great deals, great styles, thrown in with a little bit of risk as far as quality goes. Overall, I have had great success at Penneys and would highly recommend it. The next day, Annie and I travelled to to the Aran Islands located in Galway Bay. The journey consisted of a bus ride to a village in Connemara called Ros an Mhíl (or Rossaveal) and then a ferry to an island of your choice. 

We choose to go to Inis Mór, which means The Big Island, as it is the most visited and held some interesting attractions we wanted to see. Once on the island we decided to take a bus tour because we thought it would be the best way to move around the island. This turned out to be a great decision on our part because we met Bertie, a local man born and raised on Inis Mór. The Aran Islands are made up of three islands which all speak Gaelic. Bertie shared with us a few phrases and sayings in Gaelic and it was pretty neat hearing the locals speak to each other in Gaelic. One of the things that Bertie said that I remembered most was, "Have a drink, think about it, have another drink, forget about it." Aside from the alcohol, this motto can prove helpful in most modern-day worries. The trick most of the time when something is bothering you is to not harp on it and move on. That's really why I liked his phrase so much :). This has been true for my entire experience thus far in Ireland. Bertie took us on the main "highway" of the island, which turned out to be what looked like a one-lane street. Watching him maneuver the bus to the side while another car squished its way around him was absolutely fascinating; it was an art form. Bertie showed us where they filmed scenes in Leap Year and he took us up to what I believe is the most beautiful part of the island, Dun Aengus. Dun Aengus is a fort located on the edge of the island and boasts beautiful views of the ocean. Unlike the Cliffs of Moher, Dun Aengus has no barriers. Of course the height of it is not as tall as the Cliffs, however, the sights are stunning. 

Dun Aengus Fort

Dun Aengus 

Sitting on the edge of the world with my best friend

Horses!

Best Friends <3

Annie and her pal 

Leap Year road!!!

Annie and I had such a blast finding our way around the island. The next day Annie and I ventured into town again and grew increasingly excited for quite a few upcoming events, including: the arrival of Tess and her mom, the Cliffs of Moher tour, and Saint Patrick's Day in Galway. Sadly, that meant that we were getting near the end of Annie's stay as she had to catch on bus out of Galway on St. Pat's Day. But what better way to end a journey than celebrating? As Olive Pendergast states in Easy A, "not with a fizzle but with a bang"! But more on that in the next blog post... :)

For now, I'll just leave you with this:

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." -Oscar Wilde