To the land of sheep (Schafe) and green grass.

First stop on my mid-semester break adventure was Limerick, Ireland and the University of Limerick. My friend Julia from Chapman was super awesome and let me stay a few nights in her student housing, and I had a terrific time exploring the city and the (gorgeous) university. Limerick is the third largest city in Ireland, though it’s definitely not a tourist town.

I was nearly overwhelmed with the cheerful kindness of the Irish- look confused on the sidewalk and someone will undoubtedly ask if you need directions. The busses don’t exactly run on time, and this combined with the general atmosphere felt quite different than the orderliness of Berlin. The restaurants and pubs are also loud; much, much, more boisterous than any spots in Berlin. The Germans are just quiet people.

Julia’s friend Danny was a terrific chap and took us to a hurling match, a sport surprisingly similar to LaCrosse, though played with short wooden paddles and a good deal more contact. Limerick won the game, AND I got insider info throughout the match from an elderly irishman sitting next to me. Cheers.

The next stop after Limerick was Dublin, where I met up with Allie. Dublin is an interesting place- our hostel was right in Temple Bar, which is definitely the most pub-filled touristy section of the city. It’s a great place to stay for sure, but I’m not sure that we really found “authentic” Dublin.

We had a great time nonetheless, and had a look around most of the city’s big sites. The Guinness tour was a fun distraction, and we even saw King Lear at the Abbey Theater. Live professional theater always makes me feel sophisticated.

The next day found us in Howth, a coastal town only thirty minutes from the city. We made a great hike out of the trip and I definitely felt a little longing for home. I miss the water!

We also visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a monument not only to St. Patrick but also to Jonathan Swift–Irish satirist extraordinaire and author of A Modest Proposal.

Only in Ireland.

Next up was London- I’ll put that in the next post!