Ireland Draws to a Close

Photo Cred: Probably the Kilkenny website/app
Kilkenny Castle

On our final day of travel before we returned to Dublin, we went to Kilkenny Castle. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside of the Castle because have to preserve the Victorian Aged Castle and all the art work, so if you want pictures you can download the Kilkenny Castle app that they have at their website. Apparently it gives you all sorts of cool information too. So we got to go on a tour of that, it felt rather rushed by I'm sure that is just because we walked fast. In Kilkenny Castle, the nursery room was a heck of a lot more fancy than any room I've ever had. They also had a Chinese style room to display their wealth, we were in the guest corridor, so they had to show off by putting stuff they had gotten from China in a guest bedroom. Apparently that was a theme. Then the entrance room had an original table that didn't get auctioned away like everything else when the house was sold simply because it was a huge, heavy table. Who would wanna move it after all right? Kilkenny had grounds that were open to the public and they were very peaceful and nice to wander around in. Then my mum and I went on a walk through Kilkenny during daylight hours and checked everything out there before having a quick lunch and heading to the bus.

Photo Cred: Mum
Kilkenny Castle: Some House

On our way back to the bus however, we got distracted and ended up going into the Kilkenny Castle's stableyard that was right across the street. It had been turned into a gallery to show off art and such and had this house that is kindly labeled "Some House" above, behind the stableyard. The yard was very nicely kept I will tell you that. The house had vines growing all over it, don't worry I have a close up of it. Vines are so pretty clinging to houses, too bad its not good for the houses right?

Photo Cred: Mum
Kilkenny Castle: Some House

Photo Cred: Mum
Kilkenny Castle: Stable yard

After Kilkenny Castle, we got on the bus and headed back to Dublin. We were supposed to hit the St. Patty's Church when we got to Dublin, but seeing as how it was Good Friday, the church was only open for praying or something. We snuck in under the pretense that we were praying and just slowly walked to the pews and then slowly walked to the bathroom and then slowly walked out in order to see. We didn't get the tour that we were supposed to have, but I wasn't interested anyway so s'all cool. Since we didn't get the tour we were given free time to explore Dublin. My mum, Fancy Lady, and I went to the Trinity College Library in order to see the Book of Kells, which I wasn't actually going for but had nothing better to do and it was a Library so why not go along? Also Fancy Lady is the president of my mum's college, my lil sister calls her Fancy Lady so I decided I'm gonna as well. 

The library was pretty great, we arrived with 15 minutes until it was gonna closed so we slightly cut it short but still got to see a lot. I decided that I'm gonna get a library like that in my house someday because it was grand and I probably need just about that many books. I also most definitely need a spiral staircase or 5 in my library.

Photo Cred: Mildred
Trinity College Library

Photo Cred: Mildred
Trinity College Library

Then we walked around Dublin after that closed for about an hour before heading to our hotel for dinner and sleeping. Mum and I went on a walk after dinner too down a path I saw on my first night in Dublin when I walked to the hotel. 

Photo Cred: Mum
Natural History Museum: Mosaic Floor

Photo Cred: Mum
Natural History Museum: Ceiling

The next day, I decided I wanted to be at the airport by noon so my backpack and all my belongings went with me on our free day in Dublin. Mum, Kalene, and I ended up at the Natural History Museum, where most people ended up, and we went and saw the bog folk. Their bodies had been preserved in the bog, so they were super old dead bodies that were actually pretty well preserved. We also got to see bog butter, because back in the day they didn't have fridges to store stuff, so they stored it in the bog to keep it from going bad. Pretty nifty use for the bog I'd say. The bog is also used for heating, so they cut out the turf or whatever and burn it, which is why people are at risk of falling into the bog and being lost forever because you don't know where they cut the bog up and left a hole. After the museum, I hopped on a bus, went to the Dublin airport, was delayed like an hour without being told. We stood in line to get on the plane, because once your gate is announced you just start standing in line, especially when it claims you're boarding, but the plane wasn't even there until about an hour later. Then I flew to Barcelona and spent the night playing games and reading stories in the airport before flying back to Santiago and sleeping from 10am until 7pm, and then going to sleep shortly after dinner again.

I don't really remember what all I've written on my blog now since I also had to write about my trip for my portfolio. Doesn't matter that I've written in two different languages the same thing, I can't remember where I said what. So possibly repeating information now! 

Tony our bus driver/tour guide/all around wonderful person, told us lots of stories and history of Ireland. We learned a bunch, which had my head swimming and I can't say that I remember all of it because it was so much information. Basically I need the coordinator's job so I can go back to Ireland every year in order to gain all knowledge. Anyhoo, he told us how lots of sayings came about and one of them was "raining cats and dogs". In Ireland, they have thatched roofs, which are roofs made of hay or straw or something in case you didn't know. So on the rare sunny days, the cats and dogs would go sunbathing on the roofs and then when it rained the thatched roofs would get extremely slippery and the dogs and cats would slide right off the roof. The unsuspecting person exiting the house could be hit by a dog or cat falling from the roof, so came about the phrase raining cats and dogs.

The carrying people (wives) across the threshold tradition came from Ireland as well. Back in the day, houses had dirty floors that were covered in straw or hay or whatever and when they walked out of the house, they would end up dragging it out with them. Eventually the floor would start getting muddy because the straw, hay or whatever would be dragged out. So they introduced the threshold board to keep the straw, hay or whatever from running away. Can't be dragged out if you have to step over something ya know. So then to keep people (wives) from tripping as they entered their home, the people (husbands) would carry them across the threshold.

I remember learning of another really good phrase origin, but I can't remember what it was so sad day. 

That was my trip to Ireland though people! I hope I can go back someday and explore some more while not on a strict schedule.