Experiencing Irland and Scotland: Day 2 - Experiencing Tramore

Day 2 - Wednesday 5. October


Today I woke up about 08.30, and I did not want to get up. So I ended up sleeping til the time was nearly 12.30. So delightful to be able to sleep in. Went into the living room where Mark and Patti were standing and talking. So I joined in the conversation, and tried to explain the situation yesterday. We tried to send texts to each other, I got the texts from them, but they did not get the texts from me. Weird!

I checked then facebook, twitter and couch-surfing, and found out that I don't have a couch in Edinburgh. So I have to write a couch-request sometime today. After that it was time for breakfast/lunch, and I got a casserole-with-sossages.
Not bad!

Then after lunch I figured out that I should go on a excursion in Tramore, and ended up down by the ocean. And I stayed there for quite a while, even though it was a terribly wind. So I relaxed there and took a few photos of the ocean covered in fog and a light drizzle of rain. Delightful!

Then I walked along the road, to see where I would end, and figured out that it was not the right way, so I turned and walked the other way, and went up a different lane. There I found the cash-point and a "Everything possible" shop, were I bought postcards. Went out again, and found Supersaver, so I went in, and came out on the backside. Went then up to the church, and all the way over to Tesco (I simply love Tesco). So after my wee visit to Tesco, then I headed back to O´Neill´s. My local pub! I love to be there, even though last time I was there, it ended up getting an offer from a 60 year old man, to marry him, and I would then be his 5th wife or something.
He wasnt there today.

I sat there and watch horse racing, not the most exciting sport in the world, but I liked the horses name, it was "Dirty Bertie". Was hysterical every time they mentioned this horse. I actually think it won. I drank 2 units of alcohol (1 Guinness and 1 Beamish) on a nearly empty stomach (Yes I know Sue, its not good for me). Then I walked (in a very straight line after drinking 2 units in less then 30 min) back home. And I was feeling a bit dizzy, and figured out that it was time for some food. So I heated up the mashed-potatoes with cheddar for dinner/lunch, since the time was 17.45.



I am now terribly dizzy, but that wont stop me from participating on the trad-session on "St. Ledger" tonight. *Hurrah*, and tomorrow its trad-session on "O´Neill´s". Busy week you might say. I am hoping for a relaxed evening in Kilkenny, but I have my doubts.

I am now (18.30) sitting here with mashed potatoes, Pepsi and the sound of the ocean. Life ain't THAT bad.

And then all of a sudden my foot started hurting. Probably a strained muscle. Au au, and a lot of mashed potatoes aboard. And David Cameron on TV, I have no idea what he is talking about, since its not subtitled (logical that one), or any sound.

Mark was convinced I got lost on the beach, which I did not! I did NOT get lost on the beach, I walked in the wrong direction that all, and it wasn't even ON the beach. It was down BY the beach.  Later in the evening I found out that I will take the trad-session tomorrow. So we ended up sitting and talking, and my head is aching to bad, but that did not stop me from drinking 2 beers more, and then some water. This was the sort of beer I usually don't drink. The water smells like chlorine, and tastes like chlorine, but I dont care. Hehe

Then it was time for Top-Gear, and I manage to make a little tweet. Mr Browncheese, is doing quite good. He has been sleeping most of the day under a duvet, and he got a biscuit for dinner. He has also posed beside a postcard

For you unconsecrated people, this is Mr. Browncheese.

 Sat and talked even more, about music and what color "charcoal" was. Then we talked about more personal things, and Mark said something wise. "Its not the end of the world" and "It would have been worse". 

 Mark is a smart guy! 

Went to bed around 00.30 

Experiencing Irland and Scotland: Day 1 - Coming to Ireland and Tramore

Day 1 - Tuesday 4. October


Today is the day, that I am leaving for Ireland. I got up up about 05.30, to make sure that everything was packed and so that I had time to find what I had forgot to pack. Everything was where it was suppose to be, and the long journey towards school started. With a suitcase weighing approximately 13 kg, and a shoulder bag full of camera equipment and stuff. 
Got the bus at 06.30, and of course, it was late, so was the next bus, and the bus after that. But after a lot of toil and snare, I was at the school, and I struggled to get up all the stairs to get to the 3rd floor. Then time to focus on school for 3 hours. That was 3 long hours, and I nearly fell asleep a couple of times. Then I realized that I had forgot my wonderful Starbucks Ice coffee in the refrigerator at home.

After school it was time to get down all the stairs agian, and then out. And of course; it was raining. A lot! So the otherwise so delightful stroll from Kalfarlien (my school) to Bystasjonen (the bus-station) turned into a wet and clammy affair. Then I ended up loosing the airport-bus, so I had nothing else to do than sit outside and freeze.

15 min later I was on the bus (the bus costed 95 Kr (12.30 €, 10.60 £, 17.20 CAD) and I realized that I was the only one with a suitcase, because the other ones were employees, cabin-crew and bus drivers.
Got inside the airport and printet out the baggage-tag, and gave the woman at the drop-off the suitcase and went upstairs for the security check. And everything went swell. I did not beep. *yey*

Then I found myself a nice table, and connected the laptop to the wifi, and I talked a bit to Hope, and then checked everything I needed to check. Then it was time for boarding, and that went well too. And realized then that my seat-choice was not so good. I had chose the 27A, which is right behind the wing. It was okey, I had no one in front of me, and a lady behind me, and no one beside me. I don't think I have ever seen such an empty airplane before. Arrived at Copenhagen Airport, and found my gate. I bought a salad and Faxe Kondi (the fizzy drink that taste like dish-washing soap). I ate it, and talked Danish.

Then it was boarding time. And again I found my seat 27A, and after a while a guy sat next to me. And we sat there, and the plain did not go anywhere, because there were some defects, so the plane got delayed, which was not so good, since I had a bus to catch in Dublin.

And then finally we got up in the air and down agian, in Dublin. Way to late, so suddenly I had only 10 minutes to get some money and find the bus, and all this with a huge suitcase trailing behind me.

Well, I found the bus, and sat down in the front. And as we were driving it hit me was the lights along the road, or the lack of lights along the road, because it was dark, really dark. And this was like the N7 and M9 motorway. I it got me thinking "This year its the south-going roads that gets the light, and next year its the north-going"

After miles and miles of dark roads we were in Waterford, and the time was now 22.35, and the bus to Tramore did not leave until 23.05 and it was a long time to wait for someone that had not been eating since 15.30. I was sitting there freezing, and sitting in Waterford in the middle of the night and freezing ain´t nice. After a while the bus got there and then it hit me; its dark in Ireland. There are no road-lights here, so there is no chance of recognizing a bush or a road, cause you cant see a darn shit.

I think if I was living here, I wouldn't drive anywhere without having a companion in the car with me, just for safety. After a long journey in the darkness, I was arriving in Tramore, and trying to orientate in Tramore in the darkness, halfway asleep is not that easy, but I found the house, and I sent another text, and waited. I ended up calling em, and waking em up, sorry about that.

I was then given a room and I fell asleep almost immediately.

Good night

Falls Road and Shankhill Road = Good or bad?

(Sunday 03.07)

Today I woke up horribly early. This was the day for exploration. And the day I got a text from Michael, that really saved the day. *Hurrah for that*
We looked at the bus-tables, and realized that there were NO buses what so ever, so Synneve decided to walk to town, and while the camera battery was charging, I tried to figure out the bus-table After I while I gave up, and started walking, then I got a text from Synneve, telling me to go to "the place I cant remember the name on". So I started by walking in the wrong direction, typically like me.

After about an hour of walking I found the god-damn bus-stop, and after a while the bus got there. And I got off by the City Hall. Then I got some breakfast and sat outside City Hall, while listening to "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", "The IRA will set them free" and "A nation once again". Special!

Then I met Synneve, and we walked together to the tourist info, and got them to order a "black cab" for us, and I had to find the taxi-stop..
And we ended up finding the taxi, and then we went on a "excursion" through Belfast.
That was actually quite interesting, even though Synneve knew more than the taxi driver. And when we were in Falls Road, or in the area, I got ice cream thrown after me, I guess they thought we were Catholics. Well well, we drove around in Belfast and looked at a lot.

Afterwards we wobbled about, and then went home to pack.

We ate dinner and talked a bit with Ursula, our host. Then we went to bed.

And the next day we got up at terribly early, and found the taxi, that drove us to the bus-station. Were we found the bus to Dublin. This was VERY early.

Eventually we got to the airport and checked in, and then we waited. And after a lot of waiting, flying, sitting and stuff, we were in Oslo, and we had not so much time to get from A to B, and fix the luggage as well. And then to our great surprise, our luggage was now being classified as "special luggage".

Eventually we got home, and I was sad, cause I did not want to be home, and all the way home from the airport I wanted my dad to drive on the left side and not on the right side.

(photos will come)

Whaaata feck. Eeehhh! Alreighttttt! Catch yourself on!

(Saturday 02.07)
I woke up in a really bad mood. I did not want to be here in Belfast, I wanted to be in Donegal, with the sea, the mountains and Michael (and his tea). I might have had a face like a lurgan spade.
The mood got a little better, and I was more determined on that "Im going back in October". (I have to learn to save up some money)

We decided that we should head for the city, and found quickly out that the door had a snap-lock, so we had to remember everything that we needed. 

We got lost in the neighbourhood and after a while we got back to the place we started, in Ebor Drive, the "not-so-Catholic-friendly-neighbourhood".
So we found a bus and headed towards town. First we found the tourist information, and got a map, and I bought 17 postcards and other stuff.

 

Look what I found on YouTube! 

I like this guy...

Then we found a shop, and we bough breakfast. We had Sushi, salad, fizzy drink and everything was consumed outside of City Hall. 

Then we walked and I created the rear guard. I think it was on the brink of Synneve telling me ""Don't dilly dally on the way".

We did some shopping and in and out of several shops. Then we bought dinner, and tried to find the bus back home. Got lost again, but not so serious this time.
Then we went to a pub, and had a Guinness... And we got stuck there for a while.

We sat outside the house and waited... and waited, until Ursula´s friend came with the key.

We went inside and made dinner, and then we saw a film. "An Everlasting Piece", such a wonderful movie.

"Colin is a Catholic and George is a poetry-loving Protestant. In Belfast in the 1980s, they could have been enemies, but instead they became business partners. After persuading a mad wig salesman, known as the Scalper, to sell them his leads, the two embark on a series of house calls--always in neighborhoods that are dangerous for one or the other partner. Then they find out they may lose their exclusive wig distributorship to competitors. Through a series of comic twists, the pair are given large orders for wigs by both sides of the Protestant/Catholic conflict. Should they compromise their principles in order to keep their business? Will it destroy their friendship? Could one of their wigs in the hands of the IRA actually put one or both of them in jail or even get them killed?"

"The way "hairpiece" is continually confused with the word "herpes" 

Well, we sat and watched this film, and then we heard a lot of drumming. "Hmmm" we thought, and ran over to the windows. And Synneve kept on saying "Are they marching? What are they marching for today? The Twelfth (also called Orangemen's Day) aint before 12th of July. So we got outside, and I took a LOT of pictures. Afterwards we got in and saw the rest of the film, then we googled it, and found out that ...
We did not find out anything. Or... after a bit of "Wikipedia search, I found this "Typically each Orange Lodge will hold its own march at some point before the 12th of July"

I felt a bit misplaced here with all the Union Jacks and Flag of Ulster.

Then we headed off to bed

And please God I'll soon return unto the homes of Donegal

(Friday 01.07)

Today is the day I have wanted not to come. I just wanted the time to stop. It was the day we have to leave Ballyliffin, Michael and Levi, the beach and the wonderful nature (and Michael brother, that I don't remember the name on) *sad face*
We were heading towards Belfast. Was not exactly a "happy day". Synneve made breakfast, and I started to plan out a surprise. I was done packing, and just sat in the living room.
Michael was everywhere... one second he was in the kitchen, and the next second he was gone again. He said that is was very busy in the shop, but he said he would come back when he had the time. It was a very strange feeling knowing that we were going to leave.
The time for departure was getting closer and closer... and then about 1 hour before the bus was going, came Michael back, and we decided to have a photo shoot in the "backyard", and Levi was of course with us. We did get a few nice photos, and loads of fun.

Then Michael had to go back to work again... and then he came back with VERY hot tea... We sat a while in the livingroom, just talking.

It was only minutes until we were leaving, so we walked over to the bus-stop. Which was actually only a chair.
We stood and talked until the bus came, and then it was hugs everywhere.
We sat in the back of the bus, and I did not want to be there, but I knew I had to. I sat there trying not to cry... I actually managed not to cry, but it was hard.

The time has come and I must go, I bid you all adieu,
The open highway calls me forth to do the things I do.
And when I'm trampin' far away I'll hear your voices call,
And please God I'll soon return unto the homes of Donegal.

We were now on our way to Belfast. I sent a message to Michael, and then when we entered UK, everything stopped working.

 Why are they driving with the doors open?

 ..

 Surveillance

After a while were we in Belfast, and I was cranky. Anyway, it did not help being cranky, so we found a taxi that could take us to Ursula´s place. Up in the protestant area... not a very nice place, knowing that everyone around was loyal to the queen. And with me and my sister being "Irish" not "English". At least in our hearts. So that was that... Trying to keep my mind open, but I think I have a little selective perception going.

Wonder what Belfast has in stall for me...