HAL AND JULIE MILLS SURPRISE VISIT & SPONTANEOUS TRIP TO PERUGIA

It's my first night sleeping in a real bed and back in Florence, and who jumps in and wakes me up? LAUREN O'HALLORAN! She managed to go a month and a half lying to me to only jump into my bed and surprise visit me. Courtney had been planning for like two weeks some "surprise birthday thing" for me the Saturday we got back from fall break, and I literally despise surprises. I hate the unknown, but this was such a great surprise done extremely well. Kudos to Hal.

Hal and I on the Ponte Vecchio

Hal's first real Italian gelato!

Briana literally begging and guilting Hal into coming back with her to Perugia, which succeeded in time after Briana's argument made sense, how would Hal feel if she traveled to Spain and was 2 hours away but didn't visit her? I couldn't agree more with her argument, I would be pissed if one of my closest friends traveled to Italy but didn't find the effort to come see me.

Hal Briana and I with the view from the Piazzale Michelangelo. Oh and I decided to spontaneously go to Perugia with Hal, for the sole reason of that I wanted to spend more time with Hal and plus I am the LEAST spontaneous person you will ever meet, I like to plan things out ahead of time, I'm the type that will make dinner dates in advance I don't like to stroll into the Commons searching for a friend to eat with, thats just awkward. Meet ya by the mailboxes thank you very much.

Hal and I with the view of Perugia on lovers lane

Perugia was nice, it was great to spend more time with Hal and Briana. Briana's friend was super nice. The night was a bit unsuccessful as Italians were on break so it was beyond crowded with Italians and almost all Americans were still fall breaking it up around Europe, so I felt a bit out of place and all the places we went to seemed to be a bit of a dud, but Dempsey's was fun, all was nice and casual that night. I realized after going to Perugia for a second time and with all my friends studying abroad there loving it and could never see themselves being anywhere else, that Perugia is far too damn small for my taste. I saw the whole city in a half hour. Other Americans (some Stonehillers included) studying abroad in Italy talk crap about Florence, but frankly it's far more interesting and has countless more to see and do than many other places in Italy (Rome no judgement I haven't been there yet to see). So sorry I'm not sorry Perugia, thanks for making me feel at least better that the place in Italy I choose was the right one.

A family dinner with the San Gallo girls and the Salamanca girls Hal and Julie Mills. They were going to surprise me for round two with Julie visiting later that night, but I went to Perugia so I got to see her the next day. Love those two girls.

IRELAND: DAY 4 / 5

So Thursday comes and it's our last full day in Ireland. I go on another bus guided tour to the Cliffs of Moher. This was hands down my favorite place in Ireland, and all the random stops we made going back and forth were incredible too, now this is the epitome of Ireland. JMardo was able to come with us that day since she didn't have class and could go for free, so clearly mad friend points yet again go to Jessica. Our bus driver / tour guide was not as lively as the one I had going to Connemara, he even awkwardly asked if we remembered his name at the end... no one did. Regardless, breathtaking and perfect day in the Land of Ire.

Animals exist? Why yes Italy they do, just not in your country. Pigeons don't count.

casual.

A nice random Irishman asked if we wanted our photo taken, definitely a favorite.

A pit stop in a "fairy circle" with the girls.

So artsy.

Giant awkward chair or an ancient Irish tomb?

Before we stop at the Cliffs we eat at this quaint pub, which mind you Mardo was smart enough to know for us to rush there and beat the rest of the bus for food. I get garlic bread and french fries for a break from my vegetable soup streak; I never really knew how much I could miss certain foods. We see a little bit of home in the pub, they have things from around the world on the walls, I see American money.. forgot what it looked like. They have license plates from states, whattup Mass and Rhodey. Then it's off to the Cliffs after a great meal.

We arrive at the Cliffs and oh yeah another day of sun in Ireland? Check. We were the most lucky with weather in Ireland, it barely rained on us.

This doesn't even look real to me and I saw it with my own eyes. It was so cool near the Cliffs, the wind was so strong that it was bringing the ocean water all the way up and slightly felt like it was raining, it was cool. Oh and the Cliffs are in the process to becoming one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, they had a voting station in the center for it which was also built in the hills by the Cliffs, so cool. 

Not the place to slip.

A is for Ambassador, or Admissions, or our boss Amber. Student Ambassadors abroad life.

Another submission of the abroad Titanic pose. Though Court wouldn't get as close to the edge as I would have, hence the mud.

Casually stopped by some lesser cliffs to say hey to the Atlantic again.

Another unreal landscape photo brought to you by the country Ireland.

We finally get to meet up with Mallory! Though she did scare the crap out of me when we arrived back to the apartment she was napping, I get out of the bathroom and there is Malpal straight creeping inches away from the bathroom door, typical Malpal.

Bro pic status with Pat. He was a nice tour guide the last day showing us around the streets of Galway.

Insta-friends photo with Kerry!

Oh she's just being Casey.

So our last night out we head out around Galway, go to a pub whose name I cannot recall at this time, we attempt to get into a club but with that 6 euro cover charge, to quote Mardo "oh HELL no that's two drinks I ain't paying for that!" That's one drink in Italia, but regardless cover charges are a slap in the face of poor college students, but hey in reality the place would have got more money if they nixed the cover charge and we all got drinks, but that's this Irish club's prerogative. Still a killer last night. I fall obsessed with cider in Ireland, I hate apple cider so why would I like it, who knows but now Bulmers and Strongbow will be my downfall in America.

Late night muchies provided by the Charcoal Grill and Supermacs. I ate the best burger here, despite having zero ketchup on it, and proved people wrong by eating an entire large fries on top of the burger. I'm a garbage disposal when it comes to food, not that people ever believe me unless they know me no thanks to my high metabolism and skinny frame. 

The famous colored houses of Galway.

Eyre Square in Galway

Streets of Galway.

So to sum up my adventures in Ireland I would say perfectly relaxing and comforting. London was great but very busy like Italy and Paris, Ireland was fresh air, nature, friendly people, fun times with close friends, and everything I wanted from the homeland. 

A 3 hour bus ride back to Dublin, a few hours to wait, pay a couple euros for some airport internet to get my classes for next semester (check), a flight delay, and an obnoxious bus ride and I'm back in Florence. Thank you for reminding me how much you frustrate me Italy when I get back in Pisa. We get our bus tickets and miss the first bus there post the flight because of not enough seats for the 5 of us, so we wait and it's this small car/bus by some Italian man yelling at us random things, we finally get on (though some people try to cut and this sweet lady coming from Ireland told the others we were first, why thank you again Ireland) and then the crazy bus driver proceeds to check EVERY ticket from each person in line waiting, mind you the bus was completely full and there was no point to this seeing as the other bus was not in sight. My impatience for Italy grows and grows sometimes, I am meant to forever live in New England where people gets things done as soon as frigging possible. The laid back life style of oh it will eventually get done here in Italy and I do not get along. So we get back to Florence and I meet up with my friend Briana and her friend who was visiting Florence who I said could stay with me, too bad I didn't arrive back into Florence until 2 AM, but I was at least back "home".

FALL BREAK: IRELAND DAY 3

Ireland day 3, we planned ahead of time to do Cork/Blarney Wednesday as it required us to take a 3 hour bus to Cork there and back in one day, but then also take a half hour bus from Cork to Blarney back and forth too, so needless to say there was a lot of napping in buses that day. I'm gonna get home and the next time I use the Stonehill shuttle will immediately fall asleep and miss whatever stop I choose to use... who am I kidding I rarely use the shuttle (That however will change seeing as I was to go to Boston FAR MORE, let's be real Stonehill weekends will not even remotely compare to Europe). 

Sunrise in Ireland, check.

Hours later we are here!

Saw my family crest all day errday. Buckley is the 99th most popular surname in Ireland. Yeah it means cow herder hence the 3 cows. 

Blarney Castle! The ground surrounding the castle were so beautiful and relaxing. I wandered away from the group and just enjoyed the peace and quiet of the area. I never realized how much I like nature until I got deprived of it here in Florence. 

The wishing steps in the grounds of the Castle, legend is if you walk down and back up with your eyes closed completely your wish that you think of when you do it will come true.

Yet another view from the top of the world. Blarney Castle edition

Me with the Blarney Stone in the background. So to kiss the Stone you get on your back and this old Irish man helps lift you down holding onto 2 bars to kiss it below. It's a really unusual experience cause you're upside down confused and can't seem to find it and then there it is, cold and stoney. (vommed in the mouth a little at that I just made a semi-Coldstone-esque pun...). Also, no I did not buy that shirt in Ireland, that is straight up from the Newbury Comics in Boston brought abroad solely for the purpose of Ireland. I did however buy an Ireland Guiness rugby shirt and an obnoxious Ireland flag scarf.

The river by the Blarney Castle. I threw in a 2 euro cent by the bridge for good luck.

Then we get back to Cork! We tried to meet up with our friend Mallory (aka MalPal... noticing a lot of my friends have nicknames..) but we unfortunately took a lot longer than expected at the Blarney Castle and she was at frisbee practice the hour and a half we spent in Cork before our 6 o'clock 3 hour bus ride back to Galway.

So we spent our time on St. Patrick's Street in Cork looking at shops and spending that dolla dolla bills on pre dinner. I wasn't feeling baked goods, or soup, and was craving McDonalds, so yeah I got it. Yet another crazy McDonalds (seriously American McDonalds STEP YOUR GAME UP). Judge away but you know what, I've said it before and will continue to say that I am an American, I love my stubborn American ways with my brands and options and processed foods, so yeah I got some chicken nugggets and french fries AND IT WAS WORTH THE EUROS.

Sunset in Cork. So when we got back to Galway our lovely/amazing/super ginger friend Mardo had ordered us Dominos. They have a frigging Dominos Pizza in Galway. DO NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT CULTURE SHOCK IF YOU STUDIED ABROAD IN IRELAND, you have super markets with at least 200 brands you know and aisles of options too, you have legitimate sidewalks, you have ENGLISH (so you got cheers and craic, slang is doable), you have nice natives/locals/fun accents, Ireland is very similar to America and it was incredibly relaxing and the perfect break I needed away from Italy, but c'mon culture shock in Italia was RUDE. I would have been all too comfortable if Ireland had any art classes and I actually went there (seeing as it was my second choice after Australia.. yeah Florence wasn't even my first two picks, and now I'm seriously regretting not looking into going to Paris more and more). Sidenote Rant over. So back to Jessica Mardo being amazing and Dominos Pizza... so damn good. I ate a whole pizza single handedly. We reminisced about Freshman/Sophomore year crazyness at dinner and it was nice, chill, I miss long drawn out dinners with friends at Stonehill.

Also, they don't have TJ Maxx in Ireland.. It's TK Maxx... Also Axe bodyspray is called Lynx in Ireland. Real weird.

FALL BREAK: IRELAND DAY 2

Day 2 in the homeland we went to the Aran Islands. A bus and a ferry ride away we were there. Sidenote: Best sleep ever occurs on a ferry, definitely the best transportation for power naps, planes.. not so much. We get to Inis Mor  the biggest island and hop off the ferry, Melaugh and I were planning on biking around but the weather didn't look promising upon arrival so we all took a guided bus tour with our guide Steven, who has lived on the island his whole life, mind you there's 800ish inhabitants.. so he inevitably probably married a 3rd cousin or something. Anyways, he was great and so was the Aran Islands.

Typical Irish houses

What do I get for lunch? oh yeah vegetable soup and bread again, shocking.

The whole place was just rocked earth, strangely serene.

The cliffs on the island. We ironically enough ran into this family from Quincy here, the wife was rocking Patriots rain boots and a Patriots hat... plus the harsh Boston accent it really did long for me to ask if they were from Boston. Chatted with them for a few, super nice family.

#nottheplacetoslip

Then two minutes after I say definitely not the place to slip, Lengel eats it on the side of the hill next to the ruins. Beyond funny.

Rock walls everywhere on the island, to clean up the land and create work for the Irish they made pretty much mundane fences that had no actual purpose.

Hey Atlantic Ocean, funny seeing you from this side.

Yeah that's real. Saw 3 rainbows in Ireland. This one was definitely the best

Stevennnnn (cue the Kristen Cavallari STEPHENNN scream from Laguna)

epic photo of Jessica getting a cramp mid attempt at being funny in a photo, this result was so much better. Pre going to casually enjoying a night at the Front Door in Galway.

The Aran Islands were beyond relaxing, so glad we did the bus tour even though the weather was on our side and I could have biked, I got to see the whole island and get interesting info from someone who has lived there his whole life. It was a good day.