The last few weeks have been so hectic, it’s UNREAL! I’m so glad I got to hang out with so many people though – it’s been a blast. I wanted to write one last post trip blog post (whew, say that three times fast) to give some information about my trip.
Danielle has graciously offered to drive me up to NYC, so I’m flying out of JFK on Monday, a direct flight to Shannon Airport. <Insert familiar awkward giggle> An appropriate place to fly into, but it IS the closest international airport to where I’m staying. From there, I’m taking a bus to Ballinasloe, which is in roughly in the same spot as Dublin but on the opposite (West) side of the country. It looks far, but according to google maps, it’s only about a 2 hour drive from Dublin to Ballinasloe, in the words of Lauren Hopson, “Peanuts!”
http://www.ballinasloe.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballinasloe
- The time difference is 5 hours ahead
- The weather is supposed to be 50’s-60’s and rainy (don’t worry I bought a good raincoat and boots)
- I start working, whatever that entails…, on Wednesday morning, work will be 8 hours a day, 5 days a week – weekends and nights free to travel, explore…drink a pint…whatever! www.beechlawnfarm.org
- There are 4 other volunteers staying on this farm while I am
- We stay in a separate house than the host family located on the farm.
- All I’ve paid for is airfare and saved money for traveling and fun while there. Food and Living is my pay for working the farm. www.wwoof.ie
At the very top of my priority list is the need to see as many castles, ruins and ancient places in Ireland as possible. I looked up ancient places near Ballinasloe and apparently Kilconnell Abbey is about a half hour from where I’ll be, a building that dates back to 1414. This literally makes my eyes tear up when I think about it.
http://www.planetware.com/ballinasloe/kilconnell-abbey-irl-ga-kiab.htm
Someone also told me about a place in Northern Ireland called the Giant’s Causeway, a natural phenomenon where big stones in an odd formation come up out of the ocean on both the Irish and Scottish sides. So legend has it that the giant’s used these stones to get across the water to travel between the two countries.
http://www.northantrim.com/giantscauseway.htm
I am also told there is a Clam Festival and a 100-year-old traditional equestrian festival in the fall in County Galway which I’m very much looking forward to.
I’ll try to regularly post on here and I will have access to email, Facebook, etc so keep in touch! :p
little old 