Monday, March 22, 2010

Capital of Culture 2008


Where oh where to begin. It has been one jam packed couple of weeks ever since... well, 5 weeks ago I guess. Finally a break to catch up on blogging, classes, homework, and laundry and sleep in my own bed.

After the Ring of Kerry, we all came home to Rag Week aka College Week. Named College Week because apparently Rag Week got a little to out of control for Galway. Basically, Rag Week is a couple days for NUIG students to skip class, hang out by the Spanish Arch in the sun, drink, and trash the city of Galway all to raise money for charity. Its a week of fun but you're supposed to throw your change in buckets for a Galway charity of NUIG's choice. I took part in most of the events. Hopefully you can guess which ones.



The weather was perfect the entire week, which added to the appeal of laying out in the sun all day. Down by the Bay, on the River Corrib, hundreds of students played outside. It was the biggest party I had been to yet. At night, the pubs were filled to the brim which wasn't quite as enjoyable, but still a good time.

Emily, Pat and I, however, had to end our week early and head off to Liverpool. I wasn't complaining.

Liverpool was amazing. I should probably come up with something better to say since I say every European city is amazing and great, but its true.

A long night of traveling meant a long morning of tiredness, but after a cheap breakfast and some coffee, we were ready to hit the town. We saw museums, the Three Graces, the biggest Anglican Cathedral in the world, rode the Ferris Wheel, and bought new gloves. Dinner at a pub to watch the Liverpool soccer game and a night on the town for three tired tourists. We didn't last long which was a little sad because we had been listening to a great jazz band, but we had to turn in for the night.



Eating treats on the docks (not tasty treats though....)
In front of the Ferris Wheel we rode. We decided not to purchase the VIP car with champagne , fancy seats, and tinted windows.

In the Liverpool Cathedral, where they focus on the big space the building creates, not on how big it actually is.


Liverpool skyline from the Ferris Wheel

The second day was my favorite. In the morning, we toured the underground secret tunnels of Liverpool. Some man with a lot of money decided to give poor Liverpool families jobs back in the early 1800s. Finally rediscovered and reopened for tours in 2002, we climbed through Liverpool underneath what is now University of Liverpool student housing. Originally used as walk ways under the city, then as a place to get rid of all your garbage and waste, volunteer excavators have found cool artifact after cool artifact. Still digging, the excavators aren't quite sure where all the tunnels will end.

Next up was our Beatles tour! The three of us and an all knowing guide, we saw all the birthplaces of the Beatles, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, the Casbah (the club where the Beatles started), and the Cavern, basically all the old stomping grounds of Ringo, George, John, and Paul. My camera was dying so I don't have many pictures, but I learned more about the Beatles than ever before. I know can't stop wanting to listen to all Beatles music. I can think of about 50 people that would have loved this tour.



Dinner at a Chinese buffet and a night out at the University of Liverpool college bar, our trip was coming to an end.

In the hostel, which was actually very nice, we had a wake-up call at 3 in the morning from our 4th random roommate we didn't actually know was staying with us. It didn't lead to much more sleep for me and then again a wake up call in the morning from his friend looking from him. These guys had come all the way from Dublin for a night on the town in Liverpool and were just getting in. They had lots to tell us and definitely was an interesting morning. We got up then to catch our bus back to the airport, where we knew we had visitors from back home waiting for us!

Another great trip, another great city to check off the list.

3 comments:

  1. three comments:

    1. capital of culture 2008? is that a reference to liverpool?

    2. i'm going to assume that the rag week festivities graced by the presence of jenny mays were the heavy drinking and city-trashing. it just sounds like you.

    3. so was the hostel guy actually assigned to your room, or did he happen to stumble into an open bed? haha.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. Yes, it was the Capital of Culture in 2008.

    2. Hahahah totally guessed it.

    3. Yes he actually was assigned to our room. They just didn't tell us that someone was rooming in our room, and Emily had been talking about creepy things the whole night so we were freaked out to begin with. And the guy didn't actually sleep in the room with us. I think we freaked him out too much.

    ReplyDelete
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