An early morning it was to get my brother on the bus back to the airport and a bit of a sad goodbye for me. But lucky for me, I had a nice dinner and show to look forward to with the Holy Cross group and Silvia.  I am really am so lucky to have the opportunity to see so many theater productions here in Dublin.  And in doing so, I compare it a lot to the theater I do back at Holy Cross and the theater I see in New York City.

We went to a new restaurant called Blas and we saw another production at the Gate theater called The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard. A pretty good show which made me laugh but also made me laugh to hear all the 60s American music playing because some are favorites of mine as well.

I can’t believe how fast the weeks are going! Before I know it, St. Patrick’s Day and then Easter will be here.

My brother arrives this morning!  I thought he would want a nap, but he was eager to be on the move and once again enjoy being in Ireland. Lucky for us, the Ireland vs. Italy rugby match was on and we met up with my brother’s old friends taking the Luas into Beechwood. It was a great afternoon, watching the match in their favorite pub.

The next day, I showed my brother all my favorite spots in Dublin as well as the important landmarks.  I pointed out the Book of Kells and the Old Library and we walked along Henry Street and of course Grafton. We ended the day in another favorite pub, The Ginger Man, (near Trinity) where we met up with Holy Cross friends.

Another day we strolled St. Stephen’s Green.

Another fun trip- CORK! We spent 2 days in Cork and visited friends at UCC. There were a couple of music events on as well and we went to see Charlie Paar, a bluegrass musician from Minnesota, in a pub called Crane Lane. Charlie Paar would also be playing in Dublin.

Back in Dublin on Thursday, we meet up with friends and showed my brother the Pav, Porter House, and Trinity favorite Doyles.

Friday we went to a concert on the North Side in a place called Twisted Pepper.  A different style of music- dubstep- but overall, I really liked it.

Saturday we watched some matches and Sunday was a visit to Howth.  Still love it there!  It was a sunny day and about 11 seals were swimming around in the harbor waiting for someone to throw them some fish.

Monday we took the Luas over to the big shopping center in Dundrum to look for the Irish rugby jersey worn in the 6 Nations matches that are on now.  It was funny to go to this “mall” because it definitely reminded me of the big shopping malls in the states and even more so of the New Jersey malls back home.  After some shopping for friends and family we took a break in Avoca café back in city centre and met with friends for dinner.

A weekend in Scotland! Fellow HCers and I visited other Holy Cross students studying at St. Andrews.  Personally, I had the easiest trip there- it’s a long story- but it was great to get a taste of the UK.
St. Andrews is beautiful and we saw the castle, the golf course, and the beach! Have some great pictures!  After touring around the favorite spots in St. Andrews (and wondering where Prince William used to live), we spent a day in Edinburgh.  Loved it! It was a few hours on the bus to Edinburgh from St. Andrews but it was great to see Scotland’s countryside.  It quite reminded me of Ireland’s countryside and the West. Once in Edinburgh, we walked the Royal Mile and took a tour The Palace of Holyroodhouse where we saw Mary, Queen of Scots living quarters and heard again her history. We took a picture underneath the arch at Edinburgh castle and stopped for tea at The Elephant House- the birthplace of Harry Potter! With the snow in the early afternoon, I was a little worried about my flight- but all was well. Once reaching Dublin, I again was excited to be back home. Handing the guard my passport and Garda card, she asked the normal questions: where I was studying and how long I’d be here and added “How do ya like it?” Glad to be back in Dublin, I must have had a huge smile on my face and responded: “I love it here!” To which she answered: “You’re not looking forward to June then, huh?” It was a nice reminder that Ireland and Dublin are places for me.