hi everyone
Ive been meaning to upload all the stuff I've got on the lappy . I'm just not having allot of luck with getting free Internet.. I'm in London now for few days then off to another place i cant say cause it is sorta hush hush .. then to oxford and gravesend to see some things i wanted to see . then i don't have to come back to England for while till......
five years ago i traveled here alone and was freaked out of my mind . the first night i cryed for many hours and said to my self what have i done . at that point in time i had no idea how much i would changed and what i would gain . i am now back here five years later and now remember why i never really felt at home in the country of my grandmother. i came off the plane and looked around at the place and people talk diff rent and sound strange to me . i listen to someone talk about something in a accent i have heard before. then in crowd an familiar accent comes out and makes me smile . i walk up and ask him where he is from in Scotland he tells me Glasgow and then proceeds to help me find the tube station I'm looking for . i get hands waved at me from the people who don't want to help me find a hostel . i find a Japanese woman standing with her dog . she helps me find my way and smiles when i talk to her in Japanese for a few minutes i connect with someone in this sea of strangers. this place feels like a sea of unknown faces that don't want to see me .
so here i am now going to the place i have wanted to see for five years because i live in the books when it is cold and harsh in the winter at the place that seems so much like a life time ago .
more updates later
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
help ex silgo
hi everyone long-time no talk
sorry I have been so long in updating just have not had the go to do it in the last few weeks .
a few weeks ago i went on a home stay to Sligo . I hooked on to this website called help exchange were you work in exchange for meals and accommodation . It is ok if you have something to do if you don’t you get bored really fast when you are out in the middle of nowhere. I contact bar and ger lets call them that for the sake of this blog. I got a call back from bar saying that they had an opening at their house in Sligo so I went out to see what it was all about . Bar and ger are two of the nicest people that i have met on my journey so far . They opened up their home to me and let me eat and stay not asking anything in return . I spent many hours talking with them finding out that they had come back from the usa four years earlier. ber and ger had met in NYC and got married and stayed there for many years until four years ago when ger felt she had to come home for some reason ! They had since been working and living in Sligo . i stayed only for four nights with them cause they ended up going away that weekend on a whim . i had a wonderful visit doing nothing for four days well almost nothing i formatted some stuff for ger for her reflexology course and helped ber with the dogs they had . ber and ger are two wonderful people who can say without a doubt are kind caring and open to anyone that that they meet . i went into Sligo few days later to site see and found that most other the stuff was closed due to it being winter but i did enjoy myself there for the day i was in Sligo ...
sorry I have been so long in updating just have not had the go to do it in the last few weeks .
a few weeks ago i went on a home stay to Sligo . I hooked on to this website called help exchange were you work in exchange for meals and accommodation . It is ok if you have something to do if you don’t you get bored really fast when you are out in the middle of nowhere. I contact bar and ger lets call them that for the sake of this blog. I got a call back from bar saying that they had an opening at their house in Sligo so I went out to see what it was all about . Bar and ger are two of the nicest people that i have met on my journey so far . They opened up their home to me and let me eat and stay not asking anything in return . I spent many hours talking with them finding out that they had come back from the usa four years earlier. ber and ger had met in NYC and got married and stayed there for many years until four years ago when ger felt she had to come home for some reason ! They had since been working and living in Sligo . i stayed only for four nights with them cause they ended up going away that weekend on a whim . i had a wonderful visit doing nothing for four days well almost nothing i formatted some stuff for ger for her reflexology course and helped ber with the dogs they had . ber and ger are two wonderful people who can say without a doubt are kind caring and open to anyone that that they meet . i went into Sligo few days later to site see and found that most other the stuff was closed due to it being winter but i did enjoy myself there for the day i was in Sligo ...
Saturday, March 7, 2009
galway markets
There are few things that i have come to love here in galway .
the fact that im two steps from the ocean. the weekly market i go to i love walking around and looking at all the stuff and taking pictures of people . ill let you all see the images of the market here
the fact that im two steps from the ocean. the weekly market i go to i love walking around and looking at all the stuff and taking pictures of people . ill let you all see the images of the market here
Connemara region
Hello everyone long time no read eh? So I’m back in Galway after four days in Sligo in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been neglecting this for week or 2 because I have really not been wanting to take the time out to write a long entry.
I’ll start with the wonderful tour that, I went on Sunday last week of the Connemara region. I have been to the Connemara region before it is one of the things I remember from my last trip to Ireland five years ago . i remember we stayed in this town with a fountain in the middle and thinking i could stay here for good .
So we departed Galway at 10 am for the Connemara region. From the start of the tour the guide named Michael talked about history of Ireland and all the folklore which made the tour all that more interesting our first stop was this abbey out in the middle of nowhere it was so nice. The abbey itself was the home of st Patrick for few years before he moved on to climb some mountain and banished some snakes from Ireland. This abbey was built on to few times and had some big graves in it as you can see from the pictures. I will add more info about the abbey later on if you want to read about it. Here is the info on ST. Patrick here
The next stop on the tour was the little Cong Village & Abbey we were stopped there for lunch time. I really liked the village of cong. I had a lot of fun just taking pictures of all the ruins that I ran into at the abbey. When we got there me and the German girls walked up to this massive castle that is only for the rich and famous to stay at. it was a nice place to get up to the walk was through a bunch trees and a nice path . Me and the German girls had devised a plan if we were to get caught. I would shut up and they would start talking German so that then it would look like they did not understand the signs or something. here is were you can read about cong abbey and village
Cong abbey is really neat too see it has all these arch ways and such great photography opportunity’s
I’ll let you look at the pics too see what I mean. The German girls and I wondered around for a good hour looking at the abbey and the graves. They went to eat lunch and I went to see what I could see of this monks fishing house and came on this gate to a wood that reminded me of a book i use to read called the outlander. It almost felt like it was a gate way to the past worlds that have gone by. Here is the photo if you want to see.
After we had drove though the Connemara region and seeing all the turf and the lochs . We came to Kylemore Abbey. Now before i get into this abbey I have story to tell about this place. It all happened back when I was in Edmonton for the year going to NAIT. So my one reader who fondly refers to him as robot norm (mom he does not read this so it won’t matter) . At nait we had Photoshop classes that we had to edit certain photos for different purposes. Norm would lead us through a photo and say do this and this. He happened to open up a photo of Kylemore Abbey I said I’ve been there he said oh . so i walked up to him after class and said that is in Ireland and it is school for girls run by nuns he said oh you have not been there so I said I can prove it . I Went home to lethbridge for the weekend and came back with a photo of Kylemore Abbey for him to see and well he did not believe me . You know now it does not surprise me that norm did not believe me. He had a hard time with me entirely and I think was glad that I was out of his hair at the end of the year .
Here you are people is the proof for robot norm to see ME IN FRONT OF THE ABBEY, so take that robot norm!
Ok so now on the abbey you can read the history here I this place is similar to bolt castle in Canada a husband built it for his wife and she up and died on him. This one differs though cause he buried her on the grounds and put a statue of her at the top of the hill. I liked walking the path to the church i ran into a sheep a lost baby to me that is Mother Nature coming out and saying hi to me. It was a cute baby sheep. When I got to the church it looked like one of those 1900 copies nothing special or that great to look at it was the same as most things you see back home. I know I should like it but I’ve seen so many like it.
Anyway after the abbey we packed it in and went back to Galway I fell asleep on the bus I was so tired from the night before with jeska and the girl I don’t remember her name at the bar.
I’ll start with the wonderful tour that, I went on Sunday last week of the Connemara region. I have been to the Connemara region before it is one of the things I remember from my last trip to Ireland five years ago . i remember we stayed in this town with a fountain in the middle and thinking i could stay here for good .
So we departed Galway at 10 am for the Connemara region. From the start of the tour the guide named Michael talked about history of Ireland and all the folklore which made the tour all that more interesting our first stop was this abbey out in the middle of nowhere it was so nice. The abbey itself was the home of st Patrick for few years before he moved on to climb some mountain and banished some snakes from Ireland. This abbey was built on to few times and had some big graves in it as you can see from the pictures. I will add more info about the abbey later on if you want to read about it. Here is the info on ST. Patrick here
The next stop on the tour was the little Cong Village & Abbey we were stopped there for lunch time. I really liked the village of cong. I had a lot of fun just taking pictures of all the ruins that I ran into at the abbey. When we got there me and the German girls walked up to this massive castle that is only for the rich and famous to stay at. it was a nice place to get up to the walk was through a bunch trees and a nice path . Me and the German girls had devised a plan if we were to get caught. I would shut up and they would start talking German so that then it would look like they did not understand the signs or something. here is were you can read about cong abbey and village
Cong abbey is really neat too see it has all these arch ways and such great photography opportunity’s
I’ll let you look at the pics too see what I mean. The German girls and I wondered around for a good hour looking at the abbey and the graves. They went to eat lunch and I went to see what I could see of this monks fishing house and came on this gate to a wood that reminded me of a book i use to read called the outlander. It almost felt like it was a gate way to the past worlds that have gone by. Here is the photo if you want to see.
After we had drove though the Connemara region and seeing all the turf and the lochs . We came to Kylemore Abbey. Now before i get into this abbey I have story to tell about this place. It all happened back when I was in Edmonton for the year going to NAIT. So my one reader who fondly refers to him as robot norm (mom he does not read this so it won’t matter) . At nait we had Photoshop classes that we had to edit certain photos for different purposes. Norm would lead us through a photo and say do this and this. He happened to open up a photo of Kylemore Abbey I said I’ve been there he said oh . so i walked up to him after class and said that is in Ireland and it is school for girls run by nuns he said oh you have not been there so I said I can prove it . I Went home to lethbridge for the weekend and came back with a photo of Kylemore Abbey for him to see and well he did not believe me . You know now it does not surprise me that norm did not believe me. He had a hard time with me entirely and I think was glad that I was out of his hair at the end of the year .
Here you are people is the proof for robot norm to see ME IN FRONT OF THE ABBEY, so take that robot norm!
Ok so now on the abbey you can read the history here I this place is similar to bolt castle in Canada a husband built it for his wife and she up and died on him. This one differs though cause he buried her on the grounds and put a statue of her at the top of the hill. I liked walking the path to the church i ran into a sheep a lost baby to me that is Mother Nature coming out and saying hi to me. It was a cute baby sheep. When I got to the church it looked like one of those 1900 copies nothing special or that great to look at it was the same as most things you see back home. I know I should like it but I’ve seen so many like it.
Anyway after the abbey we packed it in and went back to Galway I fell asleep on the bus I was so tired from the night before with jeska and the girl I don’t remember her name at the bar.
Friday, February 27, 2009
refections of time to come and time to go by
wrote in October of 2008 a refection of what i thought was coming here in Ireland
in actual fact nothing goes as it seems to ever . who cares i have so many wonderful people in my life i don't really care because whatever i do and wherever i end up all of them are with me .
i was on Claire island walking up a road and i started to shed tears not because i was sad because i was thankful for all the supportive family and friends i have .
smiles .
I finally booked my flights back to the land that i fell in love with 4.5 years ago last week ! !! Ive been trying to find a way to get back there since i left all those years ago . i remember i was in the airport in c town I looked back and smiled and thought i well go back someday sometime and im doing it .. it well be hard for me but if i can do this i can do anything . i need to go alone and do some crazy stuff and be myself .. i need to do this before i get tied down with a job and a life im not sure i want yet . i want all those things but not yet not yet later on in my life maybe in 3 or 2 years ! i had the dream of norma's kitchen again with some tall dark stranger with his arms around me and us talking with whomever . we were laughing about something funny that was said i had wine in on hand and the other was around the strangers arm that was around my shoulders and neck ! i want to see listovana on the coast of Ireland . Grannie grave on Claire island ! i just want to live a crazy year of new things a different job new people places new things love a place so much that i wont want to leave it and be sad to leave it when i have to ! this time i have a plan and nothing will stop it !
in actual fact nothing goes as it seems to ever . who cares i have so many wonderful people in my life i don't really care because whatever i do and wherever i end up all of them are with me .
i was on Claire island walking up a road and i started to shed tears not because i was sad because i was thankful for all the supportive family and friends i have .
smiles .
I finally booked my flights back to the land that i fell in love with 4.5 years ago last week ! !! Ive been trying to find a way to get back there since i left all those years ago . i remember i was in the airport in c town I looked back and smiled and thought i well go back someday sometime and im doing it .. it well be hard for me but if i can do this i can do anything . i need to go alone and do some crazy stuff and be myself .. i need to do this before i get tied down with a job and a life im not sure i want yet . i want all those things but not yet not yet later on in my life maybe in 3 or 2 years ! i had the dream of norma's kitchen again with some tall dark stranger with his arms around me and us talking with whomever . we were laughing about something funny that was said i had wine in on hand and the other was around the strangers arm that was around my shoulders and neck ! i want to see listovana on the coast of Ireland . Grannie grave on Claire island ! i just want to live a crazy year of new things a different job new people places new things love a place so much that i wont want to leave it and be sad to leave it when i have to ! this time i have a plan and nothing will stop it !
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
the farm
Thought I would give you the rundown of the farm when I was still there I wrote this for blogger but now it seems that it is just a document for my sake to keep a record of my time there .
I’m currently sitting in a nice house in Ireland on Claire island. I arrived here in Tuesday and it is now Thursday . Claire is the home of grace O’Malley. Grace was a pirate queen in the times of Elizabeth the first. She basically gave Lizzie a run for her money. I really never thought I would be working on organic farm learning about natural ways to plant plants and I would be up my knees in mud. There is a general clam that has come over me.
I’m living in house with an aussie girl named Paula we have our own rooms an a very nice two story house without internet thus the reason for not posting this on the Thursday and now on the Friday lol !
I have to go to a bench to post these updates so I think in the next week there is not going to be much updating if you get me . Cause well it is outside and I really don’t want to be dropping this computer in the mud . so this land is owned by a family . They have 240 acres of land . Yes mom you can drink the water they have a natural spring and there is no water conservation here. It is really neat what we hear for lunch and supper we are left to our own devices. Paula said I can cook I can get a signed statement if you don’t believe me mom! We are eating all organic and natural it has made a big difference on my body i feel so much more awake and alive by eating so healthy.
Let’s give you all a rundown of the day we are up at 830 am and working by 930 am and off at half five . it is hard work . today me and Paula hauled bags of brecan all over the fields and up and down the road so they can put it on the plants .. I well sign off now cause my body is sick with soreness from all the work I have done
I’m currently sitting in a nice house in Ireland on Claire island. I arrived here in Tuesday and it is now Thursday . Claire is the home of grace O’Malley. Grace was a pirate queen in the times of Elizabeth the first. She basically gave Lizzie a run for her money. I really never thought I would be working on organic farm learning about natural ways to plant plants and I would be up my knees in mud. There is a general clam that has come over me.
I’m living in house with an aussie girl named Paula we have our own rooms an a very nice two story house without internet thus the reason for not posting this on the Thursday and now on the Friday lol !
I have to go to a bench to post these updates so I think in the next week there is not going to be much updating if you get me . Cause well it is outside and I really don’t want to be dropping this computer in the mud . so this land is owned by a family . They have 240 acres of land . Yes mom you can drink the water they have a natural spring and there is no water conservation here. It is really neat what we hear for lunch and supper we are left to our own devices. Paula said I can cook I can get a signed statement if you don’t believe me mom! We are eating all organic and natural it has made a big difference on my body i feel so much more awake and alive by eating so healthy.
Let’s give you all a rundown of the day we are up at 830 am and working by 930 am and off at half five . it is hard work . today me and Paula hauled bags of brecan all over the fields and up and down the road so they can put it on the plants .. I well sign off now cause my body is sick with soreness from all the work I have done
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
grace omalleys grave
Hey everyone
So I’ve been back in Galway for a few days. I was working on a farm on Claire Island but it did not work out for reasons I’m still confused about. I was given the afternoon off on Friday to go see grace O’Malley grave. it was a long walk up to the abbey but I did get there . I was on my way and had a little friend his name was bran. He followed me all the way to an abbey and all the way back. The owners of the farm where a bit mad that bran had gone with me and said I should have told them he was with me.
I have been reading about grace O’Malley for a number of years now. she was a pirate queen in the time of Elizabeth the first . it is said that she died in the same year as the queen . it is not sure certain when she died . I’m going to link a movie so that you call can watch about grace O’Malley and the usual wiki information for you all. When I got to the abbey i was told to go find a guy named Bernie winters. I looked around to find this man but was not having much luck so on my way down to the store to see where he was i found him by mistake .
He was a really nice old man that also takes people in for woofing in the spring. He lives in the oldest house on Claire Island. He is the friendliest person I met on Claire Island. We walked up to the old abbey and he was pointing out all the O’Malley that were in fact related to the great grace O’Malley. When we got into the abbey I had a dead rock star feeling come over me i was standing in the place were the most powerful Irish women of her time was buried . if you all know me you know that i read lots about warrior women and have tons of books in my stash on them . this abbey was very tiny and did not have much space in it . When we got in Bernie told me that they have xmas eve mass in this church every year . They have since built in lights and put a new roof on the abbey. He told me that it was left open to the elements for almost 80 years till someone in 1952 decided to raise money to restore and save the abbey. There are many frescos on the walls in the part were grace is buried. Bernie told me that they have not had anyone come in and restore the ceiling because of cost and they can’t pay for it.
Though out the hour that I was in the abbey Bernie told me all of the graves that were in the floor and also about grace and translated lots of the Irish writing for me . I really think that Bernie should become a tour guide. graces grave has a coat of arms of the O’Malley family beside her grave which Bernie translated to “powerful O’Malley on sea and land “ gives you an idea of how powerful she was . It was also said that grace gave birth to one of her sons on a ship in the middle of a battle that she was leading against the English. Now that is guts for you eh. I really felt connected to grace in away. Ok now the good part Lucy Lawless (xena warrior princess) had stood in the spot of graces grave for a documentary that I watched a few years back on discovery channel. Bernie said that she had the most captivating eyes he had ever seen.
Now i must talk about Bernie. He is a Claire island farmer who does everything the old way. He uses no machinery to help him do anything at all with the farming. I imagine he is between 65 and 80. He is nice and loves to talk to strangers that come through to see graces grave, Bernie is the keeper of the key for the abbey on Claire Island . so i need to ask anyone out there have a picture of some hay bails that you could loan my mom to photocopy so she could mail it to Bernie on Claire island . The funny thing that got me about Bernie was as soon as I told him were in Canada i was from he piped up and said Gordon Lightfoot Alberta Bound. Do we all remember the family gathering in Cochrane were we sang that song for the time we were there? In 1997 or 1998? Susan can correct this date if I’m wrong or grams smith well . So now I leave you with a movie that is 10 mins in the end of a movie about grace O’Malley . Just let it load and then watch the end of it you can see the abbey and Bernie’s dog shep in the end when lucy is at Claire island here is a pic of the abbey and the walls and celiing of the abbey for you all to see and last but not least graces grave .
OK so that grace post was long so i edited it down to the web Addy so you can go there and read about her. here
So I’ve been back in Galway for a few days. I was working on a farm on Claire Island but it did not work out for reasons I’m still confused about. I was given the afternoon off on Friday to go see grace O’Malley grave. it was a long walk up to the abbey but I did get there . I was on my way and had a little friend his name was bran. He followed me all the way to an abbey and all the way back. The owners of the farm where a bit mad that bran had gone with me and said I should have told them he was with me.
I have been reading about grace O’Malley for a number of years now. she was a pirate queen in the time of Elizabeth the first . it is said that she died in the same year as the queen . it is not sure certain when she died . I’m going to link a movie so that you call can watch about grace O’Malley and the usual wiki information for you all. When I got to the abbey i was told to go find a guy named Bernie winters. I looked around to find this man but was not having much luck so on my way down to the store to see where he was i found him by mistake .
He was a really nice old man that also takes people in for woofing in the spring. He lives in the oldest house on Claire Island. He is the friendliest person I met on Claire Island. We walked up to the old abbey and he was pointing out all the O’Malley that were in fact related to the great grace O’Malley. When we got into the abbey I had a dead rock star feeling come over me i was standing in the place were the most powerful Irish women of her time was buried . if you all know me you know that i read lots about warrior women and have tons of books in my stash on them . this abbey was very tiny and did not have much space in it . When we got in Bernie told me that they have xmas eve mass in this church every year . They have since built in lights and put a new roof on the abbey. He told me that it was left open to the elements for almost 80 years till someone in 1952 decided to raise money to restore and save the abbey. There are many frescos on the walls in the part were grace is buried. Bernie told me that they have not had anyone come in and restore the ceiling because of cost and they can’t pay for it.
Though out the hour that I was in the abbey Bernie told me all of the graves that were in the floor and also about grace and translated lots of the Irish writing for me . I really think that Bernie should become a tour guide. graces grave has a coat of arms of the O’Malley family beside her grave which Bernie translated to “powerful O’Malley on sea and land “ gives you an idea of how powerful she was . It was also said that grace gave birth to one of her sons on a ship in the middle of a battle that she was leading against the English. Now that is guts for you eh. I really felt connected to grace in away. Ok now the good part Lucy Lawless (xena warrior princess) had stood in the spot of graces grave for a documentary that I watched a few years back on discovery channel. Bernie said that she had the most captivating eyes he had ever seen.
Now i must talk about Bernie. He is a Claire island farmer who does everything the old way. He uses no machinery to help him do anything at all with the farming. I imagine he is between 65 and 80. He is nice and loves to talk to strangers that come through to see graces grave, Bernie is the keeper of the key for the abbey on Claire Island . so i need to ask anyone out there have a picture of some hay bails that you could loan my mom to photocopy so she could mail it to Bernie on Claire island . The funny thing that got me about Bernie was as soon as I told him were in Canada i was from he piped up and said Gordon Lightfoot Alberta Bound. Do we all remember the family gathering in Cochrane were we sang that song for the time we were there? In 1997 or 1998? Susan can correct this date if I’m wrong or grams smith well . So now I leave you with a movie that is 10 mins in the end of a movie about grace O’Malley . Just let it load and then watch the end of it you can see the abbey and Bernie’s dog shep in the end when lucy is at Claire island here is a pic of the abbey and the walls and celiing of the abbey for you all to see and last but not least graces grave .
OK so that grace post was long so i edited it down to the web Addy so you can go there and read about her. here
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