Fresh Vegetables and Old Pubs

Ireland has pleasantly surprised me with a few days of extremely mild weather, and today was no exception. This warm weather makes the long walks around the city so much more enjoyable! My day consisted of going to the Irish Culture and Irish Political/Economic seminars, then stopping by a vender to buy fresh potatoes, peppers, apples and carrots. The produce here is so inexpensive, and I love supporting local businesspeople while buying healthy food! I felt like such a little European hipster while walking back to my apartment, canvas bag full of fresh goodies, munching on my apple. To celebrate my first trip to the market, I made baked Irish potatoes for some friends for a late lunch. Delicious. The potatoes were so fresh they had tons of soil on them which I gladly scrubbed off. It's so great to know they came right from the ground to my kitchen. 

First trip to a market!

For dinner our study abroad group met at O'Neill's, one of Dublin's most famous and historic pubs. It's been there for over 300 years and was absolutely massive! As some friends and I were walking around to meet our party, we made our way through several staircases that ultimately took us all over the building. It felt like I was in a playground or maze of wooden rooms filled with charming people with traditional Irish fare and drink! Sarah and I split shepherd's pie that came with mashed potatoes, cabbages, carrots and peas--we're trying to be as authentic as we can! While we ate, our study abroad director hosted a quiz night and we all competed on teams of four. My group and I all attend school in the heavenly state of North Carolina, and we affectionately called ourselves "The Bojangles," in honor of our deliciously greasy, fast-food restaurant that prides itself on chicken, biscuits and sweet tea. "The Bojangles" tied for a place that was not 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 7th...but we did have one of the best rounds in the entire game and were generally on our game. Next time we're taking home the prize, mark my words! If anything, it was a great way for me to review what I learned so long ago in my AP history and English classes, and to begin to test out my Irish knowledge.

O'Neill's, a famous 300 year old pub!

Shepherd's pie!

The Elon crew looking good, naturally.

Following dinner we headed to Whelan's, which is apparently the bar where the protagonist from P.S. I Love You goes with some friends while in Ireland. I'm a big fan of the movie (it may or may not have helped make me want to study in Ireland), but I don't think this venue was the same place. The pub was still fantastic, however, because it's been around since 1894 and had two separate stages for bands. One stage was downstairs where we watched for most of the time, but we also checked out the second stage which we accessed by taking a staircase and passing through a few rooms. The character of these buildings is incredible, and I like to wonder what they were like years ago when people just like us were 'having the craic' (having a great day) in those same places. The music was very relaxing, and we enjoyed the atmosphere and the passion of the performers. It's definitely a place where we'll return and can begin to fit in as locals. Being tourists was so last week.

Checking out the local music scene

Tomorrow some girls and I are going to Kilkenny--a sixth century city situated on both banks of the River Nore. I'm so excited to continue exploring this country with a day trip on the train! I can hardly believe I only just arrived one week ago. Times flies when you're having fun is the understatement of the century.