The Great Killarney Escapade

Killarney is a beautiful national park complete with a picturesque castle, an old abbey, its own waterfall, and a mountainous (or as mountainous as Ireland gets) landscape. Sounds like a wonderful time, doesn't it?

We rented bikes and decided to go around what I thought was a hilly trail of about ten miles. Granted, I haven't been on a bike for about two years, but I thought it wouldn't be that bad.

What they don't tell you is that the path ascends from about twenty feet to about eight hundred feet, and you get to bike up that. That "hill" kicked my butt. Badly. Another interesting discovery was the fact that the trail isn't really clearly marked by signs. So you can go about three miles out of your way to turn around again.

Another fun fact was about seven hours into the biking trip is another hill. Only this hill has a windy path to the top. At this time I firmly decided I was a much better walker than a biker and walked my bike up the hill. While going down the hill was a hoot, the experience was slightly marred by the flat tire at the end. It's not like we were still ten miles away from town or anything. Oh wait, we were. Luckily, we were able to call a cab back into town, but we were too late to make the bus back to Limerick. We had to catch the morning bus back, and I had to run to make it to my noon Accounting class.

Still, the experience wasn't all bad. Killarney is beautiful, and the town is very cute. Because we biked twenty miles, we figured we deserved some delicious Chinese food and ice cream. The hostel we stayed at was run by two delightful Australians who let us stay the extra night for free in our own room. And the taxi driver showed us that famous Irish friendliness. And I learned that I am at heart a walker, not a bike person.

The Return of the Homework

The University of Limerick lulls you into a false sense of security. No continuous assessment, no homework assignments, eight hours of sleep a night, and then BAM! Return of the homework!

This week alone I have an essay worth 40 percent due in one class, a huge group project due in another, an essay due last week worth 40 percent, scholarship applications due, and exams to start studying for. The long-felt freedom is over.

You know it's getting serious when the Irish students actually start attending class. In one of my tutorials (smaller classes taught by grad students), we went from an attendance of three to an attendance of forty within two weeks. Time to face the music.

Some tips for future students: If you need to use the computer lab in the library, be ready to queue (fancy word for wait in line). Also, have some choice words ready for the computer, because the UL computers are comparatively slow and usually one program will fail. You can't save anything on the network itself, so make sure to email it to yourself. Otherwise, tears will be shed.

Still, it isn't all bad. The UL has a great program, Cite it Right, which is pretty much Harvard Referencing for Dummies. Greatly utilized by yours truly. The professors are always quick to reply to email. And if you need studying food, an ice cream truck, music and all, comes rolling around your village. And really, what isn't improved with ice cream?

Spring Break

A week in Italy really deserves at least one blog for each day, but in deference to any readers out there who don't won't to be bored to tears, I will attempt to sum up my whole week in one blog. Wish me luck.

The Cinque Terre Region: These five little towns were probably the highlight of my vacation. I would definitely recommend going.

Lessons:

• The six and a half mile hike from one town to the other is gorgeous and worth the fatigue. But be prepared for stairs. Lots of stairs.
• These towns are infested with every type of cat you can imagine.
• Always stamp your train ticket. The fines are a major boo-boo to your wallet.
• Gelato is good. Real good.

Florence: I saw more art than I could possibly imagine in this city, and every corner has it's own little statue.

Lessons:

• Spontaneous, drenching rainshowers don't just occur in Ireland. One should dress accordingly.
• David is definitely worth seeing, and it is far more stunning in real life than in any picture.
• The Uffizi cafe contains the best pasta that I have ever encountered.
• Wine tastes just as gross in Italy as it does in America.
• Even for a practical accounting major who has never taken an art class, some art can truly move you to tears.
• Gelato is good. Real good.

Rome: Rome is also an amazing city. But what Florence is to art, Rome is to ruins.

Lessons:

• The Colosseum is amazing, but be prepared to wait in line for an hour to see it.
• Christians did not live in the catacombs during the persecution, but they did worship there.
• The metro is a very efficient way to travel.
• You can lose someone very easily even in St. Peter's Basilica, which is really only a circle.
• Gelato is good. Real good.

Italy is a truly amazing place, but coming back to the green, quaint country of Ireland with no imposing statues in sight was definitely a relief. Coming home to homework is not.