I walked outside yesterday and the air was filled with the distinct smell of snow. You know when you can breathe in and it just smells like crystallization? That was it. As far as I know, it most likely won't snow at all while I am here, but the scent made me feel relaxed. Like I am supposed to be here.
The weekend in Ireland was everything I wanted it to be. Whale watching and staying in a bed and breakfast were perhaps the best ideas I have ever had. We left really early Friday morning and didn't make it to the tiny town of Baltimore until 5:30 that night. We stayed at the Rathmore House where a woman named Marguerite took care of us. After showing us our room, which was delightfully cozy, she told us to come down to the lounge for some coffee. Once we parked ourselves in front of a roaring fire on huge leather couches, Marguerite brought in a tray with coffee, homemade scones, and raspberry jam. I was in awe of how beautiful it all was. Sipping my coffee and staring out the front window, I could see the ocean lapping at a nearby pasture. A multitude of boats sat lazily on the water and the town of 200 residents seemed so peaceful. It was glorious.
That night we walked a country road to a traditional pub in the middle of nowhere. Sorry Seattle, but Baltimore Ireland has far superior seafood chowder. I couldn't eat enough of it. After dinner, we spent the evening in our room relaxing in the wonderful countryside and went to bed. I woke up, went downstairs to the kitchen, and Marguerite prepared a fantastic full Irish breakfast. It had bacon, sausage, a poached egg, sauteed mushrooms, a tomato half, and black pudding. I ate it all without hesitation. Later I found out that black pudding is blood sausage, but honestly, it was tasty so what do I care?
Marguerite then gave us a ride to the harbor so we could whale watch. The boat was nice and the harbor was gorgeous. We spent 5 hours out on the water touring the picturesque Irish coastline. It looked like it was straight from a movie and I couldn't stop smiling the entire time. We saw about 12 minke whale dorsal fins (the whales are about 28 feet long and the fins only pop up above the water for a brief moment), three pods of dolphins, and seals. The dolphins kept surrounding our boat on all sides and could be seen doing somersaults underwater. If we were really quiet we could hear them clicking and talking to each other. It is difficult to remember a time when I have been so ecstatic.
So overall the trip was a success. I came back and cranked out two mid-terms and a paper. Quite honestly, I expect A's on all of them. I previously mentioned that the rigor is easier here, but there is also something about worldly trips as a motivating factor that works really well for me.
Tonight I went to see some fringe theatre in London. I went to the Southwark Playhouse to see Terror 2009. It was combination of 4 short plays all dealing with shocking elements. I mainly went because the last production was written by Neil Labute (a playwright who wrote one of my favorite scripts in Speech). It was engaging, but violent and I am still not sure how I feel about it. Well acted, but sometimes shock value is pointless without an underlying point.
Anyway, I should really be in bed. I leave for Norway in about three hours. I have been too wound up to sleep so I came here to write. Also, I figured out how to let people without Facebook see my pictures. Use the links below and you should be able to see them all.
Ireland: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116748&id=505649265&l=0fbd0d616e
Chelsea Area: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116543&id=505649265&l=00cf323bad
Oxford: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114546&id=505649265&l=7fb8c34a99
London Zoo: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114534&id=505649265&l=d80db0cd69
Sites from Architecture Tours and Platform 9 and 3/4: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109672&id=505649265&l=735fb28ac2
Stonehenge and Salisbury: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109662&id=505649265&l=8760449771
Globe Theatre, Ice Bar, and Bath: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=105348&id=505649265&l=4a9ad26f55
Various London Sites, and British Museum: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103440&id=505649265&l=8ffb2b80b2
Windsor Castle: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=102913&id=505649265&l=dca45baf57
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