Cupãn Tae

After our hands nearly froze from the Rainbow Houses, we ducked into Cupãn Tae, a tiny, yet adorable tea shop just steps from the Sparch. 

A sign on the door instructed us to turn the key in the lock before entering the shop because the wind was "causing havoc." After turning the key and crossing the threshold into the warm and welcoming shop, we were amazed at all of the delicate tea settings, pastries, and lacy tablecloths. 

We were seated at a table with a pastel pink tea set and couldn't stop oohing and aahhing over everything. 

The waitress brought us small booklets of the shop's tea selections, from which we chose the Dreamy Creamy Galway Tea.

It was a black tea that had coffee beans mixed in with the tea leaves and was brought over in a purple flowered teapot. We waited for it to steep, and knew it was ready when the sand timer ran out. Because we ordered a black tea, we had a sand timer for black tea. If we had ordered an herbal tea, we would've been given a different timer. Cupãn Tae obviously knows their teas!

Finally, we could enjoy our tea! 

Over tea, we made plans for the semester, talked about home, and kept gushing over the decor in Cupãn Tae. Next time, I need to try the baked goods because we were so excited about the tea selection, we didn't even think to order a snack. Other tables around us were eating brunches that looked and smelled amazing! I saw one butternut squash soup that I'll have to try soon!

At the back of the shop, behind the bustle of the small, tightly packed tables, are shelves lined with teas and sand timers for sale. I know I'll be picking up a few teas before going home because the tea is SO much better here! Even the cheap tea in the grocery store is better than the best tea I've had at home.

Exploring Galway: Rainbow Houses

Every time I leave my apartment, I discover bits of Galway I haven't seen before. As I find new places and new landscapes, I plan to blog about them so you can pretend you're here with me! 

Anyone who has ever seen the iconic pictures of the Rainbow Houses lining the River Corrib in Galway has probably added visiting them to their bucket list. I know I did! On Saturday, when I woke up (admittedly a little late) to the first sunny day we had had in Galway, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. It wasn't difficult to convince my new friends to come with me. 

We set out to explore our new city, with hopes of stumbling upon the Rainbow Houses eventually. We knew we were headed in the right direction when we spotted the Spanish Arch, or Sparch. I don't really know much about the Sparch other than I like the nickname!

We passed through the Sparch and spotted a pub offering a tasty lunch menu, but what really caught my eye was the colorful pink bike casually resting against the stone exterior.

Finally, we caught a glimpse of our destination. The houses are even prettier in person. Each one is different from the adjacent homes and the bright colors popped against the partly sunny sky. Can you imagine living in one of these houses? "Oh, it's the white one with the blue door. You can't miss it!"

Although, it can be pretty easy to forget that people actually do live in these houses! Oops!

 I'm still amazed by all of the grass that grows here. It's January and the grass is greener here than in April at home! Beware though, those rocks are slippery from the constant moisture in the air and raging River Corrib.

Aunt Monica has always told me to take the "postcard" pictures and then take photos of the people I'm with to prove that I really was there! So, Aunt Mon, these are for you (:

Tucked behind the Rainbow Houses in a small channel were these brightly colored commercial tour boats. The striped biminis made the boats look like children's bathtub toys, but at the same time, I was longing to jump on one and see Galway from the water.

For anyone who was wondering: sometimes the sun really does shine in Ireland! Regardless, Galway is gorgeous, even in the rain.

On the grassy cliff we walked along, we found a chain popping out of the ground. We each gave it a tug, but it wouldn't budge. I guess whatever is chained down there will remain a mystery!

By this point, our hands were freezing and the wind was starting to pick up, so we ducked into the cutest little tea shop you've ever seen to warm up. More on that another day, though! 

GAA Games

Between the lecture-like sessions where Arcadia staff presented us with the necessary info to understand and feel comfortable in Ireland, they tried to introduce us to the Irish culture. On Monday, we were bussed to an Irish sports club and were taught the basics of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) games; Irish football, hurling, and handball. The session began with a video montage and explanation of how the games are played and some terminology. The point of the day was to learn enough about the games to understand a match and maybe pick up a few skills. Therefore, I don't know all of the technical terms and rules, so some of what I remember may be slightly different than how the games are really played, but I tried to remember as much as I could.

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Gaelic football is similar to American soccer, but you can use your hands to carry, bounce, and spike the ball. However, you can't pick the ball up from the ground, you have to "chip" the ball into your hands. If you're carrying the ball and running down the pitch (field), you have to either bounce or kick the ball every 3 or 4 steps. We were told that in matches, it's more like 4ish steps because they are Irish. As someone who has never been good at American soccer, I was hoping that being able to use my hands would make this sport a little easier, but I was so wrong. Chipping the ball from the ground to my hands proved difficult, and kicking the ball over what is essentially an American football goal post to score a point was near impossible.

Gaelic football and hurling are played on the same pitch, share many similar rules, and contact is allowed in both sports. The official pitch is longer than a football field and there is the goal post with a net underneath it. If the ball goes through the goal post, it's one point and if the ball goes past the keeper into the net, it's 3 points.

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Hurling was my favorite of the three sports. Each player has a hard, wooden stick made of ash that looks like really large field hockey stick. The ball, slightly smaller than a baseball, is caught in your hands. Like in Gaelic football, you can't pick the ball up with your hands, but you can cover it, pull it back towards you with your stick, scoop it over the top of the stick and then into your waiting hand. The coaches made this move look so easy, but I definitely struggled with it! We also practiced hitting the ball in the air to a partner who would catch it and then hit it back to us as well as passing the ball on the ground, sort of like field hockey.

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Lastly, we played handball. My group ran out of time before we could play any games, but we learned the basic rules. Handball is sort of like racquetball without a racquet. The actual ball used in the sport is about the size of a golf ball and is pretty hard. However, we used larger, softer balls so no one got hurt. We practiced serving the ball and hitting it to a partner. Unlike hurling, when the ball is hit to you, you don't catch it, you keep the ball in play by hitting it again. In handball, like in tennis, if it bounces once, it's still good, but if it bounces twice, the ball is dead.

Because these three sports are so pervasive in Ireland, it was a really fun way to engage in the culture. The Irish are very loyal to the clubs that they play for and don't trade between clubs like professional athletes in America. The athletes are also unpaid and play purely for the love of the sport. Matches are intense, fast-paced, and exciting, and I can't wait to see one!

Here and Happy

Day one in Ireland was officially a success! Despite a delayed flight, some serious jet lag, and the airline losing my luggage, I had an amazing first day in Dublin.

We spent the day exploring Dublin with the program and then on our own. It's a beautiful city and it's amazing how different it is from home. We drove through the North side of Dublin when we came from the airport. Some city blocks looked like they could easily belong in certain parts of Boston, but seconds later, we would pass distinctly European buildings that would stick out in America. When we crossed River Liffey into the south side of Dublin, it became very apparent that we weren't in Boston anymore!

Today we start the typical icebreakers and breakout sessions for orientation. But in the afternoon, we are being taught Irish sports and then this evening, we're going to the oldest pub in Dublin for dinner and to listen to a traditional storyteller. Stay tuned!

(P.S. The airline found and delivered my suitcase!)

T-Minus Two Days

In less than 48 hours, I will be on a flight to Dublin. I'm (sort of) packed. I've skimmed some guidebooks. I'm ready to go. And in some ways, I've been ready for this trip since I was a toddler.

I've always wanted to study abroad and I can't believe that the time is actually here. A year ago, it seemed like time was dragging and this moment would never come. But now that I'm sitting here, staring it in the face, I don't fully believe that it has come. I'll be meeting new people, learning new names, seeing new places. I'm definitely nervous about a lot of things, but especially about pronouncing Gaelic words. It may seem silly, but stay tuned for an anecdote where I embarrass myself, because I'm sure it will happen at some point.

Despite the nervousness, I know that the next 4 1/2 months will be totally amazing and completely unforgettable. I'll do my best to update this blog for anyone that wants to keep up!