Month: February 2023

  After being on-the-go for the last two weeks, I am very happy to have had some time in Galway. I am inclined to write about this past weekend, seeing as it was “Super Bowl Sunday.” The day may be a nationally-recognized holiday in the US, but it was nearly impossible to find a pub in Galway to sit and watch the game. This has been one of the biggest “culture-shock” moments for me since arriving in Ireland.

  The problem that I kept running into would be that a place would have the game playing on the TV, but no sound. As a HUGE Chris Stapleton fan, this was very problematic because I would not be able to hear my idol perform the National Anthem. The television volume was turned off in most places (yes, we tried our luck at multiple different pubs) because of live music, but my friends and I were finally able to negotiate with the pub staff to turn the TV speakers up. There was a pretty decent sized crowd in The Dail on Super Bowl Sunday, with many Irish people locked in to the Chiefs and Eagles matchup, despite all of chaos that ensued before the game.

  The crisis was seemingly averted, until halftime rolled around. All week my roommates and I were making our predictions for what song Rihanna would sing first. Would it be “Run This Town,” or “Please Don’t Stop the Music (Spoiler alert: she never even played this one)? Unfortunately, as soon as the clock ticked down in the second quarter, we all were asked to leave because the pub was closing. This meant that I was forced to watch the halftime show late and on my laptop, with live updates coming in through WhatsApp by my parents.

  I did enjoy my first, international Super Bowl Sunday, but I would prefer the usual watch parties with all of my favorite comfort foods back in Massachusetts. Stay tuned for next week’s adventures!!

  I have always dreamed about seeing the Eiffel Tower in person, and I will never forget the moment that I looked up into the sky, to see it sparkling right in front of my very eyes. I will also never forget the amazing dinner I had with my friends, where the restaurant was situated right next to the Eiffel Tower.  There is something so special about being able to see world-famous landmarks for the first time, and this moment really grounded me, allowing me to recognize how fortunate I am to be able to be traveling across Europe each weekend.

  With that being said, I think it is safe to say that I fell in love with Paris. I loved the streets lined with cafes, the fashion of the locals (I felt like I was in a scened of Emily in Paris), the food and just the overall atmosphere. I mean, it is not everyday that I am eating a chocolate croissant with my friends, on our way to the Louvre. I felt like I had to pinch myself multiple times on this trip because I could not believe that I was actually in Paris!

   I really enjoyed taking the metro out to Versailles as well and being able to see the Palace. The architecture and the gold trim along the palace was absolutely stunning. This is definitely a must-do in France.

  This may have been my first trip to Paris, but it is certainly not my last. I can’t imagine a trip topping this one, but I still have so much time left in Europe. As they say in France, “Au Revoir!”

  I have been so busy attending classes and traveling across Europe that I am just blogging now about my trip to London at the end of January! The trip began with a 3-hour bus ride (in the middle of the night) to Dublin, where I took a RyanAir flight to Dublin. Traveling at three o’clock in the morning is certainly not my favorite thing to do, but it is optimal in order to fit in all of the sightseeing that we want to do in just two days. 

  I was very surprised at how some parts of London are extremely modern, yet there are other parts where the buildings look straight out of the seventeenth century. Being able to see buildings like this right next to each other was fascinating, making me compare the city to Boston, seeing as the dichotomy between modern and old-fashioned is very present there as well.

  My favorite part of London was the Tower Bridge! We were able to walk across it at night and see it all lit up which was beautiful. I am also so happy that I got to run into some Holy Cross friends at Big Ben. As much as I am having so much fun bopping around Europe, I do often find myself missing home, so seeing familiar faces always eases any angst that I am feeling. 

  Next, I will post updates about my trip to Paris last weekend, which exceeded any and all expectations I had!