I Will Appreciate This...

I am so ashamed and saddened at the fact that I have not blogged for more than two months. Blogging is my source of relief, my way of sharing my emotions and feelings towards something I love. It allows me to express my ideas, opinions, and promises, even if it is only me reading it.

To be given the ability to share my experiences and pictures with others, I can't think of a better way to spend my time. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way, making it difficult to make time for the things we love and enjoy.

Since my last blog post, things have gotten quite hectic at work and within my own personal life. While work has occupied most of my time, I have been suffering from some medical issues that have left me feeling somewhat...unmotivated, which I absolutely hate!

However, as this year comes to an end, I look forward to the newness that 2013 will bring. Hoping it will bring good times, good news, and great company, one thing is for sure, 2013 will bring with it a trip that I have been looking forward to taking for as long as I can remember. Although plane tickets are not booked quite yet, all of the wheels are in motion and come March, I will be traveling through Germany and Poland. Experiencing all the wonders and history that these two countries possess, the history nerd inside of me can hardly wait.

So, as 2012 comes to a close, I will appreciate the memories and opportunities that have been given to me. The opportunity to travel to Ireland with my mom and see a part of the world that beholds so much beauty and peace that it can only be appreciated when fully immersed in its landscapes and countrysides.  I will appreciate the every day redundance that life can sometimes bring, whether it be through work or at home.

Most of all, I will appreciate the opportunity to do all of these things, to see the world, to have a job, to have a family who loves me and friends who do the same, to have pets who bring so much joy into my life, and to have a God who has blessed me with all of these wonderful pieces of life that I am much too unworthy of receiving.

Time for Some Advice

Okay everyone, it is that time again that I call upon all of my lovely readers for your expert advice. I am in the beginning stages of planning my next trip and I would love to hear your do's and don'ts, the must see's and the can do without's.

So, here's my plan: Someone around February or March, I plan to travel to Germany and Poland. My route will be something like, landing in Munich and spending a few days (3-5) in the city and taking day trips to Nuremburg and the Bavarian Alps area, then taking the train to Krakow and visiting Auschwitz while I am there. After Krakow, I am looking to take the train to Warsaw and then finish my trip in Berlin.

I have already looked up numerous tours in various places and keep in mind, I'm a HUGE history buff, so any historical museums, sites, etc...that you think are worthy of my time, please offer them up!

Also, any restaurants, shops, hidden treasures, as well as travel tips in these areas, I would appreciate any and all advice!!!!

Wicklow Mountains of Dublin

Natural beauty can be found in so many places. To say that it exists in only a few small areas would be absurd, and in the country of Ireland…it can be found in the masses. Dublin is a prime example, or maybe more so, the city of Wicklow.

Taking a tour through the Wicklow Mountains, we were given a little slice of Heaven. First, our tour guide, Stephen, made the experience well worth our while. Second, although Galway remains my favorite for sightseeing and countryside beauty, Wicklow remains second best.

In fact, I’m going to let you see for yourselves….

 

 

The "Guniness" Lake. It sits on the Guniness Family property.
 

This is the bridge featured in "P.S. I Love You" where Gerard Butler meets Hilary Swank for the first time.

 

 

 

    

Birds of Prey

I’m not a huge bird lover. It’s not that I don’t like them, but I’m more partial to cats and dogs. That is, until we visited a bird of prey sanctuary in Galway. Opting to take a tour to the Cliffs of Moher, we traveled through The Burren area, which lies in Northern County Clare and Southern Galway. One of the stops on our tour was to visit the Birds of Prey Sanctuary and Educational Centre.

Now, I’ve been through other educational/animal attractions (i.e. zoos) and I love them, but I have to admit, I wasn’t too excited about this particular stop off. Getting off the bus, we entered the sanctuary to see various birds awaiting our eager eyes…or at least some eager eyes. It was quite chilly outside so, getting indoors was nice and pleasant.

Rounding the corner of this outdoor sanctuary, I was shocked at the beauty of these gorgeous creatures. Hawks, owls, vultures, and other exotic birds stood behind these cages just watching and waiting. Screeches from various owls could be heard throughout the enclosure and I quickly found myself grabbing for my video camera. Turning it on, I was enamored with each individual bird.

Coming up on a snow white owl, I looked at my mom and remarked, “It’s Hedwig!” Laughing at the hilarity of my comment, I couldn’t help but wish that it was coming home with me. Sitting on the ground, it sat there with its eyes closed and looking content.

Vultures splayed their wings for us and owls played peek-a-boo as we struggled to get them to look at us, only to take the camera away from the readied position before they turn quickly enough as if to say “Ha Ha, I don’t think so, tourist!”

Before entering the sanctuary, we were told that we would be watching an owl demonstration. After seeing all of these gorgeous birds, I quickly made my way out to the demonstration area and took a seat in the first row of wooden bleacher s. Out walked the “bird whisperer” as I like to refer to him. After giving his speech about the owls in their enclosure and how they go about training and raising them, he yelled for Jenny.

Suddenly, this white owl (not Hedwig, unfortunately) came flying out of a cage and onto his arm. Prepped with food, she was eager to eat. Go figure, an animal influenced to do tricks with the usage of food.

Telling us a bit more about Jenny and her specific breed, we learned that she is in fact, blind to objects up close. Using her beak, she sought out the food in his hand. Soon enough, he asked for volunteers to see who would like to hold her. After a few people, I threw up my hand and found myself in front of a crowd and suited up with a large brown glove on my left hand. With one quick call, Jenny flew from the short wooden stump onto my hand. There I stood, an owl sitting perched on my hand…something I can now officially check off my bucket list.

My mom eventually decided to volunteer after me persuading her to do so, saying, “When are you ever going to get to hold an owl?” Taking my advice, she too, invited Jenny to take a seat on her covered hand. However, by the time my mom held her, she was tiring from all the excitement. Opting to fly back to her cage, we applauded Jenny for her time, as well as the trainer.

Leaving the bird of prey sanctuary, I felt I had a new appreciation for birds. Excited that I had actually held an owl, I felt appreciative of the fact that we stopped at this hidden tourist gem. It is stop offs like these that create some of the greatest memories from a trip such as this one.

Discovering Our Heritage

Looking through my photos from Ireland, I couldn’t help but smile at the moment I spotted our photos from the Cork Heritage Museum. Known for its content that contains artifacts from the Titanic, mom and I opted to visit while in Cork. However, there is a little bit of a backstory, so let me start there first.

On the train from Belfast to Galway, mom and I sat across the aisle from a man. He lived in New Jersey but was full Irish. Seated across from him were two elderly women from England. Naturally, the three struck up a conversation and well, mom and I couldn’t help but do a bit of eavesdropping. Asking if the man had visited the new Titanic Exhibition in Belfast, he said that he had in fact visited the site.

Grinning at each other, mom and I thought the elderly women to be sweet and “chatty;” however, the next thing that came out of the man’s mouth had even my mom and me eager to hear more. Out of his bag, he pulled out black and white photos of his great uncle. Explaining that his great uncle, Jeremiah Burke, had been on the Titanic, he went on to say that his great uncle’s cousin was also aboard with him when the ship went down.  Before leaving, his mother had given him a bottle of Holy Water to take on his journey. When learning that the ship was sinking, he emptied the bottle and inserted a hand-written note. Corking the bottle, it went down with the ship – both he and his cousin perished in sinking. Years later, the bottle washed ashore in Cork and now sits within the Cork Heritage Center.

After hearing this story, mom and I both agreed that if we had time, it would be quite amazing to go and see this infamous bottle. When arriving in Cork, we looked at our schedule and discovered that unfortunately, there would be no time to see this part of Titanic history. However, all of that changed when we woke up one morning, got dressed, and walked to the bus station. Planning to travel to Kinsale to visit one of the large forts there, we quickly learned that 13 euros for a bus ticket, one way mind you, was a bit too much for a fort that we may not even see because of the rain.

“Hey, why don’t we see how much it would cost to go to Cobh,” mom said. Agreeing that it was a good idea, we hopped on the train and traveled to Cobh. Pulling into the station, the Heritage Center was just steps away. Paying the fee to enter, we readied our cameras and prepared to be transported back to 1912. Making our way through the museum, we passed by story after story of passengers and their belongings. Fascinated by all of the articles held within this tiny museum, we came to the notorious bottle.

“Goodbye All” is what the note read – a sorrowful message by a young man, only 19 years old, preparing to meet his fate in the cold waters below.

Looking at the pictures of Jeremiah Burke, we couldn’t believe we were actually seeing this bit of history. After grabbing a few photos, I turned to see my mother staring at a photo of a man. Just as quickly as I spotted her, she turned to look back at me.

“Who does this man remind you of,” she asked me. Within seconds, my eyes focused on the man in the photo and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The man my mother was fixated on looked just like my grandfather.  Walking towards the photo, we read the caption, saying it was Frank Browne, a famous photographer of the Titanic and its passengers. Browne was in seminary school at the time. While on the Titanic, he snapped photos of its passengers and the lives they led on board the ship. Wishing to continue on the ship’s journey, he was told by his mentor to disembark the ship immediately. Getting off in Queensland, Browne did not suffer the fate that so many did when the ship went down.

Staring at the photo, I was shocked at how similar this man looked to my mom’s father. Her maiden name is Brown and to know that when immigrants came over to the U.S., the “e” on his last name could have easily been dropped. His forehead, eyes, ears, and nose were all the same.  Standing there, mom almost began crying, completely in awe of what she was seeing. To think that we had come to Ireland and found our heritage, it was unbelievable. It was like everything fell into place just like it should – the decision to go to Ireland, the seat and compartment on that train, the story of the message in a bottle – it all led to this discovery.

Since seeing that photo, we have attempted to find out more about Frank Browne and how we may be related. Convinced that there is a relation, mom and I are determined to get to the bottom of this…who knows, it’s like they say…life has a funny way of presenting these types of things to us. I knew there was a reason I chose to go to Ireland!

Birthday Wish List

In a week's time, I will celebrate yet, another birthday. The big 27 this time, so although it isn't a milestone, it's another year older.

So, what is on my lovely birthday list you may ask? Well, not much to be honest. I'm not one for new technologies (my co-workers can attest to that); however, I am one for travel (surprise, surprise). One of the first things I always ask for, whether it is for my birthday or for Christmas is air miles. My sister so graciously bought me air miles as part of my Christmas gift this past year - a gift that proved quite beneficial in the purchase of my airplane ticket to Ireland.

So, guess what? Air miles top the list again this year! I'm already formulating where I want to go next and have decided that my next trip (God willing) will be to Germany and Poland. If you've followed this blog, you know that I am a history fanatic, so naturally, these two countries are ideal locations for my next trip.

First of all, my sister traveled to Germany many years ago and spoke nothing but good things about the country. My main points of interest will be Berlin and Munich, but I want to visit the Bavarian Alps as well.  Of course, I couldn't leave this country without seeing and visiting the concentration camp, Dachau. I've known numerous people who have visited this humbling site...needless to say, I want to see it as well.

Secondly, I have planned to visit Poland for many years now. After doing extensive research, I have learned the extent to which the Polish people have gone to make their country appealing to visitors. Naturally, visiting Krakow and Warsaw are my two main points of interest, and well...if I'm there, I must see Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Since it will be some time before I can make this trip a reality, in the mean time, my birthday wishes will be receiving air miles as my gifts. The more, the better obviously, but I'll take as many as I can get.

Of course, I could always use a day at the spa too!

St. Anne’s Glorious Bells

I sincerely apologize for not posting sooner. I have been terribly busy and well…a bit under the weather for a while now. However, I am back and hope to post more frequently! So, hopefully all of you are doing well (or at least those of you who are still reading my blog!)

Since I last left you with my amazing experience at the Jameson Distillery in Dublin, I have been mulling over my photos and video from my trip. Recounting the two weeks I spent there, I find myself wishing to see more. Don’t get me wrong, I am whole-heartedly grateful and blessed to have seen what I did; however, after trips like these, it only fuels the urge within me to travel more. It is experiences like the ones I had with my mom in Ireland that make me want to see more of God’s great creations.

For instance, while in Cork, we visited the small, yet stunning Church of St. Anne. Overlooking much of the city, the church was built in the 16^th century, complete with its famous bells, which can be heard far and wide. Stepping inside, we were the only people visiting that day. A nice break from the bit of drizzle outside, the church provided a serene environment for reflection and gratitude. That was one thing about this trip…with each church we visited, I found myself taking time to pray and give thanks to God for allowing me to be there in that moment, and to see what this world has to offer. With each prayer, I felt more and more humbled.

Although the sanctuary was small, the history that lay within was tremendous. Books that dated back centuries and centuries lay beneath glass and a small podium allowed visitors to write the name of a loved one in need of prayer. White walls surrounded us as we walked the perimeter. Making our way out of the sanctuary, we asked to go up to the viewing deck, with the hopes that we may be able to ring the infamous bells.

Before we were allowed up, we were given large ear protectors for when the bell is rung. Climbing the stairs, we came to a wooden platform. Looking to the right, we spotted eight long ropes, each connected to eight separate bells. Each rope had a number and before it was a small podium with a book full of songs. Looking to my mom, I was unsure if we were “allowed” to play, so, deciding to bypass the bells, we continued our trek to the top.

As the stairs grew steeper and more confined, I felt my backpack beginning to rub against both sides of the wall. Now, I am not a claustrophobic person; however, the closeness that this staircase presented was making me a bit nervous. Arriving at what looked to be like a large attic, the massive bell sat waiting for its next visitor. My mom, the eager woman that she is, moved forward and rung it loudly, sending a smile across her face. I was up next, which I gladly took my turn….thankfully, the ear protectors were there to save us from the massive “gong” sound that rung out only inches away from our precious eardrums.

Spotting a rickety ladder, complete with a make-shift sign with an arrow pointing up, I followed my mom up to what soon led us to the viewing deck. Stepping out, it wasn’t the wind that nearly took our breath away, but the view. Standing at the top of St. Anne’s, we looked out to see the beautiful city of Cork beneath us. Never could I have imagined that I would be standing in such a place.

Although the sky above us was cloudy, there was no way I was going to let a little rain ruin the feeling I was having in that moment. That is what I find so humorous about people. We look around us every day and feel nothing about the environment we live in and the places we see...it is a luxury that we take for granted each day. I am just as guilty as everyone else; however, when you stand atop a church that has seen the horrors of war and look out onto a land so full of life and wonder…you can’t not be thankful for what God has given and presented to us. To see things that many only read in books and to see the expression on my mother’s face…now that is what makes traveling worthwhile.

Climbing back down the stairs, we arrived back on the wooden platform; the bells once again luring us to play. Opting to not pass up this chance again, we both walked towards the ropes and prepared to play. Thumbing through the booklet, we settled on the beauty that is “Amazing Grace.” With each word assigned a number, we began to play the sweet words.

Amazing Grace
How Sweet the Sound
That Saved a Wretch Like Me
I Once Was Lost
But Now I’m Found
Was Blind But Now I See

My mom was so excited that she made me get out the video camera and film her as she played the song once more. To watch her as she rang each bell, I knew that this was something she would never forget. Her determination to play each word, it was like nothing I’d ever seen.  This opportunity was that “sweet sound” that is talked about in the song. As the song ended, she grinned wider than ever, turning to camera and giving a proper thumbs up.

Exiting the church, I knew that playing those bells would become a memory that she would tuck away forever; one that she will revisit often as she looks back on our time spent in Ireland. The words to that song truly speak volumes when visiting new places….blinded by the normalcy that everyday life can bring, visiting new places causes us to open our eyes and see the beauty that lies around.