Hello!  I have some news!  (I know, it's been months.)

My senior exhibition is opening on Thursday evening.  I have three of my photographs from this project in the exhibition, and a lot of my friends from the art department will also be showing their work.  It's called (everything but...) The Kitchen Sink or something like that.  So, if you happen to be around Shriver on Thursday, stop by for some art and free food!

I entered three of my photographs from Belfast.  I've noticed that my photos from this project fell into three categories:  landscapes/city scapes, ruins, and the Belfast murals.  I think that the Belfast murals are some of the most compelling, although probably not the greatest as far as originality goes.  However, they look good and I'm proud of the job I did framing them. 

I still haven't heard about a private exhibition for all of my Ireland photos, but at this point, things look grim.  I may have to see if I can get a little show at a coffee shop or something.  I will post again if something new happens!  (I may even get images up eventually, ha ha ha.)

It's been a while since I posted...sorry about that!  Anyway, I made JPGs of all my final images and they are up on Facebook.  I'm going to get a Photobucket account (or something) so I can link things here.  Hopefully. 

I went to Michael's and got some cheap frames for my own personal amusement.  They had some nice wood frames that I thought were pretty nice.  Unfortunately, there was only one version of 13 x 19 frames, and they are ugly.  Oh well.  I may have to custom frame everything.  I need to get them ready to hang.  I'm going to use them to decorate my room in my apartment (yay, I'm getting an apartment!)

I move back to college on Saturday.  It's been a chore getting everything packed.  I'm looking forward to starting the semester...and getting my $400 back.  I still have to get the printer and scanners working or find someone to fix them. 

Happy end of summer to everyone!

The secretary told me yesterday that I can't get reimbursed for spending any of my supply money until I spend ALL of it.  This logic is so brilliant that I fail to understand it.  It shouldn't matter if I fill out one or two forms because they are just going to lose them anyway.  

*Ahem*  Sarcasm and growing bitterness aside...

Since I had $200 left to spend in order to get back the $200 I've already spent, I went up to Bill's and got the biggest photo paper I could find- 17 x 22.  I eagerly brought two sheets of it into the lab, only to discover that somehow, the computer no longer communicates with the printer.  I've checked all the cords, rebooted the printer, re-connected everything, and tried multiple print settings.  Nothing works.  I can't even run a diagnostic because the computer and printer aren't communicating.  Any ideas, anyone?

I did notice that someone else tried to print a file earlier today.  I would love to know who else has been coming in.  So far, whoever it is has messed up the darkroom and now the nicest printer.  Plus, I think my adviser is on vacation because I haven't heard from him. 

I'm going to spend the rest of my supply money on mat boards so I can start framing.  I'm going to cut the mats myself because it's cheaper and my photos are varying sizes. 

I did not want to have my project end this way.  Ireland was amazing.  I have great photos.  But I am stuck in a little town in Ohio with no faculty help and equipment that is either broken, filthy, or inaccessible due to other people's laziness.  I would really like to be back in Ireland right now, going hiking and taking more photos. 

However, one good thing that has come out of this is my portfolio:  I now have plenty of images to use when I apply to grad school.  So, I think I'm going to get some lunch and start working on online applications. 

So far, I have:

-25 digital prints that I am happy with
-5 darkroom prints, only 1 of which I like and feel confident about

Basically, I want to scan in my film and print it with the inkjets.  The light in Ireland was very strange and I don't think that I have enough skill with filters to make up for it.  It's been a long time since I worked in the darkroom and since a good deal of the pictures were taken in the fog or with oncoming rain, it's hard to get all the detail in the landscape while trying to keep the sky from looking bizarre.  Everything just looks grey, but still has plenty of contrast.  Aaaa, need some advice.  (And I want to print them BIG, which is hard to do in the darkroom.)

The problem is that the scanners in the large digital room are broken and the combination lock for the small lab is also broken.  I have no usable film scanners.  So, I can't do anything with the color film that I shot and I'm kind of stuck as far as B&W goes as well. 

So, after spending a frustrating 5 hours in the darkroom yesterday, I spent a couple hours making a panorama...or three.  I'm only going to use one of them, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  I used about 10 photos that I took at the ring fort on Inishowen.  I used the automate setting on Photoshop 3 to combine them into a panorama shot that includes most of the fort in one picture.  I'm going to try to print that today...somehow.  I may have to split it up onto different sheets and mount it on one peice matte board, or buy some roll paper.

I may make a couple more panoramas.  I shot several, so I could do it.  It gives a much better feeling of what the landscape was actually like. 

I've been fighting a cold for the past week.  I thought I was getting better, but I feel exhausted this morning.  (I was woken up early by a thunderstorm and cat appropriately named Banshee.)  Theresa's been an awesome roommate.

Hopefully, I'll be able to meet with my professor sometime this week so that I can go home on Sunday.  I'm tired from planning, traveling, and spending long hours in the photo lab. 

EDIT:  For some reason, there is a man down the hallway banging at things with hammers.  ...  So.  Great.

I now have 20 prints and another one printing right now!  I've made very good progress with my digital prints.  Unfortunately, none of the scanners in the digital lab are working and the padlock to the other digital room is jammed.  That's the room that has the scanners I usually use...so...I have a problem.  There are a couple of photos from my color film I was hoping to print, but at the moment, I have no way of doing that.  The lab here doesn't carry the chemicals for printing in color because they are toxic and tough to use.

But, I think this will be the last day I print digitally (aside from color film.)  Today, I am going to the local art store to see what they carry, and tomorrow I am going to begin on darkroom printing.  I need to spend time going through my...11 rolls of B&W film and picking what I'd like to print.  I want to print some landscapes from Sliabh Liag.  The wide angle lens was fantastic for landscapes.  If you have an old camera and $40.00 to spare, I strongly suggest you buy a wide angle lens.  It's the best money I've ever spent on equipment.  

So, my goals for today:
1. Finish digital prints: 2 to go!
2. Go to Bill's and get photo paper (or order it online.)

As far as everything else goes, my cold is getting better!  I could still use more sleep, but at least the weekend is almost here.  Plus, Marie, Theresa, and I have planned a cooking fest tonight.  Yum!  TGIF.

The week that I spent editing everything is really paying off.  I have 10 prints done and I still have all afternoon!  I need to have at least 20 digital prints, maybe more, and then the darkroom prints on top of that.  Some of the exposures for my prints weren't ideal, which sometimes makes printing take a little longer, but so far, this is the smoothest I've ever had a project go.  Which means something is going to blow up in my face now...

I finished cleaning up the lab this morning.  I should be able to start printing in the darkroom by tomorrow at the latest.  Before then, I need to go to Bill's and see what kind of paper they have.  I'm worried that Ilford stopped making the pearl fiber paper (did they make it in the first place?  Maybe I'm going crazy, but I can't find it anywhere.)  Anyway, I may just switch to glossy.  Plus, I'm hoping Bill can order me a larger size paper.  

Theresa and I made sloppy joes and asparagus last night; it was great.  It's about time I learned to cook, anyway.  I wish the semester would start already so I wouldn't be drifting around, although I have to admit that it's worked out really well.  I am fighting a cold, but hopefully I'll be better soon.  I'm surprised I didn't get sick sooner; I always get sick after flying.  

Anyway...back to work. 

My apologies for the rhyme in the title.

I got into Oxford yesterday and gradually got sicker.  I'm staying with Theresa for a while and I couldn't ask for a better, nicer roommate.  It's going to be a lot of fun staying with her.  We're going to make sloppy joes tonight!

However, while my current roommate may be awesome, the lab is in bad condition.  Whoever used the darkroom last left the chemicals out, which is absolutely disgusting.  They crusted and crystalized onto the tray and the darkroom reeks because of it.  I spent part of this morning soaking and scrubbing them.  I've decided to print my digital photos first while the trays continue to soak.  I also want to buy an air freshener... 

So far, I have my contact sheets printed and I'm starting to print small versions of the final photos.  The computer in the lab is being very slow today, so I may just delete some of the old photos off of it.  I'm angry enough about the condition of the lab to just toss everything that doesn't belong, even if it's digital.  

Well, back to printing!

I've been pretty productive today.  I have 25 images edited and contact sheets made.  I decided to make 13" x 19" contact sheets for a couple reasons:  I can see the images better and it gives me a chance to check out the new photo paper I got.  I picked up a packet of Ilford inkjet paper.  It's supposed to absorb ink very well.  And it's large sheets come a little cheaper than Epson.  I'll be sure to update about which paper I prefer.  As a rule, I prefer Iflord for all film and darkroom supplies and Epson for inkjet paper. 

I also decided to get my film developed at the local camera shop.  It should cut off at least a day or two of processing and it gave me time to get supplies.  I still have to get more fiber paper, but I can do that when I drive through Indianapolis on the way to Oxford.

I've had some luck finding people to stay with as well, which is great.  This trip has just shown me how friendly people can be, both friends and strangers. 

I'm still feeling a bit jet-lagged, bleh.

Tomorrow:  Oxford and the photo lab!  If you're in the Oxford area, visits are appreciated!

Well, I'm back in Indiana now, which isn't too exciting.  I need to find the rest of my darkroom equipment.  I also need to get my color film developed.  Plus, I'm considering going to the local camera shop and seeing if they could develop some of my black and white film.  I don't want to spend too much money, but I still want to cut down on the time it will take to develop film.

Basically, it comes down to who I trust more:  me, or whoever does it at Barry's.  Plus, I want to save time and actually accomplish something while I'm in Indiana.  I'm going to put print layers on all of my digital photos that I know I want to proof and I think there are a couple more photos I can edit, but I have at least 20 pretty much ready to go.

I also need to figure out where to live right when I get back.  My friend Felicia is going to let me stay with her for a week (THANK YOU), and my friend Mia can take me for a couple days (ALSO THANK YOU), but I need a place to stay until then, so I think I'm going to ask Alice if she has a couch I can crash on. 

So, to do while in the Hoosier state:
1. Get color film and possibly some B&W film developed on Monday.
2. Finish all selection of digital images, make any further contact sheets.
3. Edit photos
4. Add print levels (essentially very easy and also depends on what the printed image looks like)
5. Pick up darkroom paper!  I didn't realize I was out of it.
6.  Email professor and ask about nice quality digital printing paper.

Huh...that should actually keep me pretty busy.

These entries have become less interesting, I'm afraid.  From here on, they will become much more focused on the process of actually developing and printing film photographs, as well as digital processing.  I will also be going over ideas about how to take my experiences in Eire and turning them into a cohesive narrative.  I've decided that no matter what form I present these photographs in, I will have to accompany them with a narrative text.  

Until Friday, at least.  I fly to Indiana then to pick up my darkroom supplies (film development canister, film cleaning supplies, paper, etc.) and then head to Ohio to begin work in the darkroom.  Plus, my friend Lauren is getting married on Saturday (congrats!), so I'll be at the wedding. 

I've been doing pretty well as far at jet lag goes, although I did wake up at 6:30 this morning.  Oh well. 

I'm using my down time to figure out what supplies I need to order to get everything printed and to find all the film that I shot.  I think the film total wound up being about 15 rolls, so about 3 or 4 rolls of film a week, which is average for me.  Plus, I shot over 2,000 digital photos...

I am trying to organize everything thematically.  I want to divide the pictures by the county were they were shot and relate the counties to the branch of my family that came from there.  I also want to have a section devoted to the history of Ireland and the remaining animosity and conflict in Ireland, which will rely a lot on the Belfast murals. 

I think my project is going to end up easily fill the 20 to 25 photographs I proposed.  It may end up being more...we'll see.  I have at least 20 digital photos and I'm expecting at least a couple good ones from the film. 

I did get a photobucket account, but it won't let me upload PSD's, so it's kind of useless.  Once I'm done editing, I may post smaller JPEG versions of my photos.  I'll let you know about that.

Survived the bus and train and taxi and I'm now happily typing away in the lounge here.  My room is strange.  I have a shower and a sink, but no toilet, which is down half a flight of stairs and communal.  I'm surprisingly okay with this development.  I have a comfortable bed in a nice room on a beautiful street and it's only the toilet I have to share.  

And I had croissants for dinner!  Yeah, I know it's not healthy, but they are so good here and there's a little shop a couple blocks away that had plenty of them.  So I spent the evening eating croissants and watching Top Gear.  

Tomorrow, I'm going to try to catch everything I missed the first time I was here, which is mainly the old jail and the Guinness Storehouse.  I want to have a final Guinness while I can still get a proper pint.

But I have to spend time packing, register for classes (aaaaaaah!), check-in online for my flight, and all the other stuff.  

I'm once again in an internet cafe, only this time I'm waiting for the bus to Tralee.  Once in Tralee, I'll have 15 minutes to dash across a parking lot, get an overpriced ticket, and catch the train into Dublin. 

At the B&B this morning, I met an older American couple and an American family.  The husband of the couple actually grew up in West Lafayette and seemed a little freaked out that I was from Lafayette.  He also assumed I was a Purdue student...  His wife is doing geneology research, although they have been coming to Ireland once a year for ten years.  The American family was just here on vacation.  It was a mother, father, and their son, who spent most of breakfast playing with his iPod Touch (reminded me of my brother).  But they were all very nice.  I got another tip about doing geneology searches:  there is a man named James Moran who lives around Ballina who actually has a large number of records.  The older lady gave me his address, so I'm going to write to him to see if he knows anything about the Morans I'm related to. 

Hmmm...what else?  Oh, the husband of the lady who runs the B&B is extremely nice.  Since I don't have a car, he's going to drop my bad off at the bus station for me.  I just have to meet him there at noon.  It's so thoughtful; that bad weighs a ton now.  It's mostly because my laptop is large, heavy and awkward and the cables I use are bulky.  And I have an Aran sweater. 

I'm not looking forward to going through airport security and customs.  I think I'm going to check my bag and carry my backpack onto the plane.  I may just send the film through with my bag since it doesn't sound like there's a way to get around X-ray machines anyway.

Actually, I'm going to do a google search to see how well 400 ISO film does going through security...

Hopefully, I'll be able to post once I've arrived in Dublin. 

EDIT:  Okay, so, about getting film through airports.  From speaking with my old photo teacher, I know that ISO 100 film is not damaged by X-rays.  And from doing my internet search, it seems like 400 can survive multiple X-rays and that the only area you can reliably get people to hand search your film is the US. 

In a funny note, it seems some photographers just carry their film through in their pockets.  As long as you remove all other metal, the metal detector won't catch it.  But, it doesn't work as well for 35mm film since they're a little bulky (120 is easier to sneak through.) 

Also, I mailed a batch of postcards today.  I know I have more somewhere, but I can't find them in my suitcase, so the last set might be posted from the US (lame, I know...) 

Everything is getting canceled today because they are expecting downpours starting around 2:00.  There aren't any taxis or buses out to Slea Head or anywhere other than Tralee, which I've been to.  So I'm stuck in town trying to figure out what to do.  There is a movie theater, but it only has one showing today (luckily it's Harry Potter).  I've already been to the aquarium, which was pretty impressive for a small town.  They had a tank just for the fish from Finding Nemo.

My B&B is a kilometer away, which has become more and more annoying the longer I've been here, especially now that it's raining.  It's a nice place, but when I have to go back and forth two or three times a day, I'm really wearing myself out, especially after hiking, riding, and going on cruises. 

I think I'm going to take the afternoon off.  I won't be able to get any photographs taken since visibility is falling.  Plus, my equipment really needs cleaning; some of it got covered in a mist of saltwater and the light meter on my DSLR is still malfunctioning.  I have gone through and done some editing to about 20 of my digital photos.  Hopefully, I will be able to take them in to the lab and begin proofing them quickly once I get to Ohio.  Actually, I should set up a Photobucket account or something of the sort while I'm somewhere with internet access. 

As I was wandering around looking for shelter, I went into one of the local photography stores.  They can't process black and white film, but they can recharge your batteries for you, which is nice.  However, they were more geared towards the tourist amateur photographer than someone who needs 8 GB memory cards and another spare USB.  (I've filled up two 8 GB USBs and I've stopped whiping one of my memory cards so I can store the raw files on it as backup.)

Actually, there are tourists here with nicer cameras than me.  I get jealous watching them.  I'm glad my camera isn't brand new or super nice, however, since it's taken a huge amout of abuse on this trip.  My film camera is still perfectly fine, since I'm careful with it, but my DSLR may be looking at an earlier grave because of what I've done. 

So, as it is, I am going to trudge back to the B&B, sleep through the rain, and come back into town for dinner, a movie, and maybe some ice cream (the ice cream shop here is amazing!)  Overall, Dingle is a very nice town.  They deal with a lot of tourists, but the music, exhibitions, and shops are all very nice.  Nothing here is cheesy or cheap, there are several internet cafes (I've been making the rounds), and the harbour is calm.  Plus, the horseback riding here is excellent.  I want to come back and do one of their weeklong rides.  I know I have some friends who would love to do that too...*nudge nudge wink wink*

I still think I scheduled too long in Ireland.  I have started editing my photos while I'm still sort of supposed to be shooting.  I have to sit around and hang on to my film because the only place that I could get it developed is in Dublin, apparently.  It's really died out over here.  Plus, I don't trust anyone else with my film.  And now the weather has finally stopped co-operating.  I've been extremely lucky so far, but now I'm stranded with nothing to do.

Horseback riding was loads of fun.  The stables here won't take you if you don't know how to ride in an English saddle, so to be on the safe side, I signed up for the shortest ride.  Well, when we mounted up, I realized that two of the boys in my group had probably never ridden before (they didn't use the stirrups when mounting and had no idea how to handle the horses, etc.)  So I was annoyed for the first portion of the trip because I had been hoping to canter.  

We took a rocky trail up the side of the nearby mountain and waited at the top for a couple other riders to join us, as well as another guide.  Once they met us, one of the guides called me over and asked if I wanted to "go for a canter."  Heck yes.  So, we split off and headed along the mountain ridge while the rest of the group went down the other side. 

However, I've noticed that in Ireland, sometimes when they say "canter", they don't mean what Americans do.  For example:  "jogging" means "walking" or "hiking", while "hill walking" is American's "hiking". 

And canter can mean gallop, which is what we actually did.  I had never been on a galloping horse before and all of a sudden, I was riding along a mountain trail on a horse that had no intention of slowing down.  But, I stayed on without too much trouble and it was tons of fun.  It just wore me out for the rest of the day.  Plus, I'd had to wear a pair of English riding boots, so I really missed having my own boots, which would have made things a little easier. 

So, for today, I'm going to try to catch a tour of Slea Head.  I wanted to go on one yesterday, but I was tired and it wound up getting canceled anyway.  Hopefully, I'll have more luck today.

Tomorrow, I leave for Dublin.  I'll probably arrive around 6 or 7, so I probably won't post anything.  So, goodbye for now!

I haven't had internet access for a while, so I'm in an internet cafe in Dingle.  I'll try to type up everything that I can remember from the past two days and just do an advance post for today.

On my first day in Dingle, I arrived at about one and managed to make it to my B&B.  As it turns out, it's about a kilometer outside of Dingle and is technically in a different town.  I was tired from dragging my bag, so I went into a nearby B&B and asked for the number of a taxi.  Instead, the lady just drove me out to where I was staying, which I really appreciated.  I'm at Brownes B&B, which is very nice.  The woman running it told me which pubs to go to, who to talk to about doing different activities, and where NOT to go.  It's always nice to had a good introduction to the town, especially if it comes with milk and cookies.

After that, she gave me a bike to ride into town, where I signed up for horseback riding and found out about the harbour cruises.  I got a ticket to the local folk music concert and grabbed some Bailey's ice cream from the local shop.  Bailey's ice cream is much better than Bailey's, in my personal opinion. 

I just realized that I am wearing the wrong socks for riding today.  And that it looks like it's going to rain...oh well. 

Yesterday, I took a very nice hike out to an old stone outpost and lighthouse.  The bay here is remarkably peaceful and extremely beautiful.  The funny thing about trails here is that they sometimes going through someone's sheep and cow pastures and no one minds.  It's completely normal to have to get cows to move out of your way while hiking. 

After that, I took the cruise out to the Blasket Islands to take a look at the wildlife in the area.  I saw a seal and some puffins...The Blaskets are the most westernly point of Europe.  They used to be inhabited, but they were evactuated in the 1950s because life there was just too harsh and all the young people had moved to America and Australia. 

Speaking of Australia, there was another girl my age traveling alone who was on the cruise from Australia named Roxanna.  She also had a pile of camera equipment, so we hung out together for the rest of the day.  After taking another hike after the long cruise, we found a pub with some music and ate piles of calamari.  The seafood here is fantastic.  She promised to friend me on Facebook, so hopefully I'll hear from her soon. 

Today, I am going to go horseback riding and then maybe catch a bus to do a tour of the peninsula.  I'm considering leaving a day early so I can catch a bus and get to Dublin at a reasonable time, but I'll have to call the hotel to see if they have room for me.  I'm nearing the end of my trip, unfortunately.  Going back to the awful weather and skyscrapers in Atlanta is going to be disappointing. 

Today turned out great despite how it began.  I was woken up at 6 a.m. by absolutely pouring rain.  After falling asleep for a little longer, I got out of bed, noticed it was still raining, and dragged myself to breakfast.

At the table next to me were three men from Northern Ireland.  I couldn't understand one of them because his accent was so strong, but the other two were very funny and sort of acted as translators for their friend.  They were surprised that I hadn't seen Giant's Causeway, but didn't want to talk about the Belfast murals.  One of the guys had traveled around the States when he was young by buying a Greyhound unlimited pass.  He would just hop on a bus to sleep and shower at the stations.  It's actually a pretty good method, but I don't think you can do that nowadays. 

They asked me where else I had been and told me that I have the traveling bug.  (They aren't the first to say that to me.) 

After breakfast, I went back to my room, grabbed my bag, my digital camera, and my Aran sweater, and went for a hike up to the old lighthouse on the top of the island.  The Irish gents passed me on bikes on the way there and I ran into them at the top.  They seemed to be having a very good time and were impressed by the size and thickness of the walls at the old fort. 

So, having soaked my shoes and jeans, I headed back to my B&B for a nap.  My sweater kept me very dry and warm, but it was wetter than I realized and dripped on the floor...oops.  

After that, I headed back out to go horseback riding.  I moved it back since it looked like it was going to storm.  Luckily, the weather had cleared by three and I got to go on a good ride.  My guide was a very nice young man whose name I don't remember at all (sorry!).  He worked for a little while as a horse trap guide, but his customers kept asking about horseback riding.  Realizing that no one else on the island was in the business, he started up last year and uses his old cart horses.  They are actually very good riding horses and the one I rode is completely bomb-proof (meaning nothing scares him.)

We rode through the little trails between the rock walls of pastures and gardens.  After a while, we reached a little beach and decided to try trotting.  Well, my horse, named Jack, decided that trotting was for losers and thought it would be a great idea to go cantering.  He did this every time we were on a beach.  But the ride was a great way to see the scenery as well as being a lot of fun. 

So, if you're ever in Ireland and you know how to ride hunt seat, I really suggest going for a ride here.  The trail rides are much more varied for people with experience, so you can actually trot and canter.  Plus, the horses here are larger.  Jack was actually a hunter mix, so he was much larger than the Arabians and Quarter horses that I'm used to riding. 

And apparently, I'm a good rider!  I'm proud of myself for learning hunt seat before coming over, otherwise I wouldn't be able to ride at all. 

I also realize that it's pathetic that I remember the horse's name and not the guides. 

This evening, I'm going to find a good place to eat that hopefully has some good music, then pack for tomorrow.  It's going to be a long trip to reach the Dingle Peninsula. 

I've had sketchy internet service lately, so we'll see how much actually gets online.

(I tried to update this earlier today, and the above sentence was all that the autosave managed to catch.  Oh well.)

Yesterday, we made the drive to the Cliffs of Moher.  The weather was horrific:  strong wind gusts and sleet.  We picked possibly the worst day of weather in the entire month, but it was the only day we were in the area.  The water went through my raincoat after a little while.  The Cliffs were amazing, though.  Not as tall as Slieve League, but easier to get to and more impressive.  I could see the rain blowing off the ends of the ledges and into the ocean. 

Earlier in the day, I found a place to stay on the Aran Islands.  Since I decided not to stay in Doolin (no offense to the town), I had a couple nights free.  So, I decided to come back to Inis Mor and explore the island a little more.  I've signed up for a horseback ride tomorrow afternoon and I'm going to rent a bike again. 

The island is a weird mix of tourism and native lifestyles.  People struggled and worked here for years, but now there are a couple giant stores and bars that cater to tourists.  I got an Aran sweater at one of these stores today.  Freezing my butt off at the Cliffs gave me enough motivation to fork over the money.  The pattern it's knitted in is supposed to mean 'luck' and 'wealth', but I just liked it because it was blue and had a hood. 

Anyway, enough about sweaters.  I enjoyed my time in the Burren; it is a unique landscape.  Oddly enough, a great deal of the landscape here was created by massive deforestation.  The bogs and the rocky Burren were both created after the forests were stripped away.  The bears and wolves that used to live here are gone.  Cows are allowed to graze around some of the monolithic tombs in order to preserve the rocky landscape, otherwise it gets grown over. 

It's strange to think that some of the most distinctive things about Ireland were created by people and that people are still trying to keep them that way. 

So, the rest of my trip looks like this:  One more day on the Aran Islands, one day traveling to Tralee, several days in Dingle, a day in Dublin, and then I fly back to Atlanta. 

Hmmm...I think the resteraunt here is still serving coffee...that's very tempting. 

Basically, today was long and I'm exhausted.  I've decided to stay with my parents instead of in the Doolin Hostel.  I need a good night's sleep in a comfy bed.  Unfortunately, the only place with internet here is the lobby of the hotel, which is next to the bar.  The 'local musician' they have only sings along to a CD and brays like a donkey. 

Oddly enough, they keep donkeys on the hotel grounds.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Anyway, the Burren was interesting.  Lots of rocks.  Which is what the Gaelic origin of the word "Burren" means. 

So we saw some rocks and a cave.  I'm understating things...the guide for the cave was very good.  I don't think I've ever had a better tour guide.  The cave was interesting and there was a good-sized waterfall on the inside.  I quite enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, it was hard to see the landscape because it rained the whole day, just like the man on the Aran Islands predicted.  He also said it was going to be a wet weekend, unfortunately. 

Actually, before going to the Burren, and after spending quality time on a bus, I saw the ruins of an old monastary.  It was extremely well preserved, considering how old it was.  There was a large tower that the monks used to hide in whenever the Vikings decided to raid.  They would pull all their illuminated manuscripts up into the tower and raise the ladder behind them.  The graveyard around the tower is still being used.  

I've decided that I'm going to spend a couple nights on the Aran Islands instead of going back to Doolin like I had planned.  Doolin is turning into a tourist trap and I'm tired of ending up in those.  Plus, hostels are more fun when you are traveling in a group. 

I'm going to look at finding a cheap B&B on the islands.  Goodnight. 

Tomorrow:  the Cliffs of Moher and more rocks.

There will probably be two posts today.  I'm leaving for Gort, and then the Burren, in less than an hour.  I have a little time to waste, so I thought I would post.

I shared the room I was in with a Korean girl and a Spanish girl, both of whom were very nice, even if we couldn't quite understand each other.  However, last night we were joined by a middle-aged woman from Dublin.  She said that Dublin has changed a lot in the past ten years and blames it on the train system they put into the city.  It's not as car friendly anymore.

Cry me a river.  Just don't drive, the train is super nice.

I really didn't like her.  She complained about everything.  Before going to bed, she said, "Oh, I snore."

Yeah.

Like a freight train.

Good God, if you snore like that, get a private room and don't keep us up like that.  I dug out my earplugs and slept with them in my ears because it was so bad.  Needless to say, I'm kind of grumpy this morning and I'm still sore. 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Burren, although it looks like it's going to be cooler and rainy today.  Patrick's friend on the island predicted rain today and I'm waiting to see if it comes true.