Michigan Time! Ann Arbor

 

Over Christmas Roibeard and I took an afternoon trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan.  We were heading back to Chicago from Detroit, so it was perfect because we had to drive through Ann Arbor anyway.  Every time I visit Michigan I try to show Roibeard around as much as possible.  Previous trips have included stops in Grand Rapids, Holland, Downtown Detroit, Hamtramck, Windsor, Ontario, and Point Pelee National Park in Ontario.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to admit that this was my first time exploring Ann Arbor as the person in charge.  In the past I would go with my friends or family and let them be the guide.  We parked right on the edge of downtown and then just walked around the city.  We stopped in the little vintage and antique shops and strolled through the U of M campus.  It was actually a really warm and sunny day.  I got a cute summer dress and a $1 book titled, "Songs of Friendship".  The book is an interesting collection of poems about the wandering/traveling lifestyle.  

 

 

 

Just for fun I thought I'd share a picture of Penelope.  My original little angel.  She now lives happily with my mom in Michigan.  When I moved to California it was too stressful for her and she started attacking my other cats.  I'm so lucky and grateful that my mom took her in so that she is still a part of the family.  I miss her like crazy!

 

IRELAND! Bundoran.

 

Yep, there's still more Ireland posts to come!  I'm writing this while sitting in front of my window sipping my tea.  The snow has been falling in Chicago for the past 18 or so hours.  My windows are frosted over and the children outside are building snowmen in their front yards.  Running away to a magical seaside land is just what this morning calls for and looking back at these photos provides just the escape that I need.

 

 

 

This part of our trip was probably the most relaxing.  We weren't running around trying to catch buses or find hidden pathways to castles.  It was just miles and miles of sea.  We spent the day hopping around fairy bridges and fairy rocks.  It was like right out of a fairy tale.  We climbed, we hopped, we waded, we explored, and we had an overall amazing experience.

 

 

The whole time we were here I kept calling the town, "BUN-DURR-AN".  Roibeard would get so angry, "NO! It's BUN-DOOR-UN!"  Haha, I totally failed, but I tried to get it right.  Our accommodations were probably the most hotel-like of any of the other places that we stayed.  I remember as we were leaving we visited the hotel shop and it was the first time I had ever seen eggs non-refrigerated.  They were just sitting there on the shelf.  Not going bad.  Just being eggs. Oh Ireland.  I miss you.  

 

 

 

That Fresh Feeling

 

Wow, these photos were taken back in October during one of our last truly warm days before winter hit.  The sky looks so.....blue! It's been nothing but grey for months now.

I haven't posted in awhile because my computer broke and it's a bit difficult to do everything on my iPad mini.  However, I have decided that I'm not going to use that as an excuse anymore.  

These photos actually fit nicely for this week as Chicago has been unseasonably warm the past few days.  It seriously has felt like spring is in the air.  I know it's not going to last, but it has been a welcome break from the below zero temps we've had lately.

Speaking of below zero temperatures...the pipes froze and broke in the apartment below us two weeks ago.  We had to go almost a whole week without water. It was awful and something I have never had to deal with before. No water = no toilet. Just say'n....

 

 

 

IRELAND! Donegal.

 

After leaving Derry we began to make our way to Bundoran, but not before stopping for the morning in Donegal.  Of course we stopped there to visit a castle!  For a very long time Donegal Castle laid in ruins, but was almost fully restored in the 1990s.

 

The castle dates back to the 15th century when it was occupied by the O'Donnell clan, who were a very powerful and influential family during the time.

 

 

You can't imagine my glee when we discovered we were actually permitted to go inside and explore!  I have always wanted to visit old castles and this was my first proper castle to visit.  Belfast castle was nice, but it's not a proper castle in my book.  You need to feel the adventure by just looking at it.  This one had stone walls and ivy and secret windows and winding staircases on the inside.  Proper fairytale material.

 

 

 

A lot of the photos that we took indoors are just too blurry to post, but I wanted to share this one of Roibeard going up the chimney!  We took this photo and then saw a sign that said something like: Children, please don't play in chimney.  Whoops!  Haha.

 

 

This photo I like because I feel like I look so mature...as in wise beyond my years.  Sometimes when I look at myself it's hard to see anything other than what I saw when I was a child.  If you look at photos of me from when I was 3 you'll see that I still have the same face.  I look this photo and see all of the things that I have experienced over the years.  Make sense?  Oh, also...my hair was a royal mess the whole time I was in Ireland.  I decided to not fight it and just embrace it.  (Also...I didn't realize my hair straightener and curler wouldn't work over there...)

 

 

While waiting for the bus to take us to Bundoran we headed to the coast where we discovered this ancient abbey.  It was quite beautiful right on the ocean.  Some of the graves were more recent, but most of them were so old you couldn't even read the stones anymore.  All in all Donegal was a really nice day trip to make.

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin everything. It's time.

 

 

Chicago weather has been a little crazy the past few weeks...big surprise.  It got really cold for a week and then went back to full on summer...but now autumn is finally here.  Two weeks ago I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to summer, but now that September has come to a close I am ready to fully embrace my favorite season.

 

I even had the most delicious vegan pumpkin empanada the other day.  Yep, it's time.  Pumpkin everything.  Bring it on.

 

 

 

One thing I really miss about living in Michigan are the cider mills.  My goal for this year is to find a cider mill in Illinois that I can get to using public transportation.  Stay tuned.  It's going to happen.

 



 

In other news...Roibeard and I are finally moved out of our old place!  These will be the last photos of me in our Logan Square courtyard.  It has been a very odd transitional phase.  While I love my new apartment, Roibeard and I both agree it doesn't feel like our own yet.  We've both been having a lot of nightmares and sleepless nights.  I plan on spending some time organizing tonight, so hopefully it will feel like home soon!

 

Oh and I can't stress enough how much I adore my vintage fall coat.  It's floral and velvet and wonderful.  My favorite purchase from last year. <3

 

Derry Part 2: Murals

Roibeard and I took a bus tour and also a walk along the Bogside murals in Derry.  The Bogside artists are a trio of muralists who began working on these walls in 1993. We were told that all of the most hateful ones (both from the Bogside and the Unionist side) have been painted over.  

 

The Free Derry wall above was painted on the side of a house in 1969 by local activist John Casey.  The surrounding buildings were all demolished, but the wall remained as a symbol of nationalist autonomy.

 

I'll end my text here and let the murals speak for themselves:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A trip to Derry

 

After spending a few days with Roibeard's family in Belfast we packed up our things and starting traveling along the coast.  Even though catching the buses and locating our b&bs could be stressful at times I absolutely loved this part of our trip. 

 

I grew up with a family that always "did things" on vacation.  We never traveled just to sit by a pool and soak in the sun.  What's the point of leaving your home town if that's all you are going to do?  So even though we slept very little over this part of the trip we managed to get from Belfast up along the coast to Derry and down to Donegal, Bundoran, Galway, Cong, and Doolin.

 

 

The first place on our little adventure was Derry.  For those of you who may not know, along with Belfast, Derry was one of the hardest hit cities during the Troubles.  The sculpture in the photo above represents peace between the Catholics and Protestants, but walking around the streets of Derry you can just feel the pain oozing from this walled city.

 

The wall was built by the British to keep the Catholics out of the city.  Walking it is very eerie and when passing the cannons on top it was just so difficult to think about the amount of hatred that once took hold over the people of the town.

 

 

All over the city you'll see the unionist colors and markings that tell any outsiders very clearly what type of neighborhood they are entering.  

  

 

As you can see from above the Irish also mark their territories.  I'll try not to get too into the politics on here, but when visiting a town like Derry it's something you can't just completely ignore.  These images are powerful and these streets are hard to walk.

 

Roibeard grew up during the tail end of the troubles and experienced a lot of the violence first hand, so much of this hit very close to home.  I am saddened when any group of people are denied their freedom, their basic rights, and their own land. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(I'll cover the murals in my next post!)