Blog- Week 6

Kelli Monheiser

Blog- Week 6

Westport Field Trip

Being the last week here before spring break, the week has been filled with last minute planning and getting organized. When initially making commitments to study abroad, spring break was the deciding factor. Since we had planned for my dad to come over and visit Europe with me in this time, we used a travel agent to help organize the trip. Because a majority of this planning was done before I had even gotten into Ireland to get a feel for what traveling was like, it was necessary to change some things around. In this sense, I wish that I would have waited to be here a week or two and then planned the trip on my own. There are a lot of things that I know now that I wish I would have known when she was planning. Although a travel agent may not have been the best way for us because we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to see, an agent may work better or come in more handy when he can give suggestions on what to see.

Boy, did I think the Aran Islands were pretty, until our weekend trip through the countryside up toward Westport. We stopped at the Connemara National Park where we were able to hike up a mountain for beautiful views of the country. Although the skies were misty and the wind was ferocious, not allowing us to see much, it was still an adventure. We then went on to the Kylemore Abbey that we had all heard so much about. Although many would say that it is just another castle in Ireland, this one seemed to hold more significance. While most other castles were built for protection or a public display of wealth, the Kylemore was built by a man who wanted to treat his beloved wife. It was one of the neatest things that I have ever seen, and not because it has been the only castle that I have ever seen, but because he put so much thought into the castle, great garden, gothic church, and mausoleum after she had died. I also found it very interesting that he planted nearly all of the vegetation around the expanse by various plants and trees that he imported from various countries or collected from areas within Ireland. We also drove by some very neat landmarks such as The Falls and St. Patrick’s Craoch. We were advised to stay the night in Westport because the nightlife was suitable for our group, if you know what I mean. The next day, we visited the Ceide Fields where we walked through the fields and saw some of the remains of the Great Stone Walls. However, my favorite part of the trip came at the end where se visited the Knock Shrine in the small town of Knock. This was the location where fifteen spectators had seen the apparition of Mary, St. Joseph and St. John. It was neat to stand in the exact place where the apparition and to touch the original stone of the Gable.

Field trips have become one of the best parts of the study abroad experience. It allows for a neat and organized way of visiting the country, and our supervisor is always willing to take suggestions as to what one may want to see. I look forward to the next four trips that we have after spring break including Dublin, Dingle, Northern Ireland, and The Ring of Kerry.