The North Remembers (And So Do I)

I heart Northern Ireland.

I mean, I love the entire island; but the raw beauty of the Antrim coast and the emotions bubbling in Belfast made it an excellent two days.

On Friday, November 6 we were up and out bright and early. Thirty five of us, including staff, were on our way to Belfast, Northern Ireland for Black Taxi Tours. Along the way, our residential director pointed out his hometown of Dundalk in County Louth, Ireland—a border town between the Republic and the north. Like many other border towns during the political strife of the sixties and seventies, Dundalk was heavily associated with being almost a safe haven for people to escape to after having been involved in some act of violence. The switch between countries is noted with a change in road line colors—yellow to white—and a sign, as if you were crossing between states.

Very Vienna

The last installment of our (fall break) story follows the two young women, Kayla and Lindsay, and their (very easy) search for beautiful sights and delightful desserts in Vienna. A two hour train brought us back through foliage-ridden fields and hills, back to a city gleaming with romantic, Parisian-esque flair. And three and a half days brought us through palaces, museums, and endless cake. Seriously, it never seemed to stop finding its way into my mouth.

We arrived back in Vienna, maneuvering our way on the metro per our AirBnB host’s instructions. Our host’s wife welcomed us in, and we dropped our things in our room—complete with queen sized air mattress, two coffee mugs, and an overflowing bowl of Starbust-flavored candies. Within half an hour, the keys in my bag, we were out the door and on our way to the city center.

A Drop of Golden Sun

Salzburg, you great and oh so finished symphony. A city that sings of do-re-mi’s, mountains silhouetted against clear skies, and pumpkin flavored dishes. It takes the cake for favorite city; and after watching The Sound of Music with Kayla the night before we embarked on our travels, I was so ready to arrive to the sunny scene.

From Bratislava, Kayla and I took a bus to Vienna, then a train that brought us across the country in less than three hours. That sentence sounds silly in my brain, because things like that just don’t happen on the other side of the pond. It’s true, brain: let that sit there!