January 25th - Wrapping up my Trip to London

Today my dad and I did a lot more walking and sightseeing. We got crepes in the morning (so good), then took the tube to the Westminster stop. When you come above ground, you can immediately see the River Thames, the London Eye, Big Ben, and the aquarium! We continued our walk and saw Parliament Square, Westminister Abbey, St. James Park, and Buckingham Palace. I liked St. James Park the best. There were lots of birds that you don't see in parks in the United States, like swans, many different kinds of ducks with unique coloring patterns, and even pelicans. 

We also went to the National Gallery of Art. All museums are free in England and Ireland! We got to see some pieces by Monet, Van Gogh, and one of my dad's favorites, Vermeer. I headed back to Dublin that night. I was just there for a weekend, but we definitely saw a lot! 

January 24th - Touring London

In the morning I navigated the tube (London's underground subway) to the hotel where my dad was staying. We had a very low-key day. We got Thai food for lunch, since I'm always trying to find the best pad thai (I still think my hometown has some of the best, but I think I'm just biased). We walked around in the Kengsington area, past the National History museum, Royal Albert Hall, and around Hyde park and the Kengsington Gardens. There were many of the iconic red telephone booths around. Here is a picture of my dad in one!

January 23rd - Swat in London

This weekend I headed off to London! My dad had to go there for work, so I made the very short trip over to see him! I flew out after classes on Friday, and touched down at about 8 p.m. My dad wasn't coming in until the next day, so I spent Friday night with other Swarthmore students studying at UCL - University College London! It was awesome to see them. In the picture from left to right: Tyler Zon of the men's soccer team, Tom Kim, and Anastasia White-Torruellas of the women's volleyball team.

January 20th – Fun Facts About Ireland!

Some quick things that might surprise you about Ireland...

1. Foxes are common here. I have seen multiple around at night on campus!
2. At a department store, "pajamas" were spelled "pyjamas."
3. Ireland is very green. Literally, the grass is so green, but they are pretty environmentally conscious! You have to buy plastic bags if you need them at the supermarket.
4. Ireland is only about the size of Indiana.
5. There are a lot of street performers and musicians which are called 'buskers.'

January 19th – Classes Begin

The first day of classes! I am taking six classes here, because compared to Swarthmore, students here are in class for less time. All my classes were in large lecture halls, which is very different! 

So far all the professors seem nice, and I believe the classes are going to be very interesting. Here is a view from the fourth floor of the science center, where you can see the ocean.

January 18th – Walking Tour of Dublin

Starting at noon, we took a walking tour of Dublin for two hours! It was a great way to see more of the city, and learn a bit more about Irish history as well. Some of the sights included the first Catholic church in Dublin, Trinity College, and Dublin Castle.

The architecture here is amazing! At Trinity, they had a sculpture by Alexander Calder, one of my favorite artists, and also the creator of the sculpture in front of Swarthmore's science center.

For lunch, some of the girls on the tour and I ate at Powerscourt Townhouse, a historical building that once served as Lord Powerscourt's townhouse and courtyard in the 18th century. But now it's filled with restaurants, clothing stores, and unique gift shops! It was a very cool venue.

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January 17th – Exploring the City Parks of Dublin

Today we explored some of the city parks in Dublin. We went to Iveagh Gardens and St. Stephen's Green. In the Iveagh Gardens, there were some beautiful sculptures and rock formations, and some exotic tree ferns.

St. Stephen's Green is the most well known public park in Dublin. It has a cute pond with swans, nice fountains, and sculptures related to Irish history. There is one representing the potato famine, and one of Lord Ardiluan, or Arthur Edward Guinness, who opened the park up to the people of Dublin.

January 12th - First Day in Dublin!

My flight got in around 6 a.m. Irish time, which was about 1 a.m. Connecticut time. After taking a bus from the airport, we went to get settled in the dorms. My dorm is slightly off campus and it took me a little bit to find, which wouldn't have been terrible if I wasn't awkwardly carrying four bags. I barely slept on the flight, so I had to take a nap pretty soon after this.

When I woke up it was so sunny out - surprising because you hear that it is always raining here! I took advantage of this and walked to campus, which was about 20 minutes away. The campus is so pretty! There are two lakes, and the buildings look pretty modern. It definitely has a different feel than Swarthmore.

Luke, my friend from high school, is also studying here at UCD. I met up with him and two other girls to go explore the city a little bit! It took us a little bit to figure out the buses; you're supposed to have exact change when using the bus (or a pre-paid card, which we all now have). Since we didn't have exact change they let us ride for free - it was sooo nice!

Once in Dublin, we went to get some food. There was live music, which was awesome. Lots of people were out, and it was a Monday! I can't wait to see what that area is like on a weekend.

Greetings from Dublin

I am studying abroad at University College Dublin – UCD for short! It is Ireland’s largest university, and it is located south of the city center of Dublin. I am going to be living in campus housing with full-time students from UCD as well as some other students that are studying abroad, like me! I am the only student from Swarthmore attending, so I am looking forward to meeting lots of new people.

While abroad, I am taking a chemistry course called chemical thermodynamics for my major. In addition, I am taking a couple other science credits, but also an architecture photography class where we will be going on field trips around Dublin.

Expect a way rainier version of Madison's blog, with just as much excitement. Enjoy!