An Irish Thanksgiving

I have had a wonderful last few weeks in Ireland.  While we're in the midst of final papers, exams and presentations we have certainly found time to still enjoy Ireland.  Last weekend a few of us took a bus to Dublin to see a great Minnesota band, Trampled by Turtles. It ended up to be a great night!  We met many people from Minnesota at the concert, talked to all the band members and had a lot of fun being directly in front!

After the show with a few band members

The best part of this Ireland program is getting to know so many wonderful, hospitable Irish people. It has been a blast working with Geraldine in the kitchen.  She is always running around the kitchen and hollering to anybody who is in her way!  The other night she had Annie and me over for our very own pumpkin pie and tea with her and her two daughters.  Her youngest daughter Ava can do an absolutely hilarious American accent!  While both Annie and I had planned to get homework done that night, the three hours we spent at Geraldine's was by no means a waste of time!

Thanksgiving Day was great over here in Ireland!  Most of us ran to the rugby pitch to play a good old game of Thanksgiving football.  Fortunately, the field was a mud pit.  We spent more time on the ground getting plastered in mud then playing football!  There were many great whip-outs and we all left the field covered in mud head to toe.  Which actually poses some issues when a hot water shower is hard to accommodate for all 5 cottagemates anyways! We had to take off all our muddy clothes outside in the freezing rain, then pour hot water from the tea pot on our legs and feet before we could shower.  We are all pretty sure that we probably still have mud in our ears!

Thanksgiving Football!

Slip and Slide anyone?

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The Park Lodge puts on a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for all the students, our professors and other people who we have met throughout our time here.  We had a traditional Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables and pumpkin pie!  Geraldine's two daughters entertained us on fiddle and the Irish whistle. All the cottages then had to perform a skit or song for everyone. It was a great night, but its starting to sink in that next week we will all be leaving the Park Lodge after an unforgettable semester.  The hospitality of Jane-Marie, JP, Geraldine and the rest of the the Park Lodge   is unmatched anywhere else.  I know that once I leave her next Saturday,  I will be making plans to come back as soon as I can!

Our great bus driver, Gerry!

Ava, such a fun girl!