Happy Pear Dark Hot Chocolate

As warm summer days drift slowly into crisp autumn nights, I can't help but think of my favorite warm drink: hot chocolate. In Ireland, it is cold and damp all the time. I repeat. ALL THE TIME. Which means, it is always time for hot chocolate! 

Belfast

At the end of February we took a trip to Northern Ireland. For those who don't know, Northern Ireland is actually a different country. It is under control of the United Kingdom, and therefore the currency is different. They use pounds as opposed to euros. 

One of the most heart-wrenching stops on the trip was to the city of Belfast. This beautiful city is torn apart by the Troubles. The Peace Walls were especially saddening. I am happy that they keep the residents safe, but it sad that they are necessary. 

Murals are also very common in Belfast. Most are political, discussing issues common to the Troubles. Others are different, like this tourist one. 

Howth

One weekend, a few members of our group got together and headed to the fishing town of Howth. It was incredible! The scenery is gorgeous, and we had a blast hiking around. We hiked for a few hours, then stopped at a pub to catch the rugby game. 

Sunday, it was market time! Howth has a wonderful farmers market on Sunday. We had a great time wondering around and munching on all the different foods. I finally tried black current jam and it was yummy! 

Glendalough

A few weeks ago we took a group field trip to the monastic sight of Glendalough. This is located in the incredibly beautiful Wicklow Mountains. This is a collection of amazing hiking trails and an old monastic community.

The museum 

A replica of the monastic sigh 

That is actually the door, not a window :) 

Killiney Walk

There is a beautiful area a few DART stops away from Dublin called Killiney. I call this the sort of "Beverly Hills" of Dublin. It is full of gorgeous houses, a few cute restaurants and shops, along with an incredible view. I will let the pictures speak for themselves :) 

Nutella Cheesecake Recipe

The other day I entered the Happy Pear Baking competition. It was a blast to get involved in the Greystones community!

I have an obsession with Nutella. Okay, it is probably more like a stalkerish, insane, desperate need for Nutella. I love it. A LOT. As I told a friend of mine, it is my life blood. Literally. 

Greystones(Again!)

It was such a beautiful day out that I had to take more pictures of this lovely little fishing town, Greystones. Enjoy!

The National Museum and Library

On Saturday, a few other girls and I headed to the National Library and National Archeology Museum. Words can barely describe how I feel about so many beautiful books in such a gorgeous building! This is one of my new favorite libraries, next to the Long Room of course. :) After the library, it was off to the Museum of Archeology to hang with the bog men. Who knew thousand year old remains could be so intriguing? It was a lovely day exploring Dublin. I had a blast!

Pictures!

The National Library

Christ Church Cathedral

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity of taking a group to hear the evensong service at Christ Church Cathedral. This historic cathedral is beautiful, I just wish I could take pictures inside! The service was amazing. The choir had incredible voices, and it was neat to hear the Psalms sung. Now, onto the pictures!

The service began at 6:00 pm, so it was already dark by the time we got there. The church has a eerie, but yet still beautiful, feel about it at night. I thought it was amazing!

The Bray Cliff Walk

Yesterday we went on the most amazing walk along the sea. We walked from Greystones to Bray. I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

Dublin!

Yesterday, I finally made it back to Dublin. It was the strangest experience, because I had not been here in a year and half. I never expected to come back, so it was neat to be able to walk down the same streets again. We did a Dublin Photo Scavenger hunt. It was a blast meeting new people, seeing new places, and we still managed to win a few prizes! Anyway, it was super fun. Now onto the pictures!

Greystones

During my power walk around Greystones today, I decided to get a few pictures :)

Ireland

Well, here I am! Spent my first day of our new semester in Ireland. Can't get much better than that! I am going to be in Ireland for a few months and looking forward to all of the new experiences.

For church this morning, I went to the Presbyterian church. The people were so friendly! We studied the second book of Ephesians and discussed God's abundant grace. For my first Sunday in Ireland, it was awesome!

This afternoon was spent exploring. Yesterday I got a library card, and already checked out a few books ;) We explored the lovely little town of Greystones, then jumped on the DART to see Bray. Both are quaint little beach towns and tons of fun to explore.

Well, I am off to dinner! That is about all I have to update right now, but pictures are soon to follow, I promise!