Western Ireland

Sorry it's taken so long to write a decent post. Life's been a whirlwind for Sir Stan and I. The last three weeks have seen your dynamic duo "gorge walk" through the impressive hills of the Connemara in Western Ireland and visit the beautiful--yet still very divided--regions of Northern Ireland.

A Notre Dame trip took Flat and I to some of the most fantastic landscapes of Western Ireland. Highlights included a trip to the Burren, an ecological wonder in County Clare that is home to hundreds of ancient monuments and thousands

of plant species. We traveled to Mámeán, an ancient church dedicated to St. Patrick that is wedged in between two mountains in Connemara. Your skinny protagonist (Stan that is) even teetered perilously on the edge of death at the Cliffs of Moher just for the photo opp. (Do you see the trouble he goes through for you? Yes, You!)
The trip to Western Ireland was such a blast that I decided to head back the following weekend with a few friends. The Second Trip gave us the chance to explore Galway and go gorge walking--all thanks to the incredible hospitality of a very special relative (Thanks Linda!)

Well that's Western Ireland. Be sure to check the photos I've posted on Sutterfly. And, hey, do you like what I'm doing here? I hope you enjoy reading the posts as much as I enjoy writing them. Feel free to leave me some comments/suggestions about what you'd like to see Stan do with his time in Eire.

One Love,
Matt

Tangent One: Digestives

Sorry to keep my beloved readers waiting for so long without a post! Its been a busy couple of weeks for the Flat One™ and I--what with classes starting and all. Hopefully I will be able to catch up on our numerous adventures over the weekend. However, I would like to take this time let you know about my new favorite snack here in in the land of cows and sheep: digestives. These little holy wafers of graham crackers and chocolatey goodness have almost helped me survive the shock of not having dinner made for me on a nightly basis. They are particularly good with peanut butter and have been known to cause me to dance to 80s glam rock in a celebratory fashion. I have yet to learn how to control these induced fits of utter happiness. Hopefully I'll get on that soon. Stan's a fan too. Now I know this isn't enough post-y goodness to help procrastinate from doing work. Mea Culpa. Big post coming up this Saturday.

Cheers
S & M haha

First Weekend in Ireland Pt 2

What had started as a great weekend on Sunday morning ended as one of the BEST weekends ever by Sunday evening.

When one thinks of Hurling and its association to Irish culture, one probably assumes that your benevolent writer drank beer all day on Sunday, got sick, and passed out.

Not True.

Hurling is a field sport created in Ireland. It involves using a round wooden club called a hurley to move a ball downfield. The league is maintained by the Gaelic Athletic Association. Many people in Ireland call it the the fastest field sport in the world. It's fast. It's intense. It's awesome. On Sunday was the All-Ireland Hurling final--the Super Bowl of Irish Sports.

Flat Stanley and I were there, cheering with 82,000 of our closest friends.

In an incredible game, Kilkenny defeated Tipperary for its fourth consecutive title. Even though I was cheering for the underdog, it was hard to not appreciate the sheer joy and madness that emanated from Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.

After the game had ended, Kilkenny fans fought off the Garda that was protecting the turf and rushed the field. Taking opportunity of their battles, and knowing full well that we only live once, Stanley and I also took to the field for the closing ceremony.

I was on the field frozen by the awesome spectacle of the stadium before I remembered to take some pictures of the event. Fortunately, Stan was in my pocket and was eager to snag a photo-opp on the turf.

So yep... That was my weekend. How was yours?

Tune in next time as your heroes face their biggest challenge yet: School.

Peace

Matt

First Weekend in Ireland Pt I

When Flat Stanley™ and I arrived in Dublin on Tuesday, we had no idea that our first weekend would be SO EPIC that I would have to break it down into two parts just to keep your mind from exploding. It all began on Friday with an innocent stroll through the beautiful St. Stephen's Green. As usual, Stan was delighted to be the center of attention and have his photo taken at several of the statues. I was delighted that I dropped the extra $6.00 on laminating the Flat One, as the wind blew him off one of the statues and into the surrounding pond scum. Filthy Stanley!
We brought the fun that night at Messrrs Maguire, a four-story pub in city center. Cigarettes, body-odor, and Europe filled the air as Sir-Stans-alot and I got funky with the rest of the Notre Dame Crew. Stan was a little shy at first, but after three (or fifteen...I lost count) pints, he was dancing the night away. Have you ever seen a two-dimensional fictional character from a children's novel written in 1964 spin on his head or sing all the lyrics to House of Pain's Jump Around?
Well I am here to tell you that you are missing out if you haven't. We got our groove on to a playlist of music that was predominantly popular in America in 1996.

Saturday morning we went on a hike in Howth, a small fishing town approx. thirty minutes north of Dublin. It was spectacular. We walked around the city and then hiked up a large mountain that met with the Irish Sea. To me, it felt like I had finally arrived in Ireland. Sure, the city streets and traveling gypsies of Dublin are nice, but the view from Howth was so spectacular couldn't think of any words to describe it. Which I suppose makes the entire trip meaningless to my beloved readers. To cap off what was already the perfect day, Stan recommended that we have an order of fish and chips for dinner before we went back home. Good Idea, Stan!














And if you think that was enough adventure for a South Floridian and his thin comrade, then wait until you hear what we did on Sunday, which will arrive in Pt II of our weekend trip as soon as I regain feeling in my writing hand.

Word to your mother,

Matt

We're Here!