I arrived in London from Rome, where I was planning on catching a connecting flight to Dublin - a foolproof plan. That is, until UK Customs found out I hadn't been home in six months. The day was going so well too: I made it to the airport early, the first flight was uneventful and I was prepared for my next one. So as I walked up to the customs agent with my passport and connection ticket (you have to prove that you're going to leave their country - Ireland is separate so I thought this would be sufficient), I was in a pleasant mood. She started asking me the normal assortment of questions such as where I was prior to the UK to which I said "Italy", then where before that "Croatia", where before that "Bosnia", where before that, etc. Finally, she asks "When were you last in the States?" (September) This lead to an immediate response of "Well then you're here illegally".
I had to explain that I wasn't actually in violation of any visa laws (except for maybe having been in Italy one or two days past when I was supposed to, but shhhhh they didn't need to know this) because as a US citizen I have 180 days in which to travel upon entering the Schengen area. Of those 180 days, I can be present for 90 which I had not exceeded because of the time I spent in the UK, Romania, Bosnia and Croatia (all four of which have separate visas from the Schengen). This wasn't deemed to be a satisfactory answer so she asked where I was going after Ireland to which I respond that "I'm coming back to the UK and I'll be traveling through Scotland for two months since US citizens can travel a full 180 days in the UK before having to leave." She responds, "I don't have to give you 24hrs here if I don't want to, it's not a guarantee." Well okay then. This mildly upset me but I managed to further explain that I understand, but technically I'm not illegal anywhere and that I'm leaving the UK in May back to the Schengen and I have a ticket confirmation to prove it. I show them this (because now I have an audience of agents) and their response is, "Nothing is to stop you from missing this flight and staying here" and that, "You need to have a ticket home to America and you might not be allowed back into the Schengen because of how long you were there previously".
You can probably tell that I was about to blow a gasket, but I managed to explain that 1) they have no way of proving that I won't make the flight back to Europe 2) if I was planning on missing that flight, there's nothing to stop me skipping my flight back to America so what does that prove and 3) why wouldn't they let me back in since the rules are if you reach your maximum days in the Schengen you have to leave for 90 days and then you can come back in for a renewed period. They choose to ignore my first two points and said that I'm wrong about the third (this is absurd since the UK is not Schengen and therefore do not have to follow the same rules, ergo they might not be up to speed on the rules in the first place) and that I can only be there for 90 days within a period of 12 months. I was almost certain this was wrong but not having information other than my memory concerning the topic I chose to keep my mouth shut.
I then had the pleasure of undergoing a full bag search. They opened up both my large backpack and my smaller camelback and took everything and began going through my belongings. Satisfied that the only objects of interest are my passport, notebook (because obviously I catalog all my devious travel misdemeanors there) and birthday cards (just in case I'm receiving secret messages from family members), they kept those while I was left to repack what they had just torn apart. Also, don't forget I have a connection to make to Dublin and this little rodeo has taken the better part of an hour.
Another ten minutes of deliberation occurred, after which they returned my things and told me that I'd been given the full 6 months to stay in the UK (which was ridiculous because all I needed was a day pass so I could get on my flight to Dublin) and that I could expect to go through a similar showdown when I return in 3 weeks to stay in Scotland (when I will need the pass for 6 months, but there's no way to guarantee that I can get it that time). The lady ended by telling me that she took extensive notes on everything I said and that if my story didn't match up next time I came through, that I would most likely be detained and sent back to the US. I wanted to tell her that since I was telling the truth, it shouldn't be much of an issue. I was about to scream at this point - since they gave me the full amount of time allowed, obviously there was nothing suspicious about me.
When I arrived in Dublin (sorry almost done ranting) there were no problems with customs, instead, just a few questions regarding the length of my stay and then I was through (I always knew the Irish were cooler than the Brits). Once I checked into the hostel, I immediately looked up the Schengen rules online and sure enough, I was right - I can leave the Schengen for 90 days and then reenter for a new 180 day period in which I can be there 90. Of course I was even more in a rage now because I had confirmation that I was right the whole time!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Anyway.... Ireland was wonderful! I spent nearly a week in Dublin and first thing was first - I had to go see the important U2 landmarks in the city. I was holding out hope that I'd get to hear them at their recording studio, but sadly it was quiet. I had also been trying to buy a ticket to the Killers concert on the 22nd for quite a while, but had run into issues getting it delivered to me on the road. On the night of the concert I went down to the arena to see if I could find one last minute. Within five minutes of showing up I had one and not for a bad price either! I was a little disconcerted while I was standing in line because as I looked around I noticed a disproportionate amount of what looked to be high school girls - not my ideal hang out group. Luckily, as door opening approached, more people my age and older started showing up - whew, that was close! It was a great show and exciting to finally see them live after years of wanting to.
From Dublin, I took the train down to Cork. It was funny seeing Ireland's "other big city" juxtaposed with Dublin. While the latter definitely felt like a city, with all of the accompanying hustle and bustle, Cork possessed a much more tranquil atmosphere. Admittedly, I was lazy in the four days that I was here, but I did get out for my first bike ride in six months! If you can picture the dorkiest helmet and hybrid, straight handle-barred, bike combo imaginable then you will have a glimpse into what I looked like for the day. I had it in my head that Ireland was a relatively flat country, but on this end of things I'm going to revise that by saying it's a "hilly country with some deceptively small looking mountains". I didn't think the 50 miles worth of riding it would take for me to get from Cork to Kinsale and back would be unreasonable, but there are few times that I've been happier to be off a bike. Luckily, I was able to see some beautiful coastline and village scenery along the way.
My jaunt in Cork was followed by a four day excursion to the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. I stayed in a town called Annascaul and from there went exploring the mountains and lakes to the north and Inch Beach to the south. It was a fantastic couple of days. The mountains were filled with waterfalls and stormy mists that gave the hikes a mystical quality. It had been a while since I had been completely alone in the wilderness surrounded by silence, and I have to say that it was incredibly refreshing.
Dingle was followed by Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher. The town was very quiet this time of year but I enjoyed talking with the owner of the hostel about traditional Irish music. He did most of the talking and I just listened, but I learned quite a lot about who's who in the Doolin music scene. Once again my planning was lackluster which this time resulted in me not having food for the evening. In Dublin, Cork, and even Annascaul there had been a shop where I could stop in a get the essentials but I had no such luck in Doolin. Luckily, one pub was open so I was able to enjoy some hearty Irish stew along with a pint. If only all my planning mistakes could result like this....a man can dream though! The next day was spent hiking out to the Cliffs. I walked along the road to get there which diverts from the coast, which I was happy about because when I did make it there because you see the full force of the Cliffs all at once. It was an incredible sight - their prominence stretched on for miles. Instead of returning to Doolin on via the road, I decided to take the trail that skirted the Cliffs. For a while, the edge was guarded by a three foot rock wall, but this stopped less than a half mile on the way back. Afterwards there were areas where free fall was not more than a foot and a half away!
Galway was my last port of call before returning to Dublin. It was here that I encountered the first truly bad weather I had seen in Ireland and appropriately spent the rainy hours (a full day and a half) indoors. Fortunately, the last day was dry and I was able to get out and see the town. After Galway, it was back to Dublin to hang out for a day and prepare for my trip back to Scotland. Sadly, my flight was delayed because of snow the following morning but despite missing my connecting flight from London to Glasgow I was in high spirits because I effortlessly passed through UK customs! I am now back on the Isle of Iona where I'll be staying for the next two months. Today was my first day of work which I spent dismantling an old, rusty Bowflex and then stripping the paint off a rowboat. Along with these odd jobs, it looks like the major project for my stay will be to help remodel one of the rooms at the hostel into a recreation area. It has been wonderful being back and excited to see what the next two months will bring!
On a parting note, Happy St. Patrick's Day - I hope you remember your green today!
Dublin:
 |
| Dublin had some great street art. |
 |
| This one was on the way to Hanover Quay, U2's main recording studio. |
 |
| Aye, someone got cheeky here! |
 |
| Art on the "U2 Wall" that runs parallel to the studio. |
 |
| Mosaic heart. |
 |
| An old U2 saying. |
 |
| Strange clouds. |
 |
| There it is!!! U2's main recording studio right on the water. |
 |
| Olympic Studios - one of U2's old haunts. |
 |
| Well hello there Mr. Wylde, and a good day to you sir! |
 |
| Dublin doorway #1. |
 |
| Doorway #2. |
 |
| Side-by-side doorways #3 & #4. |
 |
| Dublin monument southwest style. |
 |
| My boys! |
 |
| Time to go experience some Irish culture! |
 |
| Great collection of old Guinness bottles. |
 |
| Guinness paraphernalia. |
 |
| Looking out on Dublin from the Gravity Bar on top of the Guinness Storehouse. |
Cork:
 |
| Primary colors (or should I say "colours"?) on the streets of Cork. |
 |
| Outside, looking in. |
 |
| Don't remember the name of this cathedral, but since it's in Ireland it's a safe bet that it called St. Patrick's Cathedral. |
 |
| Flowers in February? Apparently this isn't so abnormal when you're at sea level. |
 |
| Funky portrait #1. |
 |
| Funky portrait #2. |
 |
| Cork - are those clear skies I see?! |
Kinsale:
 |
| Mode of transportation for the day. |
 |
| Kinsale was quite the picturesque little town. |
 |
| Hahahaha.....right! |
Annascaul:
 |
| Fog receding over the mountains. |
 |
| Lonely cottage #1. |
 |
| Lonely cottage #2. |
 |
| Emerald forest on the Emerald Isle. |
 |
| For those of you keeping track, lonely cottage #3 (with all these cottages around, you would think they wouldn't be so lonely). |
 |
| Abandoned window. |
 |
| Crazy patterns on the rocks. |
 |
| One of the many waterfalls. |
 |
| Okay now I feel bad for making fun of the Irish mountains, they actually turned out to be fairly steep. |
 |
| Looking back towards Annascaul. |
 |
| And time for a break to sit down, relax and enjoy the view. |
 |
| Waterfall on the way back. |
 |
| Arriving at Inch Beach. |
 |
| Wee sea birds. |
 |
| That is quite the reflective surface. |
 |
| Sea-made sculpture. |
 |
| Irish crop circles. |
 |
| I couldn't believe the colors in the sea shells..... |
 |
| ...especially this purple one! |
 |
| Daffodils in February? |
 |
| Road kill. |
 |
| This little lamb looked lost. |
 |
| It was just a run down house, but it felt sinister. |
 |
| The hiking trail for the day is in pink. |
 |
| And I'm off! |
 |
| Hey sheep, see you on the way baaaaaaack. |
 |
| Hey, I've seen this waterfall before! |
 |
| Could have laid down for a nap on this stuff it was so soft, too bad it was wet. |
 |
| One of the many types of lichen. |
 |
| Apparently this sheep had a baaaaaaaaaad winter (sorry, that's the last sheep joke...for this post at least). |
 |
| Making my way along the cliffs. |
