Fratzy's Footprints

This might have been the most architecturally beautiful churches I have ever seen. There is so much intricate detail on this building I know I didn't even come close to seeing it all. The entire church is massive and as you walk around the building, you can see gravestones littering the gassy patches. When you first walk up to the front doors, there are three spires that contribute to the vertical appearance of the cathedral and follows along in typical gothic architecture style. The carvings and sculptures really make this place spectacular though. There are detailed biblical figures, saints, and scenes from religious stories, and they are all breathtaking to behold. The inside of the cathedral is equally as gorgeous. There are stained-glass windows, intricate woodwork, and the most magnificent marble alter I've ever seen. The inside decor was strongly influences by a mix medieval and Victorian styles.  Along with its obvious beauty, it has a rich history of its intertwining f...

Usually in these blogs, I take a place I visited and related it back to a famous Irish poem by finding one that I feel best fits my experience. However, when I visited the Waterford Medieval Museum, it was done for me! As I was walking through the exhibits, I came across this dark room filled with small lights on the celling making it look like a night sky full of stars. Once your eyes adjust to the sudden light chance, you are met with seven beautiful hand-crafted garments. On display are 15th century cloth-of-gold vestments, which are one of Ireland's finest medieval treasures.  The amount of detail in these robes is absolutely unbelievable, I mean my jaw was on the floor at every single one. You could honestly spend hours in that one room and not get bord. The intense attention to detail, the hand stitched designs - every single thread used had meaning to the story the craftsman was trying to relay. Now how does Yeats come into play? Well, when I finally left the exhibit, I turn...

I wasn't going to. Before we even left for the Blarney grounds, I knew I wasn't going to kiss the stone. However, when I got there, my plans quickly changed, and I found myself in line to hang upside down and kiss the stone. Even though it was not part of the plan, I enjoyed my time at the grounds.  If you are unfamiliar with the blarney stone, it is renowned for its legendary power to give the gift of gab to anyone who kisses it. So, if you would like to gain the ability to gab, you must lay on your back, hang upside down, and bestow a kiss on the rock. Again, I was not planning on doing it since I already have the ability to yap, however when you get there it's hard to say no.  A common theme in my blogs is where I relate my experiences to different poems written by Irish poets. This blog is no different as Heaney wrote a poem called From the Frontier of Writing  that I feel relates to what the blarney stone represents. This poem is about a poet and the sheer importance...

During a day trip to Dingle, a few of us decided to skip the group activity and do a sea safari instead and it was the BEST decision. We got all bundled up in these overalls and jackets and got on this little boat to travel in the water to see sea stacks, islands, and wildlife. Unfortunately for us, we didn't see much wildlife on out safari. We saw some different species of birds but no water animals like dolphins or sharks. However, we did see a beach filled with one hundred seals and it was so cute! They were swimming in the shallow parts of the beach, and some came close to the boat but not close enough that they were right on top of us.  It was so cool being out on the water and being able to look up at these giant mountains and see the different carvings and shapes they took on. I have had the opportunity to look down and out on some amazing mountains but there is a different feeling associated with being underneath them and looking up. It really puts things into perspective s...

The Ring of Kerry is just as stunning as people have described. I went on the shorter tour but that didn't prevent me from seeing some of the most gorgeous mountain landscape I've ever seen. Watching the world rise and fall while on the bus was so interesting. Where I live the there are no mountains or high peaks. There are woods and place for hikes, but nothing compared to the scenery of Ireland. I loved being able to look out the window and see the ever-changing scenery before me. I honestly wish we could've gone to longer route so I would have been able to see different angles of the landscape. There are times I dream of a peaceful life, living in a place where mountains and rivers surround me, and I live alone with animals to keep me company. It's a simple life but being around a busy city isn't the ideal place for me. I prefer a quiet place with nature that is far enough from civilization that I can enjoy peace and quiet but close enough I can still go to my ty...

It is no secret that the Cliffs of Moher is the absolute must see in Ireland and after seeing them for myself I have to agree. They were absolutely spectacular, honestly breathtaking. I lucked out when I went and got a beautiful day. Blue skies, a light breeze, it was truly the perfect weather to be able to see the cliffs for all their glory. There was a tower on the far end, and you have ability of the sight-seeing area, and they allow you to go the top and see some island and a higher view of the cliffs. I absolutely love being in nature. Seeing the wonders of the Earth honestly brings me so much joy it's hard to contain sometimes. The only thing that could have made that experience better was seeing puffins on the rocks. I think puffins are the cutest animals but unfortunately, they won't be back until April when it starts to warm up. However, that didn't stop me from buying a little puffin stuffed animal at the gift shop that I have proudly named Fin the puffin. While ...