Trip to Dublin

Here we are, this is our last day in Dublin. We got splits into groups and had to elaborate a final report of our experience through a slide collection. For us it felt like we were sudents again, an authentic throw back to graduation day! These past two weeks have been very challenging but, at the same time, rewarding and intense. This one is Elena, she presented her work together with her colleagues from France and Germany. Well done! Now it is Caterina's turn. She did an amazing job, nice at dice! Finally, I am ready to discuss the "Club Orange" work, my group. We're two Italian, two Spanish and a Hungarian. Does it sounds like the beginning of a joke? I' ll tell you what, I think we smashed it! Each group is composed by at least one representative from at least three different countries so that each final report ended up being enriched by different points of view. Each work was projected above our heads, as you can see in the upper left corner of this last pict...

After crossing the Eden Quay, I keep walking next to the riverfront, admiring the beauty of am walking on the Eden Quay, admiring the beauty of Liffey River, when I stumble across these characters. Who are they? "A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies" The Irish Potato Famine, also known as  the Great Hunger , began in 1845 when   a  disease called late blight destroyed the leaves and edible roots of the potato plants (the only source of nourishment for most of irish population) in successive years from 1845 to 1849.  The extreme hunger caused people to go insane, and  history has documented many cases of cannibalism during famine!

Did you know? I' m a very lucky person  'cause in Dublin I found my beloved nephew Simona.  So why don' t we meet and walk together?  Simo wants to take us to a little shop that was once a pharmacy. Sweny's Pharmacy is featured in James Joyce's Ulysses. Today, the chemist is maintained by volunteers, celebrating Joyce' s life and works with daily readings, cups of tea, Dublin gossip and - last but not least - the lemon soap. I t is open for tourists, inside there are old pharmacy containers but today the shop is overflowing with books, souvenirs, indefinable objects, photos and much more! Who are those girls?😄😄 Bear in mind that if you drop by PJ Murphy, the guru of Sweny’s in person could decide to amuse you with his guitar, playing and singing an Irish song 😍   Naturally, soap and the entire collection of books by the great Joyce are a must: this is the historical place  where hero Leopold Bloom bought his lemon soap and wife Molly's lotion! You cannot ...

Good morning everyone!     Today the topic of the lesson was how the post-primary education system works in Ireland. Since Italy is not the only country to participate to this Erasmus, several people from across Europe shared different educational methodology applied in their counties, creating an extremely intersting debate. It was amazing to witness the variety and the efficiency of each one, as well as the lacks and cons: no one' s perfect after all... The second topic of the day was "typical Irish food". Our teachers, Pat and Sisy, taught us tons of new words, especially new adjectives, that will help us to convey properly our love for Irish cuisine. Want a taste of our new vocabulary? Buckle up! "tasty, delicious, well-seasoned, spicy, smokey, salty, tastless, tender, sweet, tangy, hearty, acidic, dry,  tart, well-cooked, gooey..." did you have enough?  😋😜    On my way home, I passed in front of the typical gardens of the cottages and... ...they wer...

I want to dedicate this chapter to some of the amazing dishes we' ve tried so far. When it comes to food, Ireland offers you everything, from typical UK food to indian, thai and fusion: a real melting pot!                               Nothing' s better than a juicy Cheeseburger with a side of French Fries after a long stroll Let's not forget about breakfast and brunch! These are some Eggs Benedict: a soft english muffin with some fatty salmon on top and two creamy eggs with a sprinkle of chives and hollandaise sauce.  A real delicacy accompanied by roasted tomatoes and a fresh green salad. Chapeau!   More Fish and Chips (we couldn't get enough of it) The perfect compromise between tasty and healthy: codfish, shrimps and greens.😋😋😋 Craving a snack or a dessert after your meal?  Have a look at this showcase full of pastries, it' s impossible to resist it. Here in Dublin there are lots of incredib...

Today is Saturday , our first free day (yay!). Watching out of the window to the clear sky over our heads, we decide to organize a trip with some colleagues: we sit on a train and after barely half an hour we arrive in Howth!                          A good part of the village area is covered with a very thick breed of fern the spectacular cliff and the lighthouse in the distance We are very lucky, the day is beautiful and the temperature very pleasant. After walking for hours, we were all starving. Howth was born as a fishing village, and we felt like it was the best place to try one of the most iconic foods... Ladies and Gentlemen, please admire the mighty  Fish and Chips!   The place is called "The Bloody Stream", a typical Irish Pub next to the train station. We leave Howth with our eyes full of amazing landscapes and our bellies full of delicious food. On our way ba...