An Irish Adventure

I left the country the last week of June to spend a week in Ireland with Chris and his family. It was a trip his mother had been wanting to take, having previously visited the country on business. Chris too had been to Ireland when he was very young and, with his family's strong Irish heritage, it's been a place he's wanted to visit again. Having no Irish ancestry myself (my family has its roots mainly in Eastern Europe), and very minimal knowledge of the country and its history, Ireland was not a place I had imagined visiting. When invited along, however, I was ecstatic. I have relished my previous trips to Europe - England and France - and was eager to see yet another side of it. I also looked forward to the experience of traveling with Chris and his family.

Part I: Pubs & Pints

We flew into Dublin, and spent the first 3 days of our trip exploring the city. Our first stop was O'Neill's Pub on Suffolk St, where we grabbed a pint (which served as my breakfast). I really enjoy the pub atmosphere, the dim light and dark wood. It feels friendly and relaxed.


Bartender taking a break


Sitting at the bar in O'Neill's


On tap at O'Neill's - I had Paulaner, a German wheat beer.



The classic, Guinness

A weekend on water

I ventured out of my usual environment last week when Chris and I drove to Battery Park Marina in Sandusky Ohio to spend the weekend with a friend, Krazno, and his family (and their fantastic dog) on their sailboat. Chris, who is working for the family this summer, has spent many weekends at The Boat, but this was my first time aboard and the first time in years that I had been on any manner of watercraft. In addition to the 4o-some-footer used as living quarters, the family also owns a few smaller boats, including a Boston Whaler and a Hobie Cat (catamaran).

I was a bit nervous when Krazno asked if I wanted to go for a ride on the Hobie Cat, but the weather was nice and the wind not very strong, so I decided to go for it. The ride was great - probably a bit tame for Krazno's taste, but perfect for my first time out. The best part was using the trapeze, which allows you to literally hang off the side of the boat. A wire comes out from a high point on the mast and hooks onto a harness that you wear. You then lean back off the side of the hull keeping your feet planted on the side. This technique is used practically to balance the force of the wind in the sails, keeping the boat level. It felt amazing to just hang out there with the wind and water in my face.

At night we took the big sailboat across the lake to Put-in-Bay. The ride took about two hours and we all sat on deck and watched the sun set and the stars come out.

Below are some of the shots from the weekend.

Below deck on the sailboat


Sun setting on the ride to Put-in-Bay


Main sail


Chris doing something on the boat - a lot of my weekend was spent trying not to be in the way.




People parasailing on the lake


Lounging on the boat


Spinnaker (aka Spinny) taking a nap on the boat

On the Sound

This has been my third yearly trip to North Carolina with Chris. For one week in March we hole up with food and drink in a beach condo on the coast of the Pamlico Sound, a large lagoon miles from the nearest town.


The days are spent lounging, beach combing, grilling, mixing cocktails (our first breakfast began with mimosas) and enjoying the seclusion. I particularly appreciate the relief from the traffic and crowds of Chicago. It is also the only time I get to see the stars, as there is almost no light pollution.





This year we were accompanied by friends Rich, Leah, Rob and Christina.


This trip was also my first real opportunity to play with my new Nikon D90 and by the end of the week I'm pretty sure everyone wanted me to get my lens out their faces.
Here are the shots I captured of some of the week's shenanigans...

Dunked

Anyone who reads this blog probably knows by now that I'm engaged. He/she may also know that my betrothed is a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. On a recent visit to the fraternity house, I was introduced to a local ritual of Ohio Wesleyan University Greek life when a brother makes a romantic commitment (called lavaliering). As recognition/punishment for the act of giving one's fraternity letters to one's significant other, the brother is traditionally kidnapped, tied up, carried across campus and dunked in Ohio Wesleyan's (in)famous sulfur spring. I can safely say that I have never witnessed anything like this before and it's hard to say how I felt about the whole thing. It was hilarious, yet disturbing to watch as the entire fraternity pounced on Chris, tied his hands and feet, put a hood over his head and hauled him like a sack of potatoes from one side of campus to the other, singing and generally making a scene, before finally lowering him into a stagnant pool of putrid sulfurous water. The grand finale was Chris, having cut himself free of his bonds, dashing after the brothers, in true Swamp Thing form, barefoot and dripping with rancid spring water.

Here is my documentation of this event. Enjoy, Chris.

Missing him

This photo was taken at the lake, the last time Chris was in Chicago, at the end of May. Once he finds a parking spot (an often daunting task in Lincoln Park) he's a pretty happy camper.