The Pink Rain Boot's Last Journey

The famous Irish Poet, Francis Ledwidge, of Slane stated about Slane

"feel the lure, drawing you back."

This quaint town has a gentle lure to it. The quiet passages, lively pubs, fields and wild berries, friendly people, weather worn buildings and simple atmosphere slowly draws you in until you are swimming in its life. I feel so lucky to work here and get to know the people. It has been such a unique experience, I can't fathom what a trip to Ireland would be like without being apart of its way of life. I recommend wwoofing in the countryside of Ireland to anyone! However the farm work and long walks in the countryside have cost one casualty... the pink rain boots. I might be a little unhealthy attached to them... Read on for more of the story :)

A product of globalization...

The wwoof team, the family wwoof team, has turned into a a hodgepodge of various cultures and nations. The best story to depict this was one night after a long day of farming the wwoof family was relaxing back at the flat. After our dinners were made, the routine lul of after dinner talk led to a show and tell session.  We all decided to show each other our hometowns and the scenery around it. Pictures of the beaches in Italy, the campus in Munich, the massive falls of Patagonia, Argentina and the beautiful Rockey Mountains were eagerly looked up on Google (sometimes I wonder what life was like before google...?) and displayed for our fellow workers curiosity. There we were, 6 of us scrunched together on one couch peering at pieces of the lives of each other. The Au Pair from Brazil then looked up from her computer and stated one word, "Globalization." We looked around at each other and just laughed. How can one couch encompass a German, an Argentinean, an Italian, and three Americans without being the product of globalization??? 

It has been a journey in getting to know, working and living with people from other parts of the world. An unspoken game is played of asking about the ways other countries say and do various aspects of our lives. I've learned some very interesting words in Italian and German. I've also learned that I am very German. People actually might take my family and I for royalty over there, or at least a family who was once very important. My good 'ole German friend Markus informed me that he is from an area in Germany called... are you ready for this... Schwaben. Now there is a very German way of saying this that might discredit all I am saying, but if you say it like any English speaking person, how it is spelled, my last name is the name of a part of Germany. Markus is now one of my new favorite people. Prost to you Markus. (Now you know what to say if you find yourself 'cheers'ing with a German).

My favorite cultural trait I've witnessed is the way the Italian wwoofers take their time when it comes to meals. They carefully plan out, cook and enjoy their meals. Us Americans make a quick couscous dish or PB&J sandwich and sit down for 10 minuets to eat, which starkly contrasts the marathon table sitters.

To hitch or not to hitch...

 We had our first day off after 7 days straight of being farm girls. Olivia, Lindsey and I decided to walk to some nearby historical land marks. Newgrange is an ancient tomb older than the Egyptian pyramids and happens to be 10 km away from Slane. An amazing piece of old architecture, it only allows light to enter the tomb at the winters solstice. Naturally, we knew this was a sight we couldn't pass up.  

Many people have told us that hitching a ride somewhere is very common and safe in Ireland. So we began our 10km (6.2 mi) walk with all the intention of hitching part of the way. Well we only have the pictures to prove, many honks and one small ride from two Irish men who were pretty 'keen' on anyone of us who would agree to go on a date with them (luckily with Lindsey's quick wit we all innocently batted our eyes and said 'sorry, but we don't own cell phones') to show for our hitching experience. Only when we arrived at Newgrange did others inform us that hitching isn't a regular practice and is slightly dangerous. Thankfully we made it safely with only ripped boots and sore feet. There were many points along the road where we stopped next to a field of sheep and laughed at the situation. We wandered the Irish countryside on narrow roads and bright skies, reminding me of many descriptions of country roads found in John Steinbeck's novels. 

These are some of the country views we saw, the houses we passed and animals we made friends with! Olivia might of found her prince charming:) 
Atlas, we made to Newgrange and it was lovely!

  
Slainte... 

The local Pub, Boyles, has become one of our favorite spots in Slane. 5 days a week the small, brick-walled pub hosts many musicians. We've heard anything from the famous John Spillane to the rich folk voices of the local favorites. The community of Slane has invited us in for the week + we've been here. We have been able to get to know the pub owner and many local regulars! Here are some of the highlights: 

This is John Spillane. He was amazing. He got the entire crowd into the music as well as  laughing at his witty comments in between the songs. 

*Right before this picture was taken, Markus put his hand up to halt the picture from being taken and curled his mustache before allowing it to continue...  I don't think I will ever meet another person like Markus!

Only three more days of work and then off to the western coast of Ireland for the weekend. After that we will spend a couple days in Dublin before Linds, Liv and I go our separate ways! Talk to you in Spain... Adios.