The World We Know

When Ace Enders released a self titled solo album under the name I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business in 2004, I honestly thought that a follow up was impossible. I Can Make Make A Mess would stand in time as a record of epic proportions, fifteen songs full of depth and introspection that I had a hard time putting down. The record was distinctly Ace, but in way different from any previous Early November release. With the breakup of the Early November in 2007, I wondered what would come next for a musician and songwriter who had been such a part of my formative years in developing a love for music. The answer came temporarily with the Ace Enders and a Million Different People project, though Ace has now returned to the I Can Make A Mess name. The World We Know was released on March 23rd and is rumored to be the first of three releases over the next year. In my mind, the album marks a return to the basics, with a heavy dependence on Ace's acoustic influences I've come to love. Understanding a bit of the history surrounding the Early November helps appreciate the tracks a bit more, but in general if you want an honest and down to earth record give this one a spin. Check out I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business on myspace.

Gleann Dá Locha

A brief walk outside is all it takes to realize that spring is upon us in Ireland. Fully recovered from spring break travels and a brief battle with some unknown sickness, the weather this weekend gave me all the more reason to get out and do things. As Belfast proved a few weeks back, one of the perks of these study abroad programs is the occasional free day trip. On Saturday I joined in on the Study Abroad Office day trip down to Glendalough, which is an hour or so southwest of Dublin in County Wicklow. Gleann Dá Locha, or the Glen of Two Lakes, is famous for its 6th century monastic settlement. This once thriving settlement was a center of Catholicism in the early middle ages and is complete with many traditionally Irish symbols, including a circular tower and many Celtic crosses. While I will skip the majority of the boring history lesson, I will say that from a religious perspective the significance of the sight made it worth the trip. The area around Glendalough is also known for its two lakes, upper and lower. You probably could have guessed that one. The woodlands around the lakes are crisscrossed with footpaths and make for excellent hiking. Following a short introduction about a few of the remains within the settlement, our guide took us for a hike into the valley to check out the lakes and take in a bit of nature. Personally, getting out of the city was a much needed and refreshing change of pace. Clean air and sunshine are rather conducive to clearing the mind. All told, a worthwhile day trip in my opinion.

View of the Round Tower

Sunday was also a great day to get out and soak in some sunshine. I know I've talked about riding up to Phoenix Park for the better part of two months, so this time I can finally say I've accomplished my goal. With the remains of a vicious hangover quickly fading, Ardi and I hit the road and made our way up past St. Stephens, around St. Patrick's Cathedral, across the Liffey and into the park. We were far from alone in our desire to enjoy the weather, evident in the masses roaming around the park and the various athletic events taking place. Sunny skies, a bit of soccer and good conversation; can't ask for anything more on a Sunday. After a solid ride I'm starting to think that maybe I can handle a bike tour after all. Looking ahead, Monday means family dinner night and hopefully booking our revisions break trip. At the moment it looks like we're heading to the Canary Islands, but we shall see. And yes, I promise I will get to mass during Holy Week.

Photos from Glendalough

Photos and Reflections

It is often long after a moment is passed that its meaning comes to light, if it ever does at all. I find that seeing so much in such a short time has its tendency for pitfalls; things simply start to blur. The statues, the bridges, the nights spent in bars. Except for the moments. In the week since I have returned from my trek around Europe, this is how I have come to make sense of it all. I promise that when the demands of life subside a bit and I can properly describe the little details I will. Until then, I want to leave you with a few thoughts from "spring break". That is an odd term for me really, since I am almost positive the first thing most think of is a cold Corona on an island beach. Regardless, as you know our trip covered five cities in three countries, none of which I had ever previously visited. Of these, Paris and Rome seem to stick out in my mind. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Paris, as it was not on the top of my priority list of things to visit. There are an overwhelming number of things to see in Paris, as there are in most cities. However, that is not what stood out to me. If I had to pin it down, the afternoon we spent wandering along the Seine River without a proper destination in mind was most enjoyable, as was the late night spent in the streets of the Bastille area looking for a bar. Moving onto Venice, what they say is true: there is nothing like getting lost in Venice. I have no idea how far we walked in single file through the cities maze of little streets and canals but I cannot complain; it was simply breathtaking. I can hardly forget the snow that greeted us in the early morning when we arrived in Florence, or the kindness of the women at the hostel who let us check in early and sleep for a few hours. Though I admit I suffered through my semester of Art History last fall, the knowledge came full circle when we visited the Galleria dell'Accademia to see the works of Michelangelo, Brunelleschi and Donatello, among others. Professor Meadows-Rogers, I hope I made you proud. Next stop on our whirlwind tour, in the words of Phoenix, Rome, Rome, Rome, Rome. I've been told you cannot discover it all in a life time, and all I had were two days. The Vatican and the Colosseum were stunning, though both were honestly not as impressive as I had imagined in my mind. Again, to pick a moment, sitting on the Spanish Steps on Friday morning watching the world go by. The hectic scramble to the airport that ensued in the wake of the transit strike also made for a good story, though not as lovely as the Rome skyline in the early morning sun. Compared to the relative warmth and beauty of the Italian peninsula, Prague was a bit of a shock. It was certainly the most foreign feeling place we visited, in my mind anyways. The sun stayed away most of the weekend and left the city with a gloomy and oppressive feeling. I do not think I ever felt truly comfortable. Regardless, the architecture was stunning and gave off that Eastern European vibe. After a week of intense sight seeing it was nice to kick back and enjoy our time in Prague without any pressure to go out and see things. Was it the highlight of my trip? No, but you cannot put a price on time spent with good friends. You can try and try to see it all, but at the end of the day who you are with is just as important. There is so much to take away from this trip and so much more I want to see, but if I discovered anything significant it was that feeling I had when I stepped off the plane again in Dublin Airport: it was good to be home. Sure, over the previous ten days I had visited a few of the most historic places in the world, but I was overwhelmed with a sense of how much I love this Island. I guess it is safe to say I picked the right place to study, and there has got to be something in that. To get right back in the swing of things, we had a day to rest before St. Patrick's day and I think you can take a guess what happened next. I'll save that for another day. As always I keep counting my blessings and forging ahead. We are small pieces in an ever changing, yet ever beautiful world. Cheers.

Window shot, Prague Castle

Hey...It Just Feels Better

After 12 days, 5 cities, 4 flights, 2 trains, and more stairs climbed and delicious food consumed than I can recall, I'm back where I belong in the beautiful land of shamrocks and green. I promise I will attempt to describe all I have seen over the course of this trip but in the end all that really makes sense are the photographs and the memories of moments and happenings along the way more than any monument or statue ever could. Photos are finally up; see the link below. Look for an in depth look at some of the amazing cities I visited and a few words on places we stayed and other useful information over the next day or two. I always said I wanted this blog to be a place where you can learn something useful, so I will attempt to stick to that idea. There is much to come. Cheers.

Photographs
Spring Break: Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Prague

Every Nights Another Story

At some point a few weeks ago the realization finally came to me that this is in fact the life I am leading, and all of these beautiful people and places are not just a figment of my imagination. With that said, I can hardly believe that March is upon us and classes are more than halfway through here at UCD. Time is moving far too quickly than any of us want to admit. Classes take a break for the next two weeks so we are going to have a trip. The work has slowly been mounting and personally I am excited to take a break and see something new. I have never been on a so called "spring break" trip before so needless to say I think the next twelve days are going to be brilliant. A rough outline of my trek across Europe is as follows:

Thursday, 4th; evening flight to Paris
PARIS Thursday night till Sunday Afternoon (St. Christopher's Hostel)
Sunday, 7th; evening flight to Venice
VENICE Sunday night, all day Monday (Domus Cavanis Hotel)
Tuesday 9th; early AM train to Florence
FLORENCE Tuesday morning till Monday afternoon (Hostel Greci)
Wednesday 10th; evening train to Rome
ROME Wednesday night till Friday afternoon (Hostel Alessandro Downtown)
Friday 12th; afternoon flight to Prague
PRAGUE Friday night till Monday afternoon (Czech Inn Hostel)
Monday 15th; evening flight to Dublin

This has been planned, as you might assume, to have us back in Dublin with a day to recover before St. Patrick's Day festivities and the chaos that will likely ensue. I will try to post an update or two if I can, but I am not expecting nor do I want to be near a computer over the course of the trip. I've got a camera and pen; I will see you on the other side. Cheers.